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Mesolite Mineral Data

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General Mesolite Information

Help on Chemical  Formula: Chemical Formula: Na2Ca2Al6Si9O30•8(H2O)
Help on Composition: Composition: Molecular Weight = 1,164.90 gm
   Sodium     3.95 %  Na    5.32 % Na2O
   Calcium    6.88 %  Ca    9.63 % CaO
   Aluminum  13.90 %  Al   26.26 % Al2O3
   Silicon   21.70 %  Si   46.42 % SiO2
   Hydrogen   1.38 %  H    12.37 % H2O
   Oxygen    52.19 %  O
            ______        ______ 
            100.00 %      100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE
Help on Empirical Formula: Empirical Formula: Na2Ca2Al6Si9O30•8(H2O)
Help on Environment: Environment: Occurs in amygdaloidal basalt and similar rocks.
Help on IMA Status: IMA Status: Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1816
Help on Locality: Locality: Cyclopean Islands northeast of Catania, Sicily. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.
Help on Name Origin: Name Origin: From the Greek mesos - "middle."
Help on Name Pronunciation: Name Pronunciation: Mesolite Say MESOLITE
Help on Synonym: Synonym: Cotton stone
  ICSD 75200
  PDF 24-1064
 

Mesolite Image

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  Mesolite

Comments: Cotton-ball cluster of acicular white mesolite crystals on celestine.
Location: Cheyenne, Laramie County, Wyoming. Scale: Not Given.
© Lou Perloff / Photo Atlas of Minerals

Mesolite Crystallography

Help on Axial Ratios: Axial Ratios: a:b:c =8.6564:1:2.8213
Help on Cell Dimensions: Cell Dimensions: a = 56.7, b = 6.55, c = 18.48, Z = 8; beta = 90° V = 6,863.19 Den(Calc)= 2.25
Help on Crystal System: Crystal System: Monoclinic - Sphenoidal H-M Symbol (2) Space Group: C 2
Help on X Ray Diffraction: X Ray Diffraction: By Intensity(I/Io): 2.86(1), 5.79(0.7), 4.35(0.5),
 

Physical Properties of Mesolite

Help on Cleavage: Cleavage: {101} Perfect, {001} Perfect
Help on Color: Color: White, Gray, Pale yellow.
Help on Density: Density: 2.2 - 2.4, Average = 2.29
Help on Diaphaneity: Diaphaneity: Transparent to translucent
Help on Fracture: Fracture: Uneven - Flat surfaces (not cleavage) fractured in an uneven pattern.
Help on Habit: Habit: Acicular - Occurs as needle-like crystals.
Help on Habit: Habit: Capillary - Very slender and long, like a thread or hair (e.g. millerite).
Help on Habit: Habit: Spherical - Spherical, rounded aggregates.
Help on Hardness: Hardness: 5 - Apatite
Help on Luminescence: Luminescence: Non-fluorescent.
Help on Luster: Luster: Vitreous - Silky
Help on Streak: Streak: white
 

Optical Properties of Mesolite

Help on Gladstone-Dale: Gladstone-Dale: CI meas= 0.016 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.006 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2246,KPDmeas= 0.2197,KC= 0.2233
Ncalc = 1.49 - 1.54
Help on Optical Data: Optical Data: Biaxial (+), a=1.505, b=1.505, g=1.506, bire=0.0010, 2V(Calc)=0, 2V(Meas)=80. Dispersion strong, r > v.
 

Calculated Properties of Mesolite

Help on Electron Density: Electron Density: Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.26 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Mesolite =2.25 gm/cc.
Help on Fermion Index: Fermion Index: Fermion Index = 0.01
Boson Index = 0.99
Help on Photoelectric: Photoelectric: PEMesolite = 2.17 barns/electron
U=PEMesolite x rElectron Density= 4.91 barns/cc.
Help on Radioactivity: Radioactivity: GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Mesolite is Not Radioactive
 

Mesolite Classification

Help on  Dana Class: Dana Class: 77.01.05.04 (77)Tectosilicate Zeolite group
  (77.01)true zeolites
  (77.01.05)Natrolite and related species
 
77.01.05.01 Natrolite Na2[Al2Si3O10]•2(H2O) F dd2 mm2
 
77.01.05.02 Tetranatrolite? Na2[Al2Si3O10]•2(H2O) I 42d 4 2m
 
77.01.05.03 Paranatrolite Na2[Al2Si3O10]•3(H2O) Cc m
 
77.01.05.04 Mesolite Na2Ca2Al6Si9O30•8(H2O) C 2 2
 
77.01.05.05 Scolecite CaAl2Si3O10•3(H2O) Cc m
 
77.01.05.06 Edingtonite BaAl2Si3O10•4(H2O) P 21212 2 2 2
 
77.01.05.07 Gonnardite Na2CaAl4Si6O20•7(H2O) I 42d 4 2m
 
77.01.05.08 Cowlesite CaAl2Si3O10•5-6(H2O) P 2221, P mmm, Pmm2 Ortho
 
77.01.05.09 Thomsonite-Ca NaCa2Al5Si5O20•6(H2O) Pncn 2/m 2/m 2/m
 
77.01.05.10 Thomsonite-Sr! (Sr,Ca)2Na[Al5Si5O20]•7(H2O) Pcnn 2/m 2/m 2/m
 
77.01.05.11 Nabesite! Na2BeSi4O10•4(H2O) P 212121 2 2 2
Help on  Strunz Class: Strunz Class: 09.GA.05 09 - SILICATES (Germanates)
  09.G - Tektosilicates with Zeolitic H2O
  09.GA -Zeolites with T5O10 Units � The Fibrous Zeolites
 
09.GA.05 Gonnardite Na2CaAl4Si6O20•7(H2O) I 42d 4 2m
 
09.GA.05 Mesolite Na2Ca2Al6Si9O30•8(H2O) C 2 2
 
09.GA.05 Natrolite Na2[Al2Si3O10]•2(H2O) F dd2 mm2
 
09.GA.05 Paranatrolite Na2[Al2Si3O10]•3(H2O) Cc m
 
09.GA.05 Scolecite CaAl2Si3O10•3(H2O) Cc m
 
09.GA.05 Tetranatrolite? Na2[Al2Si3O10]•2(H2O) I 42d 4 2m
 

Other Mesolite Information

Help on References: References: NAME( Duda&Rejl90) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Ford32)
Help on See Also: See Also: Links to other databases for Mesolite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery
3 - Athena
4 - EUROmin Project
5 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
6 - GeoScienceWorld
7 - Google Images
8 - Google Scholar
9 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
10 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
11 - MinDAT
12 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
13 - Online Mineral Museum
14 - Philatelic Mineralogy
15 - QUT Mineral Atlas
16 - Ruff.Info
17 - WWW-MINCRYST
18 - theimage

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Mesolite

Na2Ca2Al6Si9O30•8(H2O)
Dana No: 77.01.05.04 Strunz No: 09.GA.05
Locality:

 

Notes:

 

 
   
 


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