Mineralogy Database

Microcline Mineral Data

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General Microcline Information

Help on Chemical Formula: Chemical Formula: KAlSi3O8
Help on Composition: Composition: Molecular Weight = 278.33 gm
   Potassium  14.05 %  K    16.92 % K2O
   Aluminum    9.69 %  Al   18.32 % Al2O3
   Silicon    30.27 %  Si   64.76 % SiO2
   Oxygen     45.99 %  O
             ______        ______ 
             100.00 %      100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE
Help on Empirical Formula: Empirical Formula: KAlSi3O8
Help on Environment: Environment: Granitic pegmatites, hydrothermal and metamorphic rocks.
Help on IMA Status: IMA Status: Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1830
Help on Locality: Locality: Common world wide occurrences. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.
Help on Name Origin: Name Origin: From the Greek mikron - "little" and klinein - "to stoop."
Help on Name Pronunciation: Name Pronunciation: Microcline + Pronunciation Say MICROCLINE
Help on Synonym: Synonym: Amazonstone - green
 

Microcline Image

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  Columbite-(Fe)   Microcline

Comments: Blocky, dark brown ferrocolumbite on pale greenish blue amazonite (microcline).
Location: Crystal Park, El Paso Co., Colorado, USA. Scale: 2.5 x 1.5 cm.
© Fabre Minerals
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  Microcline

Comments: Opaque blocky tan crystal of microcline.
Location: Moat Mountain, near Conway, Carroll County, New Hampshire, USA. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Microcline Crystallography
Help on Axial Ratios: Axial Ratios: a:b:c =0.6614:1:0.557
Help on Cell Dimensions: Cell Dimensions: a = 8.577, b = 12.967, c = 7.223, Z = 4; alpha = 90.65°, beta = 115.933°, gamma = 87.783° V = 721.85 Den(Calc)= 2.56
Help on Crystal System: Crystal System: Triclinic - Pinacoidal H-M Symbol ( 1) Space Group: C1
Help on X Ray Diffraction: X Ray Diffraction: By Intensity(I/Io): 3.292(1), 3.241(0.96), 4.225(0.58),
 

Physical Properties of Microcline

Help on Cleavage: Cleavage: {001} Perfect, {010} Good
Help on Color: Color: Bluish green, Green, Gray, Grayish yellow, Yellowish.
Help on Density: Density: 2.56
Help on Diaphaneity: Diaphaneity: Translucent to transparent
Help on Fracture: Fracture: Uneven - Flat surfaces (not cleavage) fractured in an uneven pattern.
Help on Habit: Habit: Blocky - Crystal shape tends to be equant (e.g. feldspars).
Help on Habit: Habit: Crystalline - Coarse - Occurs as well-formed coarse sized crystals.
Help on Habit: Habit: Prismatic - Crystals Shaped like Slender Prisms (e.g. tourmaline).
Help on Hardness: Hardness: 6 - Orthoclase
Help on Luminescence: Luminescence: Fluorescent, Short UV=cherry red.
Help on Luster: Luster: Vitreous (Glassy)
Help on Streak: Streak: white
 

Optical Properties of Microcline

Help on Gladstone-Dale: Gladstone-Dale: CI meas= 0.01 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.01 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2038,KPDmeas= 0.2038,KC= 0.2058
Ncalc = 1.53
Help on Optical Data: Optical Data: Biaxial (-), a=1.518, b=1.522, g=1.525, bire=0.0070, 2V(Calc)=80, 2V(Meas)=77-84. Dispersion relatively weak.
Help on Pleochroism (x): Pleochroism (x): colorless.
Help on Pleochroism (y): Pleochroism (y): colorless.
 

Calculated Properties of Microcline

Help on Electron Density: Electron Density: Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.54 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Microcline =2.56 gm/cc.
Help on Fermion Index: Fermion Index: Fermion Index = 0.01
Boson Index = 0.99
Help on Photoelectric: Photoelectric: PEMicrocline = 2.85 barns/electron
U=PEMicrocline x relectron= 7.23 barns/cc.
Help on Radioactivity: Radioactivity:

GRapi = 200.97 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Microcline per GRapi unit = 0.50 (%)

Estimated Radioactivity from Microcline - barely detectable

 

Microcline Classification
Help on Dana Class: Dana Class: 76.01.01.05 (76)Tectosilicate Al-Si Framework
  (76.01)with Al-Si frameworks
  (76.01.01)K (Na,Ba) feldspars
 
76.01.01.01 Orthoclase KAlSi3O8 C 2/m 2/m
 
76.01.01.02 Sanidine (K,Na)(Si,Al)4O8 C 2/m 2/m
 
76.01.01.03 Hyalophane (K,Ba)Al(Si,Al)3O8 C 2/m 2/m
 
76.01.01.04 Celsian BaAl2Si2O8 I21/c 2/m
 
76.01.01.05 Microcline KAlSi3O8 C1 1
 
76.01.01.06 Anorthoclase (Na,K)AlSi3O8 C1 1
 
76.01.01.07 Rubicline! (Rb,K)AlSi3O8 P1 1
 
76.01.01.08 Filatovite! K[(Al,Zn)2(As,Si)2O8] I2/c 2/m
Help on Strunz Class: Strunz Class: 09.FA.30 09 - SILICATES (Germanates)
  09.F - Tektosilicates without Zeolitic H2O
  09.FA -Tektosilicates without additional non-tetrahedral anions, (Al,B):Si = 1:1
 
09.FA.30 Buddingtonite (NH4)AlSi3O8•0.5(H2O) P 21 or P 21/m Mono
 
09.FA.30 Celsian BaAl2Si2O8 I21/c 2/m
 
09.FA.30 Anorthoclase (Na,K)AlSi3O8 C1 1
 
09.FA.30 Hyalophane (K,Ba)Al(Si,Al)3O8 C 2/m 2/m
 
09.FA.30 Orthoclase KAlSi3O8 C 2/m 2/m
 
09.FA.30 Microcline KAlSi3O8 C1 1
 
09.FA.30 Rubicline! (Rb,K)AlSi3O8 P1 1
 
09.FA.30 Sanidine (K,Na)(Si,Al)4O8 C 2/m 2/m
 

Other Microcline Information
Help on See Also: See Also: Links to other databases for Microcline :
1 - Alkali-Nuts(English)
2 - Alkali-Nuts(Francais)
3 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
4 - Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery
5 - Athena
6 - CalTech Mineral Spectroscopy
7 - EUROmin Project
8 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
9 - Franklin Minerals(Dunn)
10 - Franklin Minerals(Palache)
11 - GeoScienceWorld
12 - Glendale Community College
13 - Google Images
14 - Google Scholar
15 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
16 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
17 - HyperPhysics
18 - MinDAT
19 - Mineral and Gemstone Kingdom
20 - Mineral of the Month
21 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
22 - Minerals in Thin Section-University of North Carolina
23 - Minerals in Thin Sections-Humboldt State
24 - Online Mineral Museum
25 - Philatelic Mineralogy
26 - QUT Mineral Atlas
27 - Ruff.Info
28 - UCLA - Petrography Thin-Sections
29 - WWW-MINCRYST

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Microcline

KAlSi3O8
Dana No: 76.01.01.05 Strunz No: 09.FA.30
Locality:

 

Notes:

 
 

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