Sauconite Mineral Data

General Sauconite Information

Chemical Formula:

Na0,3Zn3(Si,Al)4O10(OH)2•4(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 580.37 gm

Sodium 1.19 % Na 1.60 % Na₂O

Aluminum 4.65 % Al 8.78 % Al₂O₃

Zinc 33.80 % Zn 42.07 % ZnO

Silicon 14.52 % Si 31.06 % SiO₂

Hydrogen 1.74 % H 15.52 % H₂O

Oxygen 44.11 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 99.04 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Na_0.3Zn₃Si₃AlO₁₀(OH)₂•4(H₂O)

Environment:

Vugs and seams in oxidized zinc and copper deposits.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1875

Locality:

Ueberroth mine, Saucon Valley, near Friedensville, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, USA. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for the locality.

Name Pronunciation:

Sauconite + Pronunciation

Sauconite Image

Images:

Sauconite

Comments: Pale brown earthy sauconite on hemimorphite microcrystals.
Location: Doughty Mine, near Sunbury, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, USA. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Sauconite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.5729:1:1.6952

Cell Dimensions:

a = 5.34, b = 9.32, c = 15.8, Z = 2; beta = 95° V = 783.35 Den(Calc)= 2.46

Crystal System:

Monoclinic - Prismatic H-M Symbol (2/m) Space Group: C 2/m

$Help on X Ray Diffraction:$ X Ray Diffraction:

By Intensity(I/I_o): 1.54(1), 2.67(1), 15.4(1),

Physical Properties of Sauconite

Cleavage:

{001} Perfect

Color:

Bluish white, Reddish brown.

Density:

2.45

Diaphaneity:

Translucent

Habit:

Earthy - Dull, clay-like texture with no visible crystalline affinities, (e.g. howlite).

Habit:

Massive - Uniformly indistinguishable crystals forming large masses.

Hardness:

1-2 - Between Talc and Gypsum

Luster:

Earthy (Dull)

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Sauconite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.178 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.173 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2405,KPDmeas= 0.2415,KC= 0.2051
Ncalc = 1.5

Optical Data:

Biaxial (-), a=1.55-1.58, b=1.59-1.62, g=1.59-1.62, bire=0.0400, 2V(Calc)=0, 2V(Meas)=0-20.

Calculated Properties of Sauconite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.43 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Sauconite =2.46 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.02
Boson Index = 0.98

Photoelectric:

PE_Sauconite= 17.15 barns/electron
U=PE_Sauconite x rElectron Density= 41.63 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Sauconite is Not Radioactive

Sauconite Classification

Dana Class:

71.03.01b.03 (71)Phyllosilicate Sheets of Six-Membered Rings

(71.03)with 2:1 clays

(71.03.01b)Smectite group (Trioctahedral Smectites)

71.03.01b.01 Sobotkite? (K,Ca0.5)0.33(Mg,Al)3(Si3Al)O10(OH)2•1-5(H2O) Unk. Mono

71.03.01b.02 Saponite (Ca/2,Na)0,3(Mg,Fe)3(Si,Al)4O10(OH)2•4(H2O) C 2/m 2/m

71.03.01b.02a Ferrosaponite! Ca0.3(Fe,Mg,Fe)3(Si,Al)4O10(OH)2•4(H2O) C? Mono

71.03.01b.03 Sauconite Na0,3Zn3(Si,Al)4O10(OH)2•4(H2O) C 2/m 2/m

71.03.01b.04 Hectorite Na0,3(Mg,Li)3Si4O10(OH)2 C 2/m 2/m

71.03.01b.05 Pimelite? Ni3Si4O10(OH)2•4(H2O) Unk. Hex

71.03.01b.06 Stevensite (Ca0.5,Na)0.33(Mg,Fe)3Si4O10(OH)2•n(H2O) Unk (ORTH ?) Mono

71.03.01b.07 Yakhontovite (Ca,K)0.5(Cu,Fe,Mg)2Si4O10(OH)2•3(H2O) C 2/m 2/m

71.03.01b.08 Zincsilite Zn3Si4O10(OH)2•4(H2O)(?) C 2/m ? 2/m

Strunz Class:

09.EC.45 09 - SILICATES (Germanates)

09.E - Phyllosilicates

09.EC -Phyllosilicates with mica sheets, composed of tetrahedral and octahedral nets

09.EC.45 Griffithite* 4(Mg,Fe,Ca)O.(Al,Fe)2O3.5SiO2•7(H2O) Mono

09.EC.45 Hectorite Na0,3(Mg,Li)3Si4O10(OH)2 C 2/m 2/m

09.EC.45 Swinefordite (Li,Ca0.5,Na)0.72(Li,Al,Mg)2.66(Si,Al)4O10(OH,F)2•2(H2O) C 2/m (MON or ORTH) 2/m

09.EC.45 Zincsilite Zn3Si4O10(OH)2•4(H2O)(?) C 2/m ? 2/m

09.EC.45 Saponite (Ca/2,Na)0,3(Mg,Fe)3(Si,Al)4O10(OH)2•4(H2O) C 2/m 2/m

09.EC.45 Sauconite Na0,3Zn3(Si,Al)4O10(OH)2•4(H2O) C 2/m 2/m

09.EC.45 Spadaite MgSiO2(OH)2•(H2O)(?) Ortho

09.EC.45 Sobotkite? (K,Ca0.5)0.33(Mg,Al)3(Si3Al)O10(OH)2•1-5(H2O) Unk. Mono

09.EC.45 Stevensite (Ca0.5,Na)0.33(Mg,Fe)3Si4O10(OH)2•n(H2O) Unk (ORTH ?) Mono

09.EC.45 Ferrosaponite! Ca0.3(Fe,Mg,Fe)3(Si,Al)4O10(OH)2•4(H2O) C? Mono

Other Sauconite Information

References:

NAME( AntBidBlaNic2) PHYS. PROP.(AntBidBlaNic2) OPTIC PROP.(AntBidBlaNic2)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Sauconite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Athena
3 - EUROmin Project
4 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
5 - Franklin Minerals(Dunn)
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 - QUT Mineral Atlas
15 - Ruff.Info

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Sauconite

Na0,3Zn3(Si,Al)4O10(OH)2•4(H2O)
Dana No: 71.03.01b.03 Strunz No: 09.EC.45
Locality:

Notes:

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