Sophiite Mineral Data

General Sophiite Information

Chemical Formula:

Zn2(SeO3)Cl2

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 328.64 gm

Zinc 39.79 % Zn 49.53 % ZnO

Selenium 24.03 % Se 33.76 % SeO₂

Chlorine 21.58 % Cl 21.58 % Cl

- % Cl -4.87 % -O=Cl₂

Oxygen 14.60 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Zn₂(SeO₃)Cl₂

Environment:

Found in fumaroles 180-230 deg C.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1989

Locality:

Great Tolbachik Fissure Eruption, Kamchatka, Russian. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for Sophia Ivanovna Noboko (1909-), Russian volcanoloist and mineralogist, a leading investigator of the Kamchatka volcanos.

Name Pronunciation:

Sophiite

Synonym:

ICSD 67606

PDF 45-1463

Sofiite

Sophiite Image

Images:

Sophiite

Comments: White, tabular crystal of sophiite in matrix.
Location: Great Fissure (Main Fracture) eruption, Tolbachik volcano, Kamchatka Oblast', Far-Eastern Region, Russia. Scale: Picture size 1 mm.
© Thomas Witzke / Abraxas-Verlag

Sophiite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.6733:1:0.5035

Cell Dimensions:

a = 10.251, b = 15.223, c = 7.666, Z = 8; V = 1,196.29 Den(Calc)= 3.65

Crystal System:

Orthorhombic - Dipyramidal H-M Symbol (2/m 2/m 2/m) Space Group: Pccn

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 7.61(1), 3.807(0.23), 2.918(0.12),

Physical Properties of Sophiite

Cleavage:

{010} Perfect, {201} Fair

Color:

Colorless, Sky blue, Light blue.

Diaphaneity:

Transparent

Habit:

Platy - Sheet forms (e.g. micas).

Habit:

Pseudo Hexagonal - Crystals show a hexagonal outline.

Habit:

Thin - Flat dimensioned crystals.

Hardness:

2-2.5 - Gypsum-Finger Nail

Luster:

Vitreous - Greasy

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Sophiite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI calc= 0.06 (Fair) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1995,KC= 0.2123
Ncalc = 1.77

Optical Data:

Biaxial (+), a=1.709, b=1.726, g=1.75, bire=0.0410

Calculated Properties of Sophiite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=3.38 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Sophiite =3.65 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.03
Boson Index = 0.97

Photoelectric:

PE_Sophiite= 40.32 barns/electron
U=PE_Sophiite x rElectron Density= 136.12 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

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

Sophiite Classification

Dana Class:

34.06.05.01 (34)Selenites - Tellurites - Sulfites

(34.06)Dana Type

(34.06.05)Dana Group

34.06.05.01 Sophiite Zn2(SeO3)Cl2 Pccn 2/m 2/m 2/m

Strunz Class:

04.JG.15 04 - OXIDES (Hydroxides, V[5,6] vanadates, arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites, iodate

04.J - Arsenites, Antimonites, Bismuthites, Sulfites,

04.JG -Selenites with additional anions, without H2O

04.JG.15 Sophiite Zn2(SeO3)Cl2 Pccn 2/m 2/m 2/m

Other Sophiite Information

References:

NAME( Dana8) PHYS. PROP.(Am.Min.,Vol.75,p1211,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Am.Min.,Vol.75,p1211,1990)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Sophiite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Athena
3 - GeoScienceWorld
4 - Google Images
5 - Google Scholar
6 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
7 - MinDAT
8 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
9 - Online Mineral Museum
10 - QUT Mineral Atlas
11 - Ruff.Info

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Print or Cut-and-Paste your Sophiite Specimen Label here :

Sophiite

Zn2(SeO3)Cl2
Dana No: 34.06.05.01 Strunz No: 04.JG.15
Locality:

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