Sulphohalite Mineral Data

General Sulphohalite Information

Chemical Formula:

Na6(SO4)2FCl

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 384.52 gm

Sodium 35.87 % Na 48.36 % Na₂O

Sulfur 16.68 % S 41.64 % SO₃

Chlorine 9.22 % Cl 9.22 % Cl

- % Cl -2.08 % -O=Cl₂

Oxygen 33.29 % O

Fluorine 4.94 % F 4.94 % F

- % F -2.08 % -O=F₂

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Na₆(SO₄)₂FCl

Environment:

Continental evaporite deposits.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1888

Locality:

Searles Lake, San Bernardino Co., California. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named after its composition of sulfate plus NaCl (halite). .

Name Pronunciation:

Sulphohalite + Pronunciation

Sulphohalite Image

Images:

Sulphohalite

Comments: Octahedral sulphohalite crystal.
Location: Searles Lake, San Bernardino Co., California, USA. Scale: Crystal size 5 mm.
© John Veevaert

Sulphohalite Crystallography

Cell Dimensions:

a = 10.065, Z = 4; V = 1,019.63 Den(Calc)= 2.50

Crystal System:

Isometric - Hexoctahedral H-M Symbol (4/m 3 2/m) Space Group: F m3m

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 3.56(1), 2.91(0.8), 1.779(0.65),

Physical Properties of Sulphohalite

Cleavage:

{???} Perfect

Color:

Colorless, Green yellow, Gray, Grayish yellow, Light green yellow.

Density:

2.43

Diaphaneity:

Transparent

Fracture:

Sub Conchoidal - Fractures developed in brittle materials characterized by semi-curving surfaces.

Habit:

Octahedral Crystals - Occurs as octahedral shaped crystals.

Hardness:

3.5 - Copper Penny

Luminescence:

Fluorescent and Phosphorescent, Long UV=bright white to creamy white.

Luster:

Vitreous - Greasy

Magnetism:

Nonmagnetic

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Sulphohalite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.05 (Good) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.076 (Fair) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.182,KPDmeas= 0.1872,KC= 0.197
Ncalc = 1.48 - 1.49

Optical Data:

Isotropic, n=1.455.

Calculated Properties of Sulphohalite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.38 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Sulphohalite =2.43 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0014106732
Boson Index = 0.9985893268

Photoelectric:

PE_Sulphohalite= 2.20 barns/electron
U=PE_Sulphohalite x rElectron Density= 5.24 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

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

Sulphohalite Classification

Dana Class:

30.01.07.01 (30)Anhydrous Sulfates Containing Hydroxyl or Halogen

(30.01)where (A B)m (XO4)p Zq where m:p>2:1

(30.01.07)Dana Group

30.01.07.01 Sulphohalite Na6(SO4)2FCl F m3m 4/m 3 2/m

Strunz Class:

07.BD.05 07 - SULFATES (SELENATES, TELLURATES)

07.B - Sulfates (selenates, etc.) with Additional Anions, without H2O

07.BD -With only large cations

07.BD.05 Sulphohalite Na6(SO4)2FCl F m3m 4/m 3 2/m

Other Sulphohalite Information

References:

NAME( MinRec) PHYS. PROP.(Collectors Book of Fluorescent Minerals) OPTIC PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990)

See Also:

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

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

Sulphohalite

Na6(SO4)2FCl
Dana No: 30.01.07.01 Strunz No: 07.BD.05
Locality:

Notes:

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