Ternesite Mineral Data

General Ternesite Information

Chemical Formula:

Ca5(SiO4)2SO4

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 480.62 gm

Calcium 41.69 % Ca 58.34 % CaO

Silicon 11.69 % Si 25.00 % SiO₂

Sulfur 6.67 % S 16.66 % SO₃

Oxygen 39.95 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Ca₅(SiO₄)₂(SO₄)

Environment:

In calcium-rich xenoliths in leucite tephrite lava.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1997 (Dana # Added)

Locality:

The Ettringer Bellerberg, near Mayen, Eifel, Germany. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

For Mr. B. Ternes of Mayen, Germany, who found the mineral and provided specimens for the study.

Name Pronunciation:

Ternesite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

ICSD 85123

IMA1995-015

PDF 49-1807

Ternesite Image

Images:

Ternesite

Comments: Pale blue crystalline ternesite.
Location: Bellerberg, Eifel, Rheinland-Pflaz, Germany. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Ternesite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.446:1:0.6616

Cell Dimensions:

a = 6.863, b = 15.387, c = 10.181, Z = 4; V = 1,075.12 Den(Calc)= 2.97

Crystal System:

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

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 2.83(1), 2.853(0.63), 2.565(0.55),

Physical Properties of Ternesite

Cleavage:

None

Color:

Colorless, Bright blue.

Density:

2.94 - 2.98, Average = 2.96

Diaphaneity:

Transparent

Habit:

Aggregates - Made of numerous individual crystals or clusters.

Habit:

Radial - Crystals radiate from a center without producing stellar forms (e.g. stibnite)

Hardness:

4.5 - Between Fluorite and Apatite

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Optical Properties of Ternesite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.053 (Good) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.049 (Good) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.214,KPDmeas= 0.2148,KC= 0.204
Ncalc = 1.6 - 1.61

Optical Data:

Biaxial (-), a=1.63, b=1.637, g=1.64, bire=0.0100

Calculated Properties of Ternesite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.97 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Ternesite =2.97 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0067129231
Boson Index = 0.9932870769

Photoelectric:

PE_Ternesite= 5.96 barns/electron
U=PE_Ternesite x rElectron Density= 17.67 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

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

Ternesite Classification

Dana Class:

53.02.04.01 (53)Nesosilicate Insular SiO4 Groups and Other Anions of Complex Cations

(53.02)with (SO4), (CrO4), (PO4), etc.

(53.02.04)Dana Group

53.02.04.01 Ternesite! Ca5(SiO4)2SO4 P nma 2/m 2/m 2/m

Strunz Class:

09.AH.20 09 - SILICATES (Germanates)

09.A - Nesosilicates

09.AH -Nesosilicates with CO3, SO4, PO4, etc.

09.AH.20 Ternesite! Ca5(SiO4)2SO4 P nma 2/m 2/m 2/m

Other Ternesite Information

References:

NAME( MinRec) PHYS. PROP.(Am.Min.,Vol.83,p655,1998) OPTIC PROP.(MinRec)

See Also:

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

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

Ternesite

Ca5(SiO4)2SO4
Dana No: 53.02.04.01 Strunz No: 09.AH.20
Locality:

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