Tschernichite Mineral Data

General Tschernichite Information

Chemical Formula:

(Ca,Na)(Si6Al2)O16•4-8(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 658.39 gm

Sodium 0.87 % Na 1.18 % Na₂O

Calcium 4.57 % Ca 6.39 % CaO

Aluminum 8.20 % Al 15.49 % Al₂O₃

Silicon 25.59 % Si 54.76 % SiO₂

Hydrogen 2.45 % H 21.89 % H₂O

Oxygen 58.32 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 99.70 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Ca_0.75Na_0.25Si₆Al₂O₁₆•8(H₂O)

Environment:

In vesicles in an olivine basalt, formed by hydrothermal action. Monoclinic polymorph may be a separate species.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1991

Locality:

Neer Road pit, Goble, Colombia County, Oregon, USA. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for Rudy Warren Tschernich (1945-), amateur mineralogist specializing in zeolites.

Name Pronunciation:

Tschernichite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

IMA1989-037

Tschernichite Image

Images:

Tschernichite

Comments: Clear crystal of tschernichite in a vug.
Location: Goble, Colombia County, Oregon, USA. Scale: Not Given.
© Lou Perloff / Photo Atlas of Minerals

Tschernichite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:c = 1:1.94254

Cell Dimensions:

a = 12.88, c = 25.02, Z = 8; V = 4,150.68 Den(Calc)= 2.11

Crystal System:

Tetragonal - Ditetragonal Dipyramidal H-M Symbol (4/m 2/m 2/m) Space Group: P 4/mmm

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 4.03(1), 11.6(0.32), 2.114(0.16),3.156(0.16), 3.062(0.15), 4.22(0.14), 12.5(0.1),

Physical Properties of Tschernichite

Cleavage:

None

Color:

Colorless, Milky white.

Density:

2.02

Diaphaneity:

Transparent to Translucent

Fracture:

Brittle - Conchoidal - Very brittle fracture producing small, conchoidal fragments.

Habit:

Aggregates - Made of numerous individual crystals or clusters.

Habit:

Druse - Crystal growth in a cavity which results in numerous crystal tipped surfaces.

Hardness:

4.5 - Between Fluorite and Apatite

Luminescence:

Sometimes Fluorescent, Short UV=pale yellow, Long UV=pale yellow.

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Tschernichite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.014 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.029 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2291,KPDmeas= 0.2394,KC= 0.236
Ncalc = 1.48 - 1.5

Optical Data:

Uniaxial (-), e=1.483, w=1.484, bire=0.0010.

Calculated Properties of Tschernichite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.06 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Tschernichite =2.02 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.01
Boson Index = 0.99

Photoelectric:

PE_{Tschernichite}= 1.84 barns/electron
U=PE_{Tschernichite} x rElectron Density= 3.79 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

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

Tschernichite Classification

Dana Class:

77.01.08.02 (77)Tectosilicate Zeolite group

(77.01)true zeolites

(77.01.08)Unclassified zeolite species

77.01.08.01 Bellbergite (K,Ba,Sr)2Sr2Ca2(Ca,Na)4Al18Si18O72•30(H2O) P 6₃/mmc, P 6₂c-, P 6₃mc Hex

77.01.08.02 Tschernichite (Ca,Na)(Si6Al2)O16•4-8(H2O) P 4/mmm 4/m 2/m 2/m

Strunz Class:

09.GF.30 09 - SILICATES (Germanates)

09.G - Tektosilicates with Zeolitic H2O

09.GF -Other Rare Zeolites

09.GF.30 Tschernichite (Ca,Na)(Si6Al2)O16•4-8(H2O) P 4/mmm 4/m 2/m 2/m

Other Tschernichite Information

References:

NAME( AntBidBlaNic2) PHYS. PROP.(Am.Min.,Vol.78,p822-826,1993) OPTIC PROP.(Am.Min.,Vol.78,p822-826,1993)

See Also:

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

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Tschernichite

(Ca,Na)(Si6Al2)O16•4-8(H2O)
Dana No: 77.01.08.02 Strunz No: 09.GF.30
Locality:

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