Turkestanite Mineral Data

General Turkestanite Information

Chemical Formula:

Th(Ca,Na)2(K1-x,[ ]x)Si8O20•n(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 879.42 gm

Potassium 2.67 % K 3.21 % K₂O

Sodium 1.31 % Na 1.76 % Na₂O

Calcium 6.84 % Ca 9.56 % CaO

Thorium 21.11 % Th 24.02 % ThO₂

Silicon 25.55 % Si 54.66 % SiO₂

Hydrogen 0.69 % H 6.15 % H₂O

Oxygen 41.84 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 99.36 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Th_0.8Ca_1.5Na_0.5K_0.6Si₈O₂₀•3(H₂O)

Environment:

Found in the albitized exocontact zone at the Djelisu and Dara-Pioz alkaline complexes. The calcium dominant analog of steacyite.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1996 (Dana # Added)

Locality:

Located 40 km apart north and south, respectively, of the Turkestan - Tadjikistan border. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named after the discovery locality, along the Turkestan Ridge.

Name Pronunciation:

Turkestanite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

IMA1996-036

Turkestanite Image

Images:

Turkestanite

Comments: Green, blocky, prismatic crystal of turkestanite in matrix.
Location: Dara-i-Pioz Glacier, Alayskiy (Alai) Range, Tien Shan Mts, Districts of the Republican Subordination, Tajikistan. Scale: Picture size 5 mm.
© Thomas Witzke / Abraxas-Verlag

Turkestanite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:c = 1:1.95258

Cell Dimensions:

a = 7.592, c = 14.824, Z = 2; V = 854.43 Den(Calc)= 3.42

Crystal System:

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

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 3.4(1), 5.31(0.7), 2.654(0.59),

Physical Properties of Turkestanite

Cleavage:

{111} Imperfect, {111} Imperfect, {111} Imperfect

Color:

Apple green, Dark green, Brown.

Density:

3.36

Diaphaneity:

Transparent

Fracture:

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

Habit:

Euhedral Crystals - Occurs as well-formed crystals showing good external form.

Habit:

Granular - Generally occurs as anhedral to subhedral crystals in matrix.

Hardness:

5.5-6 - Knife Blade-Orthoclase

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Turkestanite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.114 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.13 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1779,KPDmeas= 0.1811,KC= 0.2044
Ncalc = 1.69 - 1.7

Optical Data:

Uniaxial (-), e=1.606, w=1.611, bire=0.0050.

Calculated Properties of Turkestanite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=3.22 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Turkestanite =3.36 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.01
Boson Index = 0.99

Photoelectric:

PE_Turkestanite= 466.07 barns/electron
U=PE_Turkestanite x r_electron=1,499.01 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 431,084.28 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Turkestanite per GRapi unit = 2.32 (PPM)

Turkestanite is Radioactive as defined in 49 CFR 173.403. Greater than 70 Bq / gram.

Estimated Maximum U.S. Postal Shipping Size (10 mRem/hr limit, Unshielded 10 cm box) 70.56 ± 17.64 grams of pure Turkestanite .
Estimated Maximum U.S. Postal Shipping Size (10 mRem/hr limit, Unshielded 100 cm box) 7055.9 ±1764.0 grams of pure Turkestanite .

**Estimated Radioactivity from Turkestanite** - strong
Specimen Size Weight/Volume (Sphere) *	Calculated Activity Bequerols (Bq)	Calculated Activity Curies (Ci)	Estimated Activity GR(api)	Estimated Exposure (mRem**)/hr If Held in Hand For One Hour
1000 gm / 8.28 cm	9,457,329	2.56E-04	431,084.28	141.73
100 gm / 3.84 cm	945,733	2.56E-05	43,108.43	14.17
10 gm / 1.78 cm	94,573	2.56E-06	4,310.84	1.42
1 gm / 8.28 mm	9,457	2.56E-07	431.08	0.14
0.1 gm / 3.84 mm	946	2.56E-08	43.11	0.01
0.01 gm / 1.78 mm	95	2.56E-09	4.31	0.00
0.001 gm / 0.83 mm	9	2.56E-10	0.43	0.00

Weight of pure Turkestanite in grams (gm) and Calculated Diameter of a Sphere with a Density of 3.36 gm/cc.*
Goverment Estimate of Average Annual Exposure ( 360 mRem) **
Note: 10 microsieverts/hr = 1 mRem/hr **
Max Permissable Adult Dose 50,000 mRem/yr (hands), 15,000 mRem/yr (eyes)
Lethal Dose LD(50) Exposure 400,000 to 500,000 mRem

Turkestanite Classification

Dana Class:

63.01.01.03 (63)Cyclosilicate Condensed Rings

(63.01)4-membered rings

(63.01.01)Steacyite Group

63.01.01.01 Steacyite K1-x(Ca,Na)2ThSi8O20(x=0.2to0.4) P 4/mcc 4/m 2/m 2/m

63.01.01.02 Iraqite-(La) K(La,Ce,Th)2(Ca,Na)4(Si,Al)16O40 P 4/mcc 4/m 2/m 2/m

63.01.01.03 Turkestanite! Th(Ca,Na)2(K1-x,[]x)Si8O20•n(H2O) P 4/mcc 4/m 2/m 2/m

63.01.01.04 Arapovite! (U,Th)(Ca,Na)2(K1-x[]x)Si8O20•H2O,x=0.5 P 4/mcc 4/m 2/m 2/m

Strunz Class:

09.CH.10 09 - SILICATES (Germanates)

09.C - Cyclosilicates

09.CH -[Si4O12]8- 4-membered double rings

09.CH.10 Iraqite-(La) K(La,Ce,Th)2(Ca,Na)4(Si,Al)16O40 P 4/mcc 4/m 2/m 2/m

09.CH.10 Steacyite K1-x(Ca,Na)2ThSi8O20(x=0.2to0.4) P 4/mcc 4/m 2/m 2/m

09.CH.10 Turkestanite! Th(Ca,Na)2(K1-x,[]x)Si8O20•n(H2O) P 4/mcc 4/m 2/m 2/m

09.CH.10 Arapovite! (U,Th)(Ca,Na)2(K1-x[]x)Si8O20•H2O,x=0.5 P 4/mcc 4/m 2/m 2/m

Other Turkestanite Information

References:

NAME( CanMin, 8/99) PHYS. PROP.(MinRec, V 31, No. 2) OPTIC PROP.(MinRec, V 31, No. 2)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Turkestanite :
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
11 - Uranium Minerals
12 - WWW-MINCRYST

Search for Turkestanite using:

[AOL] [Bing] [Dog Pile] [GeoScienceWorld] [HotBot] [Ixquick] [Lycos] [MAMMA] [Scirus] [Teoma] [WebCrawler] [Wikipedia] [YAHOO]

Visit our Advertisers for Turkestanite :

Ask about Turkestanite here :
Ask-A-Mineralogist from the Mineralogical Society of America
Mindat.org's Discussion Groups
Original Rockhounds Discussion Group
Rockhounds Discussion Group on Yahoo Groups
Mineral Discussion Forum from Fabre Minerals - also available in Español

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

Turkestanite

Th(Ca,Na)2(K1-x,[ ]x)Si8O20•n(H2O)
Dana No: 63.01.01.03 Strunz No: 09.CH.10
Locality:

Notes:

Dakota Matrix
Excalibur Minerals
Exceptional Minerals
Hudson Insitute
John Betts Fine Minerals
Mc Dougall Minerals
Mineral News
Rock and Mineral Shows
Weinrich Minerals, Inc.