Wairakite Mineral Data

General Wairakite Information

Chemical Formula:

CaAl2Si4O12•2(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 434.41 gm

Calcium 9.23 % Ca 12.91 % CaO

Aluminum 12.42 % Al 23.47 % Al₂O₃

Silicon 25.86 % Si 55.33 % SiO₂

Hydrogen 0.93 % H 8.29 % H₂O

Oxygen 51.56 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

CaAl₂Si₄O₁₂•2(H₂O)

Environment:

Possibly forms a continuous solid-solution series with analcime.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1955

Locality:

Wairakei, Taupo Volcanic Zone, New Zealand. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for the loclity.

Name Pronunciation:

Wairakite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

ICSD 100553

PDF 42-1451

Wairakite Image

Images:

Dmisteinbergite Wairakite

Comments: Pearly platy crystalline dmisteinbergite with dull white wairakite on matrix.
Location: Kurumazawa, Katashina, Gumma, Japan. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Images:

Wairakite

Comments: White nearly opaque crystalline massive wairakite, with a few crystals faces present.
Location: Tohi Mine, Shizuoka, Japan. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Wairakite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =1.0035:1:0.9939

Cell Dimensions:

a = 13.692, b = 13.643, c = 13.56, Z = 8; beta = 90.5° V = 2,532.91 Den(Calc)= 2.28

Crystal System:

Monoclinic - Prismatic H-M Symbol (2/m) Space Group: I2/a

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 3.41(1), 5.57(0.9), 2.9(0.8),

Physical Properties of Wairakite

Cleavage:

{100} Distinct

Color:

Colorless, White.

Density:

2.26

Diaphaneity:

Transparent to Translucent

Fracture:

Brittle - Generally displayed by glasses and most non-metallic minerals.

Hardness:

5.5-6 - Knife Blade-Orthoclase

Luster:

Vitreous - Dull

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Wairakite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.01 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.001 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2193,KPDmeas= 0.2212,KC= 0.219
Ncalc = 1.49 - 1.5

Optical Data:

Biaxial (+/-), a=1.498, g=1.502, bire=0.0040, 2V(Meas)=70-105.

Calculated Properties of Wairakite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.29 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Wairakite =2.28 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.01
Boson Index = 0.99

Photoelectric:

PE_Wairakite= 2.50 barns/electron
U=PE_Wairakite x rElectron Density= 5.72 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

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

Wairakite Classification

Dana Class:

77.01.01.03 (77)Tectosilicate Zeolite group

(77.01)true zeolites

(77.01.01)Analcime and related species

77.01.01.01 Analcime NaAlSi2O6•(H2O) P1 1

77.01.01.02 Pollucite (Cs,Na)2Al2Si4O12•(H2O) I a3d 4/m 3 2/m

77.01.01.03 Wairakite CaAl2Si4O12•2(H2O) I2/a 2/m

77.01.01.04 Laumontite CaAl2Si4O12•4(H2O) C 2/m 2/m

77.01.01.05 Hsianghualite Ca3Li2Be3(SiO4)3F2 I 2₁3 2 3

Strunz Class:

09.GB.05 09 - SILICATES (Germanates)

09.G - Tektosilicates with Zeolitic H2O

09.GB -Chains of single connected 4-membered rings

09.GB.05 Ammonioleucite (NH4,K)AlSi2O6 I 4₁/a 4/m

09.GB.05 Analcime NaAlSi2O6•(H2O) P1 1

09.GB.05 Hsianghualite Ca3Li2Be3(SiO4)3F2 I 2₁3 2 3

09.GB.05 Lithosite K6Al4Si8O25•(H2O) P 2₁ (pseudo ORTH) 2

09.GB.05 Leucite KAlSi2O6 I 4₁/a 4/m

09.GB.05 Pollucite (Cs,Na)2Al2Si4O12•(H2O) I a3d 4/m 3 2/m

09.GB.05 Wairakite CaAl2Si4O12•2(H2O) I2/a 2/m

Other Wairakite Information

References:

NAME( CanMin, v 35, p 1591) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Wairakite :
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
15 - WWW-MINCRYST

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Wairakite

CaAl2Si4O12•2(H2O)
Dana No: 77.01.01.03 Strunz No: 09.GB.05
Locality:

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