Widgiemoolthalite Mineral Data

General Widgiemoolthalite Information

Chemical Formula:

(Ni,Mg)5(CO3)4(OH)2•4-5(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 596.99 gm

Magnesium 6.11 % Mg 10.13 % MgO

Nickel 34.41 % Ni 43.79 % NiO

Hydrogen 1.86 % H 16.60 % H₂O

Carbon 8.05 % C 29.49 % CO₂

Oxygen 49.58 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Ni_3.5Mg_1.5(CO₃)₄(OH)₂•4.5(H₂O)

Environment:

Found with other secondary nickel minerals in the mined ore stockpile.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1993

Locality:

132 North Nickel mine, 4 km SW of Widgiemooltha, 80 km S of Kalgoorlie, Australia. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for the locality.

Name Pronunciation:

Widgiemoolthalite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

IMA1992-006

Widgiemoolthalite Image

Images:

Widgiemoolthalite

Comments: Green crystals of widgiemoolthalite.
Location: 132 North Mine, Widgiemooltha, Western Australia, Australia. Scale: Picture size 5 mm.
© Thomas Witzke / Abraxas-Verlag

Widgiemoolthalite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =1.1497:1:0.9508

Cell Dimensions:

a = 10.06, b = 8.75, c = 8.32, Z = 2; beta = 114.3° V = 667.48 Den(Calc)= 2.97

Crystal System:

Monoclinic - Prismatic H-M Symbol (2/m) Space Group: P 2₁/c

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 5.75(1), 6.3(0.5), 4.36(0.4),

Physical Properties of Widgiemoolthalite

Cleavage:

{hk0} Perfect, {hk0} Perfect

Color:

Blue green, Green.

Density:

3.13

Diaphaneity:

Transparent

Fracture:

Splintery - Thin, elongated fractures produced by intersecting good cleavages or partings (e.g. hornblende).

Habit:

Acicular - Occurs as needle-like crystals.

Habit:

Massive - Uniformly indistinguishable crystals forming large masses.

Habit:

Spherical - Spherical, rounded aggregates.

Hardness:

3.5 - Copper Penny

Luster:

Silky

Streak:

apple green

Optical Properties of Widgiemoolthalite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.061 (Fair) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.01 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2138,KPDmeas= 0.2029,KC= 0.216
Ncalc = 1.64 - 1.68

Optical Data:

Biaxial (+), a=1.63, g=1.64, bire=0.0100, 2V(Meas)=high.

Calculated Properties of Widgiemoolthalite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.98 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Widgiemoolthalite =2.97 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.01
Boson Index = 0.99

Photoelectric:

PE_{Widgiemoolthalite}= 13.63 barns/electron
U=PE_{Widgiemoolthalite} x rElectron Density= 40.55 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

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

Widgiemoolthalite Classification

Dana Class:

16b.07.01.02 (16b)Carbonates - Hydroxyl or Halogen

(16b.07)Dana Type

(16b.07.01)Dana Group

16b.07.01.01 Hydromagnesite Mg5(CO3)4(OH)2•4(H2O) P 2₁/c 2/m

16b.07.01.02 Widgiemoolthalite (Ni,Mg)5(CO3)4(OH)2•4-5(H2O) P 2₁/c 2/m

Strunz Class:

05.DA.05 05 - CARBONATES (NITRATES)

05.D - Carbonates with Additional Anions, with H2O

05.DA -With medium-sized cations

05.DA.05 Dypingite Mg5(CO3)4(OH)2•5(H2O) Unk. Mono

05.DA.05 Giorgiosite Mg5(CO3)4(OH)2•5(H2O) ? Mono

05.DA.05 Hydromagnesite Mg5(CO3)4(OH)2•4(H2O) P 2₁/c 2/m

05.DA.05 Widgiemoolthalite (Ni,Mg)5(CO3)4(OH)2•4-5(H2O) P 2₁/c 2/m

Other Widgiemoolthalite Information

References:

NAME( Dana8) PHYS. PROP.(Am.Min.,Vol.78,p819-821,1993) OPTIC PROP.(Am.Min.,Vol.78,p819-821,1993)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Widgiemoolthalite :
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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Widgiemoolthalite

(Ni,Mg)5(CO3)4(OH)2•4-5(H2O)
Dana No: 16b.07.01.02 Strunz No: 05.DA.05
Locality:

Notes:

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