Zincsilite Mineral Data

General Zincsilite Information

Chemical Formula:

Zn3Si4O10(OH)2•4(H2O) (?)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 574.58 gm

Zinc 34.14 % Zn 42.49 % ZnO

Silicon 19.55 % Si 41.83 % SiO₂

Hydrogen 1.75 % H 15.68 % H₂O

Oxygen 44.55 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Zn₃Si₄O₁₀(OH)₂•4(H₂O)

Environment:

Pseudomorphs after diopside in a galena-sphalerite-chalcopyrite skarn. Forms a series with sauconite.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1960

Locality:

Batystau, central Kazakhstan. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Name for the composition (Zinc Silicate).

Name Pronunciation:

Zincsilite + Pronunciation

Zincsilite Image

Images:

Zincsilite

Comments: Chalky massive zincsilite.
Location: Horado Mine, Horado Cho, Mugi Gun, Gifu, Japan. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Zincsilite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.5561:1:1.6684

Cell Dimensions:

a = 5.1, b = 9.17, c = 15.3, Z = 2; beta = 90° V = 715.54 Den(Calc)= 2.67

Crystal System:

Monoclinic - Prismatic H-M Symbol (2/m) Space Group: C 2/m ?

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 15.3(1), 4.09(0.7), 1.528(0.6),

Physical Properties of Zincsilite

Cleavage:

{001} Perfect

Color:

Bluish white, White, Greenish white.

Density:

2.61 - 2.71, Average = 2.66

Diaphaneity:

Translucent to Opaque

Habit:

Earthy - Dull, clay-like texture with no visible crystalline affinities, (e.g. howlite).

Hardness:

1.5-2 - Talc-Gypsum

Luster:

Pearly

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Zincsilite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.012 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.016 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2041,KPDmeas= 0.2049,KC= 0.2074
Ncalc = 1.54 - 1.56

Optical Data:

Biaxial (-), a=1.514, b=1.559, g=1.562, bire=0.0480, 2V(Calc)=28, 2V(Meas)=0-22.

Calculated Properties of Zincsilite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.63 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Zincsilite =2.66 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.02
Boson Index = 0.98

Photoelectric:

PE_Zincsilite= 17.32 barns/electron
U=PE_Zincsilite x rElectron Density= 45.55 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

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

Zincsilite Classification

Dana Class:

71.03.01b.08 (71)Phyllosilicate Sheets of Six-Membered Rings

(71.03)with 2:1 clays

(71.03.01b)Smectite group (Trioctahedral Smectites)

71.03.01b.01 Sobotkite? (K,Ca0.5)0.33(Mg,Al)3(Si3Al)O10(OH)2•1-5(H2O) Unk. Mono

71.03.01b.02 Saponite (Ca/2,Na)0,3(Mg,Fe)3(Si,Al)4O10(OH)2•4(H2O) C 2/m 2/m

71.03.01b.02a Ferrosaponite! Ca0.3(Fe,Mg,Fe)3(Si,Al)4O10(OH)2•4(H2O) C? Mono

71.03.01b.03 Sauconite Na0,3Zn3(Si,Al)4O10(OH)2•4(H2O) C 2/m 2/m

71.03.01b.04 Hectorite Na0,3(Mg,Li)3Si4O10(OH)2 C 2/m 2/m

71.03.01b.05 Pimelite? Ni3Si4O10(OH)2•4(H2O) Unk. Hex

71.03.01b.06 Stevensite (Ca0.5,Na)0.33(Mg,Fe)3Si4O10(OH)2•n(H2O) Unk (ORTH ?) Mono

71.03.01b.07 Yakhontovite (Ca,K)0.5(Cu,Fe,Mg)2Si4O10(OH)2•3(H2O) C 2/m 2/m

71.03.01b.08 Zincsilite Zn3Si4O10(OH)2•4(H2O)(?) C 2/m ? 2/m

Strunz Class:

09.EC.45 09 - SILICATES (Germanates)

09.E - Phyllosilicates

09.EC -Phyllosilicates with mica sheets, composed of tetrahedral and octahedral nets

09.EC.45 Griffithite* 4(Mg,Fe,Ca)O.(Al,Fe)2O3.5SiO2•7(H2O) Mono

09.EC.45 Hectorite Na0,3(Mg,Li)3Si4O10(OH)2 C 2/m 2/m

09.EC.45 Swinefordite (Li,Ca0.5,Na)0.72(Li,Al,Mg)2.66(Si,Al)4O10(OH,F)2•2(H2O) C 2/m (MON or ORTH) 2/m

09.EC.45 Zincsilite Zn3Si4O10(OH)2•4(H2O)(?) C 2/m ? 2/m

09.EC.45 Saponite (Ca/2,Na)0,3(Mg,Fe)3(Si,Al)4O10(OH)2•4(H2O) C 2/m 2/m

09.EC.45 Sauconite Na0,3Zn3(Si,Al)4O10(OH)2•4(H2O) C 2/m 2/m

09.EC.45 Spadaite MgSiO2(OH)2•(H2O)(?) Ortho

09.EC.45 Sobotkite? (K,Ca0.5)0.33(Mg,Al)3(Si3Al)O10(OH)2•1-5(H2O) Unk. Mono

09.EC.45 Stevensite (Ca0.5,Na)0.33(Mg,Fe)3Si4O10(OH)2•n(H2O) Unk (ORTH ?) Mono

09.EC.45 Ferrosaponite! Ca0.3(Fe,Mg,Fe)3(Si,Al)4O10(OH)2•4(H2O) C? Mono

Other Zincsilite Information

References:

NAME( Dana8) PHYS. PROP.(Dana8) OPTIC PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Zincsilite :
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

Search for Zincsilite using:

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

Visit our Advertisers for Zincsilite :

Ask about Zincsilite 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 Zincsilite Specimen Label here :

Zincsilite

Zn3Si4O10(OH)2•4(H2O) (?)
Dana No: 71.03.01b.08 Strunz No: 09.EC.45
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.