Antarcticite Mineral Data

General Antarcticite Information

Chemical Formula:

CaCl2•6(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 219.08 gm

Calcium 18.29 % Ca 25.60 % CaO

Hydrogen 5.52 % H 49.34 % H₂O

Chlorine 32.37 % Cl 32.37 % Cl

- % Cl -7.30 % -O=Cl₂

Oxygen 43.82 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

CaCl₂•6(H₂O)

Environment:

Calcium chloride rich brines at saturation in cool weather..

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1965

Locality:

Saline lakes located in the dry valleys of Antarctica. Bristol Lake, Mojave Co., California. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named after the continent of Antarctica.

Name Pronunciation:

Antarcticite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

Hydrophilite - antarcticite or sinjarite

ICSD 59142

PDF 26-1053

Antarcticite Image

Images:

Antarcticite

Comments: White antarcticite crystals in sealed in mineral oil.
Location: Bristol Lake, Mojave Co.,California, USA. Scale: Sample Jar 6 cm.
© Diederik Visser

Antarcticite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:c = 1:0.50063

Cell Dimensions:

a = 7.89, c = 3.95, Z = 1; V = 212.95 Den(Calc)= 1.71

Crystal System:

Trigonal - TrapezohedralH-M Symbol (3 2) Space Group: P 3₂1

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 2.16(1), 3.93(0.75), 2.78(0.63),

Crystal Structure:

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drag1 - LMB Manipulate Structure
drag2 - RMB Resize/Rotate
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H - Help Screen
I - Data Info
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Agron P A , Busing W R , Acta Crystallographica, Section C , 42 (1986) p.141-143, Calcium and strontium dichloride hexahydrates by neutron diffraction

Physical Properties of Antarcticite

Cleavage:

{0001} Perfect, {1010} Very Good

Color:

Colorless.

Density:

1.705 - 1.725, Average = 1.71

Diaphaneity:

Transparent

Fracture:

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

Habit:

Acicular - Occurs as needle-like crystals.

Habit:

Crystalline - Coarse - Occurs as well-formed coarse sized crystals.

Habit:

Deliquescent - Crystals absorb water from the air and melt or otherwise deteriorate.

Hardness:

2-3 - Gypsum-Calcite

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Antarcticite

Optical Data:

Uniaxial (-), e=1.495, w=1.55, bire=0.0550.

Calculated Properties of Antarcticite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=1.78 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Antarcticite =1.71 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0004655841
Boson Index = 0.9995344159

Photoelectric:

PE_Antarcticite= 4.31 barns/electron
U=PE_Antarcticite x rElectron Density= 7.67 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

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

Antarcticite Classification

Dana Class:

09.02.06.01 (09)Anhydrous and Hydrated Halides

(09.02)where A (X)2

(09.02.06)Dana Group

09.02.06.01 Antarcticite CaCl2•6(H2O) P 3₂1 3 2

Strunz Class:

03.BB.30 03 - HALIDES

03.B - Simple Halides, with H2O

03.BB -M:X = 1:2

03.BB.30 Antarcticite CaCl2•6(H2O) P 3₂1 3 2

Other Antarcticite Information

References:

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

See Also:

Links to other databases for Antarcticite :
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

Search for Antarcticite using:

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Mineral News Website Link
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Ask about Antarcticite 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 Antarcticite Specimen Label here :

Antarcticite

CaCl2•6(H2O)
Dana No: 09.02.06.01 Strunz No: 03.BB.30
Locality:

Notes: