Humberstonite Mineral Data

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General Humberstonite Information

Chemical Formula:

K3Na7Mg2(SO4)6(NO3)2•6(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 1,135.32 gm

Potassium 10.33 % K 12.45 % K₂O

Sodium 14.17 % Na 19.11 % Na₂O

Magnesium 4.28 % Mg 7.10 % MgO

Hydrogen 1.07 % H 9.52 % H₂O

Sulfur 16.95 % S 42.31 % SO₃

Nitrogen 2.47 % N 9.51 % N₂O₅

Oxygen 50.73 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

K₃Na₇Mg₂(SO₄)₆(NO₃)₂•6(H₂O)

Environment:

Formed by repeated natural leaching of nitrate ore with reprecipitation in irregular pods above the local regolith.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1970

Locality:

Oficina Alemania and ten km west of Oficina Mar´ia Elena; an ore in the Taltal nitrate district, Antofagasta; locally abundant in near-surface nitrate layers throughout the Atacama Des Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for James Thomas Humberstone (1850-1939), industrial chemist whose contributions permit economical extraction of nitrate from the Chilean deposits.

Name Pronunciation:

Humberstonite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

ICSD 79142

PDF 21-682

Humberstonite Image

Images:

Humberstonite

Comments: White powdery aggregate of humberstonite.
Location: Oficina Alemanin, Antofagasta, Chile. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Humberstonite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:c = 1:2.23944

Cell Dimensions:

a = 10.9, c = 24.41, Z = 3; V = 2,511.61 Den(Calc)= 2.25

Crystal System:

Trigonal - RhombohedralH-M Symbol ( 3) Space Group: R 3

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 3.393(1), 2.724(0.7), 8.137(0.6),

Crystal Structure:

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drag2 - RMB Resize/Rotate
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Burns P C , Hawthorne F C , The Canadian Mineralogist , 32 (1994) p.381-385, The crystal structure of humberstonite, a mixed sulfate-nitrate mineral

Physical Properties of Humberstonite

Cleavage:

{0001} Perfect

Color:

Colorless.

Density:

2.252

Diaphaneity:

Transparent

Fracture:

Brittle - Uneven - Very brittle fracture producing uneven fragments.

Hardness:

2.5 - Finger Nail

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Humberstonite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.015 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.014 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2022,KPDmeas= 0.202,KC= 0.2052
Ncalc = 1.46

Optical Data:

Uniaxial (-), e=1.436, w=1.474, bire=0.0380.

Calculated Properties of Humberstonite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.25 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Humberstonite =2.25 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.03
Boson Index = 0.97

Photoelectric:

PE_{Humberstonite}= 2.42 barns/electron
U=PE_{Humberstonite} x r_electron= 5.46 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 149.14 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Humberstonite per GRapi unit = 0.67 (%)

Estimated Radioactivity from Humberstonite - barely detectable

Humberstonite Classification

Dana Class:

32.02.02.01 (32)Compound Sulfates

(32.02)(hydrous) with simple bi-anionic formula

(32.02.02)Dana Group

32.02.02.01 Humberstonite K3Na7Mg2(SO4)6(NO3)2•6(H2O) R 3 3

Strunz Class:

07.DG.10 07 - SULFATES (SELENATES, TELLURATES)

07.D - Sulfates (selenates, etc.) with additional anions, with H2O

07.DG -With large and medium sized cations; with NO3, CO3, B(OH)4, SiO4 or IO3

07.DG.10 Clinoungemachite K3Na9Fe(SO4)6(OH)3•9(H2O)? (pseudo-HEX-R) Mono

07.DG.10 Humberstonite K3Na7Mg2(SO4)6(NO3)2•6(H2O) R 3 3

07.DG.10 Ungemachite K3Na8Fe(SO4)6(NO3)2•6(H2O) R 3 3

Other Humberstonite Information

References:

NAME( AntBidBlaNic5) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Humberstonite :
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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Print or Cut-and-Paste your Humberstonite Specimen Label here :

Humberstonite

K3Na7Mg2(SO4)6(NO3)2•6(H2O)
Dana No: 32.02.02.01 Strunz No: 07.DG.10
Locality:

Notes: