Leonite Mineral Data

Leonite Mineral Data +

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General Leonite Information

Chemical Formula:

K2Mg(SO4)2·4(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 366.69 gm

Potassium 21.32 % K 25.69 % K₂O

Magnesium 6.63 % Mg 10.99 % MgO

Hydrogen 2.20 % H 19.65 % H₂O

Sulfur 17.49 % S 43.67 % SO₃

Oxygen 52.36 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

K₂Mg(SO₄)₂·4(H₂O)

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1896

Locality:

Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Synonym:

ICSD 30991

PDF 21-995

Leonite Image

Images:

Leonite

Comments: Translucent pale yellow crystalline massive leonite, with white alteration coating.
Location: Near Carlsbad, Eddy County, New Mexico, USA. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Leonite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =1.2373:1:1.0378

Cell Dimensions:

a = 11.78, b = 9.52, c = 9.88, Z = 4; beta = 95.29° V = 1,103.28 Den(Calc)= 2.21

Crystal System:

Monoclinic - PrismaticH-M Symbol (2/m) Space Group: C 2/m

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 5.87(1), 2.371(0.5), 1.946(0.45),

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Crystal Structure:

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Hertweck B , Giester G , Libowitzky E , American Mineralogist , 86 (2001) p.1282-1292, The crystal structures of the low-temperature phases of leonite-type compounds,, K2Me(SO4)2.4H2O (Me=Mg,Mn,Fe), Sample: K2Mg(SO4)2.4H2O, T = 100 K

View Additional jPOWD Structure files for Leonite
[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

Physical Properties of Leonite

Cleavage:

None

Color:

Colorless, Light yellow.

Density:

2.201

Diaphaniety:

Transparent

Fracture:

Conchoidal - Fractures developed in brittle materials characterized by smoothly curving surfaces, (e.g. quartz).

Hardness:

2.5-3 - Finger Nail-Calcite

Luster:

Vitreous - Waxy

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Leonite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.013 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.009 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2184,KPDmeas= 0.2193,KC= 0.2164

Optical Data:

Biaxial (+), a=1.479, b=1.482, g=1.487, bire=0.0080, 2V(Calc)=76, 2V(Meas)=90.

Calculated Properties of Leonite

Electron Density:

r_electron=2.24 gm/cc
note: r_Leonite=2.21 gm/cc.

Fermion Index

Fermion Index = 0.00822
Boson Index = 0.99178

Photoelectric:

PE_Leonite= 3.33 barns/electron
U=PE_Leonite x r_electron= 7.47 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 312.12 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)

Estimated Radioactivity from Leonite - barely detectable

Leonite Classification

Dana Class:

29.3.3.3 (29)Hydrated Acid and Sulfates

(29.3)where (A+)2 B (XO4)2 · x(H2O)

(29.3.3)Dana Group

29.3.3.1 Blodite Na2Mg(SO4)2·4(H2O) P 2₁/a 2/m

29.3.3.2 Nickelblodite Na2(Ni,Mg)(SO4)2·4(H2O) P 2₁/a 2/m

29.3.3.3 Leonite K2Mg(SO4)2·4(H2O) C 2/m 2/m

29.3.3.4 Mereiterite! K2Fe(SO4)2·4(H2O) C 2/m 2/m

29.3.3.5 Changoite! Na2Zn(SO4)2·4(H2O) P 2₁/a 2/m

Strunz Class:

VI/C.18-30 VI - Sulfates,Chromates,Molybdates and Tungstates

VI/C - Water-bearing sulfates without unfamiliar anions. cations of medium and very big size

VI/C.18 - Blödite - Konyaite series

VI/C.18-10 Blodite Na2Mg(SO4)2·4(H2O) P 2₁/a 2/m

VI/C.18-20 Nickelblodite Na2(Ni,Mg)(SO4)2·4(H2O) P 2₁/a 2/m

VI/C.18-25 Changoite! Na2Zn(SO4)2·4(H2O) P 2₁/a 2/m

VI/C.18-30 Leonite K2Mg(SO4)2·4(H2O) C 2/m 2/m

VI/C.18-40 Konyaite Na2Mg(SO4)2·5(H2O) P 2₁/c 2/m

Other Leonite Information

References:

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

See Also:

Links to other databases for Leonite :
1 -Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database 2 -Athena 3 - EUROmin Project 4 -Google Images 5 -Google Scholar 6 -Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA) 7 -MinDAT 8 -MinMax(Deutsch) 9 -MinMax(English) 10 -Mineralienatlas (Deutsch) 11 -QUT Mineral Atlas 12 - WWW-MINCRYST 13 -École des Mines de Paris

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Leonite

K2Mg(SO4)2·4(H2O)
Dana No: 29.3.3.3 Strunz No: VI/C.18-30
Locality:

Notes: