Meliphanite Mineral Data

Meliphanite Mineral Data +

General Meliphanite Information

Chemical Formula:

(Ca,Na)2Be[(Si,Al)2O6(F,OH)]

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 241.15 gm

Sodium 9.53 % Na 12.85 % Na₂O

Calcium 16.62 % Ca 23.25 % CaO

Beryllium 3.74 % Be 10.37 % BeO

Aluminum 11.19 % Al 21.14 % Al₂O₃

Silicon 11.65 % Si 24.92 % SiO₂

Hydrogen 0.21 % H 1.87 % H₂O

Oxygen 43.13 % O

Fluorine 3.94 % F 3.94 % F

- % F -1.66 % -O=F₂

______ ______

100.00 % 96.68 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

CaNaBeSiAlO₆F_0.5(OH)_0.5

Environment:

Nepheline-syenite pegmatite.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1852

Locality:

Langesundfiord district of southern Norway. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named from the Greek for "honey" and "to appear" in allusion to the color.

Synonym:

Melinophane

Meliphanite Image

Images:

Meliphanite

Comments: Honey yellow, translucent sample of Meliphanite.
Location: Aroy, Langesundsfjorden, Norway. Scale: 3.6 X 5.3 cm.
© John Veevaert

Meliphanite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:c = 1:0.94018

Cell Dimensions:

a = 10.516, c = 9.887, Z = 8; V = 1,093.37 Den(Calc)= 2.93

Crystal System:

Tetragonal - DisphenoidalH-M Symbol (4) Space Group: I 4

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 2.759(1), 2.97(0.39), 3.601(0.37),

Crystal Structure:

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Grice J D , Hawthorne F C , The Canadian Mineralogist , 40 (2002) p.971-980, New data on meliphanite, Ca4(Na,Ca)4Be4AlSi7O24(F,O)4

Physical Properties of Meliphanite

Cleavage:

[010] Perfect, [001] Distinct

Color:

Colorless, Yellow, Yellowish red, Red.

Density:

3.01 - 3.03, Average = 3.01

Diaphaniety:

Transparent to translucent

Fracture:

Brittle - Uneven - Very brittle fracture producing uneven fragments.

Habit:

Prismatic - Crystals Shaped like Slender Prisms (e.g. tourmaline).

Habit:

Tabular - Form dimensions are thin in one direction.

Hardness:

5-5.5 - Apatite-Knife Blade

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Meliphanite

Dichroism (e):

yellow.

Dichroism (w):

dark yellow.

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.041 (Good) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.073 (Fair) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2166,KPDmeas= 0.2102,KC= 0.2019

Optical Data:

Uniaxial (-), e=1.592-1.672, w=1.611-1.664, bire=0.0080-0.0190.

Calculated Properties of Meliphanite

Electron Density:

r_electron=2.98 gm/cc
note: r_Meliphanite=3.02 gm/cc.

Fermion Index

Fermion Index = 0.04324
Boson Index = 0.95676

Photoelectric:

PE_Meliphanite= 3.05 barns/electron
U=PE_Meliphanite x r_electron= 9.10 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)

Meliphanite is Not Radioactive

Meliphanite Classification

Dana Class:

55.4.2.5 (55)Sorosilicate Si2O7 Groups, Generally with No Additional Anions

(55.4)with cations in [8] and lower coordination

(55.4.2)Fresnoite group

55.4.2.1 Fresnoite Ba2TiSi2O8 P 4bm 4mm

55.4.2.2 Hardystonite Ca2ZnSi2O7 P 42₁m 4 2m

55.4.2.3 Jeffreyite (Ca,Na)2(Be,Al)Si2(O,OH)7 C 222₁ 2 2 2

55.4.2.4 Leucophanite (Na,Ca)2BeSi2(O,OH,F)7 P1 1

55.4.2.5 Meliphanite (Ca,Na)2Be[(Si,Al)2O6(F,OH)] I 4 4

55.4.2.6 Gugiaite Ca2BeSi2O7 P 42₁m 4 2m

Strunz Class:

VIII/C.02-70 VIII - Silicates

VIII/C - Sorosilicates, with [Si2O7]6-, without anions unfamiliar to tetraheders

VIII/C.02 - Melilite group

VIII/C.02-10 Akermanite Ca2MgSi2O7 P 42₁m 4 2m

VIII/C.02-14 Okayamalite! Ca2B2SiO7 P 42₁m 4 2m

VIII/C.02-15 Gehlenite Ca2Al(AlSi)O7 P 42₁m 4 2m

VIII/C.02-30 Gugiaite Ca2BeSi2O7 P 42₁m 4 2m

VIII/C.02-40 Hardystonite Ca2ZnSi2O7 P 42₁m 4 2m

VIII/C.02-50 Leucophanite (Na,Ca)2BeSi2(O,OH,F)7 P1 1

VIII/C.02-60 Jeffreyite (Ca,Na)2(Be,Al)Si2(O,OH)7 C 222₁ 2 2 2

VIII/C.02-70 Meliphanite (Ca,Na)2Be[(Si,Al)2O6(F,OH)] I 4 4

VIII/C.02-80 Barylite BaBe2Si2O7 Pn21a mm2

VIII/C.02-85 Clinobarylite! BaBe2Si2O7 Pmn2 2/m 2/m 2/m

VIII/C.02-90 Andremeyerite BaFe(Fe,Mn,Mg)Si2O7 P 2₁/c 2/m

Other Meliphanite Information

References:

NAME( Ford32) PHYS. PROP.(Dana8) OPTIC PROP.(Dana8)

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Meliphanite

(Ca,Na)2Be[(Si,Al)2O6(F,OH)]
Dana No: 55.4.2.5 Strunz No: VIII/C.02-70
Locality:

Notes: