Mirabilite Mineral Data

Mirabilite Mineral Data +

[Register] [Auction Rules] [Current Listing] [About Us] [Site Map]
e-Rocks.com, auction and sales venue for all rock and mineral enthusiasts
Our mission is to provide an online centre for Buyers and Sellers with reliable service and support
Brought to you by Thames Valley Minerals

General Mirabilite Information

Chemical Formula:

Na2SO4·10(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 322.20 gm

Sodium 14.27 % Na 19.24 % Na₂O

Hydrogen 6.26 % H 55.91 % H₂O

Sulfur 9.95 % S 24.85 % SO₃

Oxygen 69.52 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Na₂(SO₄)·10(H₂O)

Environment:

Saline mineral deposited from sodium sulfate-chloride brines.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1845

Locality:

Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named after the Latin, sal mirabile Glauberi - "Glauber Salt."

Synonym:

Glauber Salt

ICSD 30505

PDF 11-647

Mirabilite Image

Images:

Mirabilite

Comments: Colorless grains and indistinct crystals of mirabilite. The mineral dehydrates quickly in dry air and must be preserved in a closed box.
Location: Willi Agatz Mine, Dresden, Saxony, Germany. Scale: Picture size 4 mm.
© Thomas Witzke / Abraxas-Verlag

Mirabilite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =1.2386:1:1.1091

Cell Dimensions:

a = 12.82, b = 10.35, c = 11.48, Z = 4; beta = 107.66° V = 1,451.46 Den(Calc)= 1.47

Crystal System:

Monoclinic - PrismaticH-M Symbol (2/m) Space Group: P 2₁/a

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 5.49(1), 3.21(0.75), 3.26(0.6),

Forms:

Mouse
Dbl Clk - Start-Stop Rotation
RMB - Cycle Display Modes
Drag1 - Manipulate Crystal
Drag2 - Resize
Keyboard
S - Stereo
I - Indicies
<space> - Start-Stop Rotation
F - Fit to Screen
M - Menu
Help on Above

Forms: [ 1 0 1] [ 0 1 0] [ 1 1 0] [ 0 2 1] [ 1 1 1] [ 1 0 0] [ 1 1 1] [ 0 0 1]

Warning: this large pop-up is very compute intensive and may not work well with some computers.

Physical Properties of Mirabilite

Cleavage:

[100] Perfect, [001] Poor, [010] Poor

Color:

Colorless, White, Yellowish white, Greenish white.

Density:

1.49

Diaphaniety:

Transparent to translucent to opaque

Fracture:

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

Habit:

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

Habit:

Efflorescences - Crystals covering matrix, generally produced from transpiro-evaporation.

Habit:

Granular - Generally occurs as anhedral to subhedral crystals in matrix.

Hardness:

1.5-2 - Talc-Gypsum

Luminescence:

None.

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Mirabilite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.013 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.027 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2778,KPDmeas= 0.2741,KC= 0.2706

Optical Data:

Biaxial (-), a=1.396, b=1.4103, g=1.419, bire=0.0230, 2V(Calc)=74, 2V(Meas)=75.93. Dispersion none.

Pleochroism (x):

none.

Pleochroism (y):

non.

Calculated Properties of Mirabilite

Electron Density:

r_electron=1.57 gm/cc
note: r_Mirabilite=1.49 gm/cc.

Fermion Index

Fermion Index = 0.00108
Boson Index = 0.99892

Photoelectric:

PE_Mirabilite= 0.98 barns/electron
U=PE_Mirabilite x r_electron= 1.55 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)

Mirabilite is Not Radioactive

Mirabilite Classification

Dana Class:

29.2.2.1 (29)Hydrated Acid and Sulfates

(29.2)where (A+)2 XO4 · x(H2O)

(29.2.2)Dana Group

29.2.2.1 Mirabilite Na2SO4·10(H2O) P 2₁/a 2/m

Strunz Class:

VI/C.21-80 VI - Sulfates,Chromates,Molybdates and Tungstates

VI/C - Water-bearing sulfates without unfamiliar anions. Cations of very big size

VI/C.21 - Matteuccite - Mirabilite series

VI/C.21-10 Matteuccite NaHSO4·(H2O) Aa m

VI/C.21-20 Lecontite (NH4,K)Na(SO4)·2(H2O) P 2₁2₁2₁ 2 2 2

VI/C.21-30 Eugsterite Na4Ca(SO4)3·2(H2O) Unk. Mono

VI/C.21-40 Hydroglauberite Na4Ca(SO4)3·2(H2O) Unk. Ortho

VI/C.21-50 Wattevillite Na2Ca(SO4)2·4(H2O)(?) Unk Ortho

VI/C.21-60 Syngenite K2Ca(SO4)2·(H2O) P 2₁/m 2/m

VI/C.21-70 Koktaite (NH4)2Ca(SO4)2·(H2O) P 2₁/m 2/m

VI/C.21-80 Mirabilite Na2SO4·10(H2O) P 2₁/a 2/m

Other Mirabilite Information

References:

NAME( Duda&Rejl90) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990)

Search for Mirabilite using:

[ALTAVISTA] [AOL] [About.com] [All-The-Web] [HotBot] [Ixquick] [LookSmart] [MAMMA] [MSN.COM] [Netscape] [Teoma] [Wikipedia] [YAHOO]

Visit our Advertisers for Mirabilite :
AA Mineral Specimens
B and L Minerals
Dan Weinrich Fine Minerals
Dan Weinrich Auctions
e-Rocks Auctions
Excalibur Minerals
Exceptional Minerals
Fabre Minerals
Greenside Minerals
John Betts Fine Minerals
Masons Minerals
Minernet.it
Mineral News
Mineral of the Month Club
MineralsWeb Fine Minerals
Rockshop.cz Kalat Fine Minerals
T G Fine Minerals
Wrights Rock Shop

Translate Mirabilite Mineral Data :

Ask about Mirabilite 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 Mirabilite Specimen Label here :

Mirabilite

Na2SO4·10(H2O)
Dana No: 29.2.2.1 Strunz No: VI/C.21-80
Locality:

Notes: