Natrolite Mineral Data

Natrolite Mineral Data +

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General Natrolite Information

Chemical Formula:

Na2[Al2Si3O10]·2(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 380.22 gm

Sodium 12.09 % Na 16.30 % Na₂O

Aluminum 14.19 % Al 26.82 % Al₂O₃

Silicon 22.16 % Si 47.41 % SiO₂

Hydrogen 1.06 % H 9.48 % H₂O

Oxygen 50.49 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Na₂Al₂Si₃O₁₀·2(H₂O)

Environment:

Occurs in the cavities of amygdaloidal basalts and other related rocks.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1803

Locality:

Bohemia of Czechoslovakia. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

From the Greek natron, "soda," in allusion to sodium content and lithos - "stone."

Synonym:

Aedelite

Apoanalcite

Bergmannite

Mesotype

Natrolite Image

Images:

Natrolite Eudialyte

Comments: Druse of gemmy, red eudialyte crystals to 1 mm on white natrolite.
Location: Mt. St. Hilaire, Quebec, Canada. Scale: Picture size 1.5 cm.
© John Veevaert

Images:

Natrolite

Comments: Transparent prismatic crystals of natrolite.
Location: Usti (Aussig), Bohemia, Czech Republic. Scale: Not Given.
© Lou Perloff / Photo Atlas of Minerals

Images:

Natrolite Neptunite

Comments: Jet-black square prisms of neptunite etched out of the enclosing white natrolite with minor benitoite.
Location: Benitoite Gem Mine. San Benito Co. California, USA. Scale: 6.5 x 6 cm.
© Fabre Minerals

Images:

Natrolite Serandite Analcime

Comments: Orange-red, blocky serandite with white, blocky natrolite and white, equant grains of analcime.
Location: Mt. St. Hilaire, Canada. Scale: 4 x 3 cm.
© Fabre Minerals

Natrolite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.9829:1:0.3529

Cell Dimensions:

a = 18.27, b = 18.587, c = 6.56, Z = 8; V = 2,227.67 Den(Calc)= 2.27

Crystal System:

Orthorhombic - PyramidalH-M Symbol (mm2) Space Group: F dd2

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 2.85(1), 5.89(0.85), 2.87(0.8),

Forms:

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

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Crystal Structure:

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Peacor D R , American Mineralogist , 58 (1973) p.676-680, High temperature, single-crystal X-Ray study of natrolite, T = 25 C

View Additional jPOWD Structure files for Natrolite
[1] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [NH4]

Physical Properties of Natrolite

Cleavage:

[110] Perfect, [010] Imperfect

Color:

White, Colorless, Red, Yellowish white, Reddish white.

Density:

2.25

Diaphaniety:

Transparent to translucent

Fracture:

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

Habit:

Acicular - Occurs as needle-like crystals.

Habit:

Nodular - Tuberose forms having irregular protuberances over the surface.

Habit:

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

Hardness:

5.5-6 - Knife Blade-Orthoclase

Luminescence:

None.

Luster:

Vitreous - Silky

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Natrolite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.006 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.015 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2141,KPDmeas= 0.216,KC= 0.2173

Optical Data:

Biaxial (+), a=1.473-1.489, b=1.476-1.491, g=1.485-1.502, bire=0.0120-0.0130, 2V(Calc)=48-62, 2V(Meas)=60-63. Dispersion weak, r < v.

Pleochroism (x):

colorless.

Pleochroism (y):

colorless.

Pleochroism (z):

colorless.

Calculated Properties of Natrolite

Electron Density:

r_electron=2.25 gm/cc
note: r_Natrolite=2.25 gm/cc.

Fermion Index

Fermion Index = 0.01059
Boson Index = 0.98941

Photoelectric:

PE_Natrolite= 1.48 barns/electron
U=PE_Natrolite x r_electron= 3.32 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)

Natrolite is Not Radioactive

Natrolite Classification

Dana Class:

77.1.5.1 (77)Tectosilicate Zeolite group

(77.1)true zeolites

(77.1.5)Natrolite and related species

77.1.5.1 Natrolite Na2[Al2Si3O10]·2(H2O) F dd2 mm2

77.1.5.2 Tetranatrolite? Na2[Al2Si3O10]·2(H2O) I 42d 4 2m

77.1.5.3 Paranatrolite Na2[Al2Si3O10]·3(H2O) Cc m

77.1.5.4 Mesolite Na2Ca2Al6Si9O30·8(H2O) C 2 2

77.1.5.5 Scolecite CaAl2Si3O10·3(H2O) Cc m

77.1.5.6 Edingtonite BaAl2Si3O10·4(H2O) P 2₁2₁2 2 2 2

77.1.5.7 Gonnardite Na2CaAl4Si6O20·7(H2O) I 42d 4 2m

77.1.5.8 Cowlesite CaAl2Si3O10·5-6(H2O) P 222₁, P mmm, Pmm2 Ortho

77.1.5.9 Thomsonite-Ca NaCa2Al5Si5O20·6(H2O) Pncn 2/m 2/m 2/m

77.1.5.10 Thomsonite-Sr! (Sr,Ca)2Na[Al5Si5O20]·7(H2O) Pcnn 2/m 2/m 2/m

77.1.5.11 Nabesite! Na2BeSi4O10·4(H2O) P 2₁2₁2₁ 2 2 2

Strunz Class:

VIII/J.21-10 VIII - Silicates

VIII/J - Tectosilicates (network), with zeolite-structure, Bladed Zeolites

VIII/J.21 - Zeolite group, Natrolite - Thomsonite series

VIII/J.21-10 Natrolite Na2[Al2Si3O10]·2(H2O) F dd2 mm2

VIII/J.21-20 Paranatrolite Na2[Al2Si3O10]·3(H2O) Cc m

VIII/J.21-30 Tetranatrolite? Na2[Al2Si3O10]·2(H2O) I 42d 4 2m

VIII/J.21-40 Gonnardite Na2CaAl4Si6O20·7(H2O) I 42d 4 2m

VIII/J.21-50 Mesolite Na2Ca2Al6Si9O30·8(H2O) C 2 2

VIII/J.21-60 Scolecite CaAl2Si3O10·3(H2O) Cc m

VIII/J.21-70 Thomsonite-Ca NaCa2Al5Si5O20·6(H2O) Pncn 2/m 2/m 2/m

VIII/J.21-80 Thomsonite-Sr! (Sr,Ca)2Na[Al5Si5O20]·7(H2O) Pcnn 2/m 2/m 2/m

Other Natrolite Information

References:

NAME( Sinkankas66) PHYS. PROP.(Dana8) OPTIC PROP.(Heinrich65)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Natrolite :
1 - Alkali-Nuts(English)
2 - Alkali-Nuts(Francais)
3 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
4 - Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery
5 - Athena
6 - EUROmin Project
7 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
8 - Franklin Minerals(Dunn)
9 - Glendale Community College
10 - Google Images
11 - Google Scholar
12 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
13 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
14 - MinDAT
15 - MinMax(Deutsch)
16 - MinMax(English)
17 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
18 - QUT Mineral Atlas
19 - Ruff.Info
20 - Scandinavian mineral gallery
21 - WWW-MINCRYST

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Print or Cut-and-Paste your Natrolite Specimen Label here :

Natrolite

Na2[Al2Si3O10]·2(H2O)
Dana No: 77.1.5.1 Strunz No: VIII/J.21-10
Locality:

Notes: