Portlandite Mineral Data

Portlandite Mineral Data +

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General Portlandite Information

Chemical Formula:

Ca(OH)2

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 74.09 gm

Calcium 54.09 % Ca 75.69 % CaO

Hydrogen 2.72 % H 24.31 % H₂O

Oxygen 43.19 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Ca(OH)₂

Environment:

Larnite-spurrite contact rocks and volcanic fumaroles.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1933

Locality:

Scawt Hill, Antrim County, Northern Ireland. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named because the material is a common product of hydration of portland cement.

Synonym:

ICSD 15471

PDF 44-1481

Portlandite Image

Images:

Portlandite

Comments: Cleaved mass of white portlandite.
Location: Wessels Mine, Kalahari Manganese Field, Northern Cape Province, South Africa. Scale: 4 x 1.5 cm.
© John Veevaert

Portlandite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:c = 1:1.36541

Cell Dimensions:

a = 3.585, c = 4.895, Z = 1; V = 54.48 Den(Calc)= 2.26

Crystal System:

Trigonal - Hexagonal ScalenohedralH-M Symbol (3 2/m) Space Group: P 3m1

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 2.628(1), 4.9(0.74), 1.927(0.42),

Forms:

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

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Crystal Structure:

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Henderson D M , Gutowsky H S , American Mineralogist , 47 (1962) p.1231-1251, A nuclear magnetic resonance determination of the hydrogen positions in Ca(OH)2, T = -190 C

View Additional jPOWD Structure files for Portlandite
[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]

Physical Properties of Portlandite

Cleavage:

[0001] Perfect

Color:

Colorless.

Density:

2.23

Diaphaniety:

Transparent

Fracture:

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

Habit:

Hexagonal - Six-sided crystal shape in cross-section or habit.

Habit:

Platy - Sheet forms (e.g. micas).

Hardness:

2.5-3 - Finger Nail-Calcite

Luster:

Pearly

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Portlandite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.04 (Good) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.026 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.248,KPDmeas= 0.2513,KC= 0.2416

Optical Data:

Uniaxial (-), e=1.547, w=1.574, bire=0.0270.

Calculated Properties of Portlandite

Electron Density:

r_electron=2.32 gm/cc
note: r_Portlandite=2.26 gm/cc.

Fermion Index

Fermion Index = 0.00094
Boson Index = 0.99906

Photoelectric:

PE_Portlandite= 6.54 barns/electron
U=PE_Portlandite x r_electron= 15.16 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)

Portlandite is Not Radioactive

Portlandite Classification

Dana Class:

6.2.1.4 (6)Hydroxides and Oxides Containing Hydroxyl

(6.2)where X++ (OH)2

(6.2.1)Brucite group (Rhombohedral: P3¯m1)

6.2.1.1 Brucite Mg(OH)2 P 3m1 3 2/m

6.2.1.2 Amakinite (Fe,Mg)(OH)2 P 3m1 3 2/m

6.2.1.3 Pyrochroite Mn(OH)2 P 3m1 3 2/m

6.2.1.4 Portlandite Ca(OH)2 P 3m1 3 2/m

6.2.1.5 Theophrastite Ni(OH)2 P 3m1 3 2/m

Strunz Class:

IV/F.03-100 IV - Oxides

IV/F - Hydroxides and oxidic hydrates, water-bearing oxides with layered structure

IV/F.03 - Brucite series

IV/F.03-10 Brucite Mg(OH)2 P 3m1 3 2/m

IV/F.03-20 Amakinite (Fe,Mg)(OH)2 P 3m1 3 2/m

IV/F.03-30 Pyrochroite Mn(OH)2 P 3m1 3 2/m

IV/F.03-40 Theophrastite Ni(OH)2 P 3m1 3 2/m

IV/F.03-50 Paraotwayite Ni(OH)2-x(SO4,CO3)0.5xx=.5 Pm m

IV/F.03-60 Sweetite Zn(OH)2 P 4₁2₁2,P 4₃2₁2 4 2 2

IV/F.03-70 Ashoverite Zn(OH)2 I 4₁/amd 4/m 2/m 2/m

IV/F.03-80 Wulfingite Zn(OH)2 P 2₁2₁2₁ 2 2 2

IV/F.03-90 Spertiniite Cu(OH)2 C mc2₁ mm2

IV/F.03-100 Portlandite Ca(OH)2 P 3m1 3 2/m

Other Portlandite Information

References:

NAME( Dana8) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990)

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Portlandite

Ca(OH)2
Dana No: 6.2.1.4 Strunz No: IV/F.03-100
Locality:

Notes: