Saponite  Mineral Data

Saponite Mineral Data

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General Saponite Information

Help on Chemical  Formula: Chemical Formula: (Ca/2,Na)0,3(Mg,Fe++)3(Si,Al)4O10(OH)2•4(H2O)
Help on Composition: Composition: Molecular Weight = 480.19 gm
   Sodium      0.48 %  Na    0.65 % Na2O
   Calcium     0.83 %  Ca    1.17 % CaO
   Magnesium  11.39 %  Mg   18.89 % MgO
   Aluminum    5.62 %  Al   10.62 % Al2O3
   Iron        8.72 %  Fe   11.22 % FeO
   Silicon    17.55 %  Si   37.54 % SiO2
   Hydrogen    2.10 %  H    18.76 % H2O
   Oxygen     53.31 %  O
             ______        ______ 
             100.00 %       98.83 % = TOTAL OXIDE
Help on Empirical Formula: Empirical Formula: Ca0.1Na0.1Mg2.25Fe2+0.75Si3AlO10(OH)2•4(H2O)
Help on Environment: Environment: Amygdaloidal cavities in basalts.
Help on IMA Status: IMA Status: Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1758
Help on Locality: Locality: Lizard Head in Cornwall, England. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.
Help on Name Origin: Name Origin: From the Latin, sapo meaning "soap.'
Help on Name Pronunciation: Name Pronunciation: Saponite Say SAPONITE
Help on Synonym: Synonym: Griffithite-Ferroan
  Piotine
  Sobotkite - Al bearing
 

Saponite Image

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Saponite

Comments: Light brown saponite pseudomorphs after stilbite crystals up to 6 mm.
Location: Thetford Mines, Mégantic Co., Québec, Canada. Scale: 25x25x12 mm.
© John Betts - Fine Minerals

Saponite Crystallography

Help on Axial Ratios: Axial Ratios: a:b:c =0.5786:1:1.3537
Help on Cell Dimensions: Cell Dimensions: a = 5.3, b = 9.16, c = 12.4, Z = 2; beta = 96.5° V = 598.13 Den(Calc)= 2.67
Help on Crystal System: Crystal System: Monoclinic - PrismaticH-M Symbol (2/m) Space Group: C 2/m
Help on X Ray Diffraction: X Ray Diffraction: By Intensity(I/Io): 12.3(1), 1.53(0.7), 3.1(0.5),
 

Physical Properties of Saponite

Help on Cleavage: Cleavage: {001} Perfect
Help on Color: Color: White, Yellowish white, Greenish white, Reddish white, Bluish white.
Help on Density: Density: 2.3
Help on Diaphaneity: Diaphaneity: Subtranslucent to opaque
Help on Fracture: Fracture: Earthy - Dull, clay-like fractures with no visible crystalline affinities, (e.g. howlite).
Help on Habit: Habit: Granular - Generally occurs as anhedral to subhedral crystals in matrix.
Help on Habit: Habit: Massive - Uniformly indistinguishable crystals forming large masses.
Help on Hardness: Hardness: 1.5-2 - Talc-Gypsum
Help on Luminescence: Luminescence: Non-fluorescent.
Help on Luster: Luster: Earthy (Dull)
Help on Streak: Streak: white
 

Optical Properties of Saponite

Help on Gladstone-Dale: Gladstone-Dale: CI meas= 0.026 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.161 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1899,KPDmeas= 0.2204,KC= 0.2264
Ncalc = 1.52 - 1.6
Help on Optical Data: Optical Data: Biaxial (-), a=1.479-1.49, b=1.51-1.525, g=1.511-1.527, bire=0.0320-0.0370, 2V(Calc)=20-26, 2V(Meas)=0-10. Dispersion none.
 

Calculated Properties of Saponite

Help on Electron Density: Electron Density: Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.32 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Saponite =2.30 gm/cc.
Help on Fermion Index: Fermion Index: Fermion Index = 0.02
Boson Index = 0.98
Help on Photoelectric: Photoelectric: PESaponite = 3.76 barns/electron
U=PESaponite x rElectron Density= 8.75 barns/cc.
Help on Radioactivity: Radioactivity: GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Saponite is Not Radioactive
 

Saponite Classification

Help on  Dana Class: Dana Class: 71.03.01b.02 (71)Phyllosilicate Sheets of Six-Membered Rings
  (71.03)with 2:1 clays
  (71.03.01b)Smectite group (Trioctahedral Smectites)
 
71.03.01b.01 Sobotkite? (K,Ca0.5)0.33(Mg,Al)3(Si3Al)O10(OH)2•1-5(H2O) Unk. Mono
 
71.03.01b.02 Saponite (Ca/2,Na)0,3(Mg,Fe)3(Si,Al)4O10(OH)2•4(H2O) C 2/m 2/m
 
71.03.01b.02a Ferrosaponite! Ca0.3(Fe,Mg,Fe)3(Si,Al)4O10(OH)2•4(H2O) C? Mono
 
71.03.01b.03 Sauconite Na0,3Zn3(Si,Al)4O10(OH)2•4(H2O) C 2/m 2/m
 
71.03.01b.04 Hectorite Na0,3(Mg,Li)3Si4O10(OH)2 C 2/m 2/m
 
71.03.01b.05 Pimelite? Ni3Si4O10(OH)2•4(H2O) Unk. Hex
 
71.03.01b.06 Stevensite (Ca0.5,Na)0.33(Mg,Fe)3Si4O10(OH)2•n(H2O) Unk (ORTH ?) Mono
 
71.03.01b.07 Yakhontovite (Ca,K)0.5(Cu,Fe,Mg)2Si4O10(OH)2•3(H2O) C 2/m 2/m
 
71.03.01b.08 Zincsilite Zn3Si4O10(OH)2•4(H2O)(?) C 2/m ? 2/m
Help on  Strunz Class: Strunz Class: 09.EC.45 09 - SILICATES (Germanates)
  09.E - Phyllosilicates
  09.EC -Phyllosilicates with mica sheets, composed of tetrahedral and octahedral nets
 
09.EC.45 Griffithite* 4(Mg,Fe,Ca)O.(Al,Fe)2O3.5SiO2•7(H2O) Mono
 
09.EC.45 Hectorite Na0,3(Mg,Li)3Si4O10(OH)2 C 2/m 2/m
 
09.EC.45 Swinefordite (Li,Ca0.5,Na)0.72(Li,Al,Mg)2.66(Si,Al)4O10(OH,F)2•2(H2O) C 2/m (MON or ORTH) 2/m
 
09.EC.45 Zincsilite Zn3Si4O10(OH)2•4(H2O)(?) C 2/m ? 2/m
 
09.EC.45 Saponite (Ca/2,Na)0,3(Mg,Fe)3(Si,Al)4O10(OH)2•4(H2O) C 2/m 2/m
 
09.EC.45 Sauconite Na0,3Zn3(Si,Al)4O10(OH)2•4(H2O) C 2/m 2/m
 
09.EC.45 Spadaite MgSiO2(OH)2•(H2O)(?) Ortho
 
09.EC.45 Sobotkite? (K,Ca0.5)0.33(Mg,Al)3(Si3Al)O10(OH)2•1-5(H2O) Unk. Mono
 
09.EC.45 Stevensite (Ca0.5,Na)0.33(Mg,Fe)3Si4O10(OH)2•n(H2O) Unk (ORTH ?) Mono
 
09.EC.45 Ferrosaponite! Ca0.3(Fe,Mg,Fe)3(Si,Al)4O10(OH)2•4(H2O) C? Mono
 

Other Saponite Information

Help on References: References: NAME( Duda&Rejl90) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Ford32)
Help on See Also: See Also: Links to other databases for Saponite :
1 - Alkali-Nuts(English)
2 - Alkali-Nuts(Francais)
3 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
4 - Athena
5 - EUROmin Project
6 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
7 - GeoScienceWorld
8 - Google Images
9 - Google Scholar
10 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
11 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
12 - MinDAT
13 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
14 - Online Mineral Museum
15 - QUT Mineral Atlas
16 - Ruff.Info

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

Saponite

(Ca/2,Na)0,3(Mg,Fe++)3(Si,Al)4O10(OH)2•4(H2O)
Dana No: 71.03.01b.02 Strunz No: 09.EC.45
Locality:

 

Notes: