Thenardite Mineral Data

Thenardite Mineral Data +

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General Thenardite Information

Chemical Formula:

Na2SO4

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 142.04 gm

Sodium 32.37 % Na 43.63 % Na₂O

Sulfur 22.57 % S 56.37 % SO₃

Oxygen 45.06 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Na₂(SO₄)

Environment:

Non-marine evaporite deposits in arid climates and alteration of alkali-ignous rocks protected from water.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1826

Locality:

Espartinas salt lake, Aranjuez, Madrid prov., Spain Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named after the French chemist, Louis Jacques Thenard (1777-1826).

Synonym:

ICSD 28056

PDF 37-1465

Thenardite Image

Images:

Thenardite

Comments: White thenardite on augite-nephelinite rock.
Location: B?renstein Quarry, Niederschlag, Oberwiesenthal, Erzgebirge, Saxony, Germany. Scale: Picture size 5 mm.
© Thomas Witzke / Abraxas-Verlag

Thenardite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.7933:1:0.4759

Cell Dimensions:

a = 9.75, b = 12.29, c = 5.85, Z = 8; V = 700.99 Den(Calc)= 2.69

Crystal System:

Orthorhombic - DipyramidalH-M Symbol (2/m 2/m 2/m) Space Group: F ddd

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 2.783(1), 4.66(0.73), 3.178(0.51),

Forms:

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

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Crystal Structure:

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Hawthorne F C , Ferguson R B , The Canadian Mineralogist , 13 (1975) p.181-187, Anhydrous sulphates. I: Refinement of the crystal structure of celestite, with an appendix on the structure of thenardite

Physical Properties of Thenardite

Cleavage:

[010] Perfect

Color:

White, Grayish white, Yellowish white, Reddish white, Brownish white.

Density:

2.67 - 2.7, Average = 2.68

Diaphaniety:

Transparent

Fracture:

Splintery - Thin, elongated fractures produced by intersecting good cleavages or partings (e.g. hornblende).

Habit:

Encrustations - Forms crust-like aggregates on matrix.

Habit:

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

Habit:

Tabular - Form dimensions are thin in one direction.

Hardness:

2.5 - Finger Nail

Luminescence:

Fluorescent.

Luster:

Vitreous - Greasy

Magnetism:

Nonmagnetic

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Thenardite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.027 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.029 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1774,KPDmeas= 0.1778,KC= 0.1827

Optical Data:

Biaxial (+), a=1.471, b=1.477, g=1.484, bire=0.0130, 2V(Calc)=86, 2V(Meas)=83. Dispersion none.

Pleochroism (x):

none.

Pleochroism (y):

none.

Pleochroism (z):

none.

Calculated Properties of Thenardite

Electron Density:

r_electron=2.65 gm/cc
note: r_Thenardite=2.69 gm/cc.

Fermion Index

Fermion Index = 0.0019
Boson Index = 0.9981

Photoelectric:

PE_Thenardite= 1.88 barns/electron
U=PE_Thenardite x r_electron= 4.98 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)

Thenardite is Not Radioactive

Thenardite Classification

Dana Class:

28.2.3.1 (28)Anhydrous Acid and Sulfates

(28.2)(A+)2 XO4

(28.2.3)Dana Group

28.2.3.1 Thenardite Na2SO4 F ddd 2/m 2/m 2/m

Strunz Class:

VI/A.07-10 VI - Sulfates,Chromates,Molybdates and Tungstates

VI/A - Waterfree sulfates [SO4]2- without unfamiliar anions. cations of very big size

VI/A.07 - Thenardite - Mascagnite series

VI/A.07-10 Thenardite Na2SO4 F ddd 2/m 2/m 2/m

VI/A.07-20 Arcanite K2SO4 Pmcn 2/m 2/m 2/m

VI/A.07-30 Mascagnite (NH4)2SO4 P nma 2/m 2/m 2/m

Other Thenardite Information

References:

NAME( Duda&Rejl90) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Ford32)

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

Thenardite

Na2SO4
Dana No: 28.2.3.1 Strunz No: VI/A.07-10
Locality:

Notes: