Turkestanite Mineral Data

Turkestanite Mineral Data +

General Turkestanite Information

Chemical Formula:

Th(Ca,Na)2(K1-x,[ ]x)Si8O20·n(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 879.42 gm

Potassium 2.67 % K 3.21 % K₂O

Sodium 1.31 % Na 1.76 % Na₂O

Calcium 6.84 % Ca 9.56 % CaO

Thorium 21.11 % Th 24.02 % ThO₂

Silicon 25.55 % Si 54.66 % SiO₂

Hydrogen 0.69 % H 6.15 % H₂O

Oxygen 41.84 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 99.36 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Th_0.8Ca_1.5Na_0.5K_0.6Si₈O₂₀·3(H₂O)

Environment:

Found in the albitized exocontact zone at the Djelisu and Dara-Pioz alkaline complexes. The calcium dominant analog of steacyite.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1996 (Dana # Added)

Locality:

Located 40 km apart north and south, respectively, of the Turkestan - Tadjikistan border. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named after the discovery locality, along the Turkestan Ridge.

Synonym:

IMA1996-036

Turkestanite Image

Images:

Turkestanite

Comments: Green, blocky, prismatic crystal of turkestanite in matrix.
Location: Dara-i-Pioz Glacier, Alayskiy (Alai) Range, Tien Shan Mts, Districts of the Republican Subordination, Tajikistan. Scale: Picture size 5 mm.
© Thomas Witzke / Abraxas-Verlag

Turkestanite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:c = 1:1.95258

Cell Dimensions:

a = 7.592, c = 14.824, Z = 2; V = 854.43 Den(Calc)= 3.42

Crystal System:

Tetragonal - Ditetragonal DipyramidalH-M Symbol (4/m 2/m 2/m) Space Group: P 4/mcc

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 3.4(1), 5.31(0.7), 2.654(0.59),

Crystal Structure:

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Kabalov Yu K , Sokolova E V , Pautov L A , Schneider J , Crystallography Reports , 43 (1998) p.584-588, Crystal structure of a new mineral turkestanite: a calcium analogue of steacyite, Locality: Dzhelisu massif, Alayskiy range, Tien Shan, Kyrgyzstan, Note: calculated Biso s disagree with reported values, Note: z(O3) adjusted to match reported bond lengths

Physical Properties of Turkestanite

Cleavage:

[111] Imperfect, [111] Imperfect, [111] Imperfect

Color:

Apple green, Dark green, Brown.

Density:

3.36

Diaphaniety:

Transparent

Fracture:

Brittle - Conchoidal - Very brittle fracture producing small, conchoidal fragments.

Habit:

Euhedral Crystals - Occurs as well-formed crystals showing good external form.

Habit:

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

Hardness:

5.5-6 - Knife Blade-Orthoclase

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Turkestanite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.114 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.13 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1779,KPDmeas= 0.1811,KC= 0.2044

Optical Data:

Uniaxial (-), e=1.606, w=1.611, bire=0.0050.

Calculated Properties of Turkestanite

Electron Density:

r_electron=3.22 gm/cc
note: r_Turkestanite=3.36 gm/cc.

Fermion Index

Fermion Index = 0.01222
Boson Index = 0.98778

Photoelectric:

PE_Turkestanite= 466.07 barns/electron
U=PE_Turkestanite x r_electron=1,499.01 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 431,084.00 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)

Turkestanite is Radioactive as defined in 49 CFR 173.403. Greater than 70 Bq / gram.

Estimated Maximum U.S. Postal Shipping Size (10 mRem/hr limit, Unshielded 10 cm box) 70.56 ± 17.64 grams of pure Turkestanite .
Estimated Maximum U.S. Postal Shipping Size (10 mRem/hr limit, Unshielded 100 cm box) 7055.9 ±1764.0 grams of pure Turkestanite .

**Estimated Radioactivity from Turkestanite** - strong
Specimen Size Weight/Volume (Sphere) *	Calculated Activity Bequerols (Bq)	Calculated Activity Curies (Ci)	Estimated Activity GR(api)	Estimated Exposure (mRem**)/hr If Held in Hand For One Hour
1000 gm / 8.28 cm	9,457,327	2.56E-04	431,084.00	141.73
100 gm / 3.84 cm	945,733	2.56E-05	43,108.40	14.17
10 gm / 1.78 cm	94,573	2.56E-06	4,310.84	1.42
1 gm / 8.28 mm	9,457	2.56E-07	431.08	0.14
0.1 gm / 3.84 mm	946	2.56E-08	43.11	0.01
0.01 gm / 1.78 mm	95	2.56E-09	4.31	0.00
0.001 gm / 0.83 mm	9	2.56E-10	0.43	0.00

Weight of pure Turkestanite in grams (gm) and Calculated Diameter of a Sphere with a Density of 3.36 gm/cc.*
Goverment Estimate of Average Annual Exposure ( 360 mRem) **
Note: 10 microsieverts/hr = 1 mRem/hr **
Max Permissable Adult Dose 50,000 mRem/yr (hands), 15,000 mRem/yr (eyes)
Lethal Dose LD(50) Exposure 400,000 to 500,000 mRem

Turkestanite Classification

Dana Class:

63.1.1.3 (63)Cyclosilicate Condensed Rings

(63.1)Steacyite group (4x2) Double Rings

(63.1.1)Eudialyte subgroup

63.1.1.1 Steacyite K1-x(Ca,Na)2ThSi8O20(x=0.2to0.4) P 4/mcc 4/m 2/m 2/m

63.1.1.2 Iraqite-(La) K(La,Ce,Th)2(Ca,Na)4(Si,Al)16O40 P 4/mcc 4/m 2/m 2/m

63.1.1.3 Turkestanite ! Th(Ca,Na)2(K1-x,[]x)Si8O20·n(H2O) P 4/mcc 4/m 2/m 2/m

63.1.1.4 Arapovite! (U,Th)(Ca,Na)2(K1-x[]x)Si8O20,x~0.5 P 4/mcc 4/m 2/m 2/m

Strunz Class:

VIII/E.10-40 VIII - Silicates

VIII/E - Cyklosilicates, double quadruplet rings [Si8O20]8-

VIII/E.10 - Ekanite - Steacyite series

VIII/E.10-10 Ekanite ThCa2Si8O20 I 422 4 2 2

VIII/E.10-20 Iraqite-(La) K(La,Ce,Th)2(Ca,Na)4(Si,Al)16O40 P 4/mcc 4/m 2/m 2/m

VIII/E.10-30 Steacyite K1-x(Ca,Na)2ThSi8O20(x=0.2to0.4) P 4/mcc 4/m 2/m 2/m

VIII/E.10-40 Turkestanite Th(Ca,Na)2(K1-x,[]x)Si8O20·n(H2O) P 4/mcc 4/m 2/m 2/m

Other Turkestanite Information

References:

NAME( CanMin, 8/99) PHYS. PROP.(MinRec, V 31, No. 2) OPTIC PROP.(MinRec, V 31, No. 2)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Turkestanite :
1 -Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database 2 -Athena 3 -Google Images 4 -Google Scholar 5 -MinDAT 6 -MinMax(Deutsch) 7 -MinMax(English) 8 -Mineralienatlas (Deutsch) 9 -QUT Mineral Atlas 10 - Uranium Minerals 11 - WWW-MINCRYST

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Turkestanite

Th(Ca,Na)2(K1-x,[ ]x)Si8O20·n(H2O)
Dana No: 63.1.1.3 Strunz No: VIII/E.10-40
Locality:

Notes: