Bischofite Mineral Data

General Bischofite Information

Chemical Formula:

MgCl2•6(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 203.30 gm

Magnesium 11.96 % Mg 19.82 % MgO

Hydrogen 5.95 % H 53.17 % H₂O

Chlorine 34.88 % Cl 34.88 % Cl

- % Cl -7.87 % -O=Cl₂

Oxygen 47.22 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

MgCl₂•6(H₂O)

Environment:

Marine evaporites. Terminal crystallization point in the K-Mg-Na salt sequence. Commonly enriched in Br.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1877

Locality:

Leopoldshall and Stassfut, Germany. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

For Karl Gustav Bischo (1792-1870), German geologist and mineral chemist, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.

Name Pronunciation:

Bischofite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

ICSD 47161

PDF 25-515

Bischofite Image

Images:

Bischofite

Comments: Colorless grains of bischofite. The mineral is very hygroscopic and must be stored in a closed vial.
Location: Stassfurt, Stassfurt Deposit, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Scale: Picture size 5 mm.
© Thomas Witzke / Abraxas-Verlag

Bischofite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =1.3846:1:0.8531

Cell Dimensions:

a = 9.9, b = 7.15, c = 6.1, Z = 2; beta = 93.7° V = 430.89 Den(Calc)= 1.57

Crystal System:

Monoclinic - PrismaticH-M Symbol (2/m) Space Group: C 2/m

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 4.1(1), 2.65(0.75), 2.88(0.5),

Forms:

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Forms: ( 1 1 0) ( 2 0 1) ( 1 1 1) ( 1 0 0)

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Crystal Structure:

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Agron P A , Busing W R , Acta Crystallographica, Section C , 41 (1985) p.8-10, Magnesium dichloride hexahydrate, MgCl2*6H2O, by neutron diffraction, Locality: synthetic

Physical Properties of Bischofite

Cleavage:

None

Color:

Colorless, White.

Density:

1.56

Diaphaneity:

Translucent to transparent

Fracture:

Conchoidal - Uneven - Uneven fracture producing small, conchoidal fragments.

Habit:

Deliquescent - Crystals absorb water from the air and melt or otherwise deteriorate.

Habit:

Fibrous - Crystals made up of fibers.

Habit:

Massive - Granular - Common texture observed in granite and other igneous rock.

Hardness:

1.5-2 - Talc-Gypsum

Luster:

Vitreous - Greasy

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Bischofite

Optical Data:

Biaxial (+), a=1.495, b=1.507, g=1.528, bire=0.0330, 2V(Calc)=76, 2V(Meas)=79.4.

Calculated Properties of Bischofite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=1.64 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Bischofite =1.57 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.01
Boson Index = 0.99

Photoelectric:

PE_Bischofite= 2.58 barns/electron
U=PE_Bischofite x rElectron Density= 4.22 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Bischofite is Not Radioactive

Bischofite Classification

Dana Class:

09.02.09.01 (09)Anhydrous and Hydrated Halides

(09.02)where A (X)2

(09.02.09)Bischofite Group

09.02.09.01 Bischofite MgCl2•6(H2O) C 2/m 2/m

09.02.09.02 Nickelbischofite NiCl2•6(H2O) C 2/m 2/m

Strunz Class:

03.BB.15 03 - HALIDES

03.B - Simple Halides, with H2O

03.BB -M:X = 1:2

03.BB.15 Bischofite MgCl2•6(H2O) C 2/m 2/m

Other Bischofite Information

References:

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

See Also:

Links to other databases for Bischofite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Athena
3 - EUROmin Project
4 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
5 - GeoScienceWorld
6 - Google Images
7 - Google Scholar
8 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
9 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
10 - MinDAT
11 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
12 - Online Mineral Museum
13 - QUT Mineral Atlas
14 - Ruff.Info
15 - WWW-MINCRYST

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

Bischofite

MgCl2•6(H2O)
Dana No: 09.02.09.01 Strunz No: 03.BB.15
Locality:

Notes: