Cassagnaite Mineral Data

General Cassagnaite Information

Chemical Formula:

(Ca,Mn++)4(Fe+++,Mn+++,Al)4(OH)4(V+++,Mg,Al)2(O,OH)4(Si3O10)(SiO4)2

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 996.28 gm

Calcium 13.28 % Ca 18.57 % CaO

Magnesium 1.46 % Mg 2.43 % MgO

Manganese 11.58 % Mn 4.98 % MnO / 11.09 % Mn₂O₃

Aluminum 4.06 % Al 7.68 % Al₂O₃

Vanadium 3.58 % V 5.27 % V₂O₃

Iron 8.97 % Fe 12.82 % Fe₂O₃

Silicon 14.66 % Si 31.36 % SiO₂

Hydrogen 0.66 % H 5.88 % H₂O

Oxygen 41.75 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.08 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Ca_3.3Mn²⁺_0.7Fe³⁺_1.6Mn³⁺_1.4Al_1.5V³⁺_0.7Mg_0.6Si_5.2O₂₆H_6.5

Environment:

Found in fractures in braunite + quartz layered mineralization, together with piemontite.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 2006 (Dana # Added)

Locality:

Cassagna mine, Val Graveglia, eastern Liguria, northern Apennines, Italy. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named after the locality.

Synonym:

IMA2006-019a

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Cassagnaite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.6809:1:2.1323

Cell Dimensions:

a = 6.066, b = 8.908, c = 18.995, Z = 2; V = 1,026.41 Den(Calc)= 3.22

Crystal System:

Orthorhombic - DipyramidalH-M Symbol (2/m 2/m 2/m) Space Group: C mcm

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 9.52(1), 2.66(0.7), 2.54(0.6),3.02(0.6), 4.85(0.5), 4.98(0.45), 2.32(0.4), 4.03(0.4),

Crystal Structure:

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Basso R , Carbone C , Palenzona A , European Journal of Mineralogy , 20 (2008) p.95-100, Cassagnaite, a new, V-bearing silicate mineral from the Cassagna mine,, northern Apennines, Italy, Locality: Cassagna mine, northern Apennines, Liguria, Italy

Physical Properties of Cassagnaite

Cleavage:

{001} Distinct

Color:

Golden brown.

Diaphaneity:

Transparent

Fracture:

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

Habit:

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

Habit:

Tabular - Form dimensions are thin in one direction.

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Streak:

nearly white

Optical Properties of Cassagnaite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI calc= -0.028 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.25,KC= 0.2432
Ncalc = 1.78

Optical Data:

Biaxial (?), a=1.8, g=1.81, bire=0.0100

Calculated Properties of Cassagnaite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=3.17 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Cassagnaite =3.22 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.01
Boson Index = 0.99

Photoelectric:

PE_Cassagnaite= 8.62 barns/electron
U=PE_Cassagnaite x rElectron Density= 27.30 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

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

Cassagnaite Classification

Dana Class:

57.02.03.03 (57)Sorosilicate Insular Si3O10 and Larger Noncyclic Groups

(57.02)with [Si4O13] groups

(57.02.03)Akatoreite Group

57.02.03.01 Akatoreite (Mn,Fe)9Al2Si8O24(OH)8 P1 1

57.02.03.02 Hubeite! Ca2MnFeSi4O12(OH)(H2O)2 P1 1

57.02.03.03 Cassagnaite! (Ca,Mn)4(Fe,Mn,Al)4(OH)4(V,Mg,Al)2(O,OH)4(Si3O10)(SiO4)2 C mcm 2/m 2/m 2/m

Strunz Class:

09.BJ.65 09 - SILICATES (Germanates)

09.B - Sorosilicates

09.BJ -Sorosilicates with Si3O10, Si4O11, etc

09.BJ.65 Cassagnaite! (Ca,Mn)4(Fe,Mn,Al)4(OH)4(V,Mg,Al)2(O,OH)4(Si3O10)(SiO4)2 C mcm 2/m 2/m 2/m

Other Cassagnaite Information

References:

NAME( AmMin, v93:1686) PHYS. PROP.(AmMin, v93:1686) OPTIC PROP.(AmMin, v93:1686)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Cassagnaite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Athena
3 - GeoScienceWorld
4 - Google Images
5 - Google Scholar
6 - MinDAT
7 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
8 - Online Mineral Museum
9 - QUT Mineral Atlas
10 - Ruff.Info

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

Cassagnaite

(Ca,Mn++)4(Fe+++,Mn+++,Al)4(OH)4(V+++,Mg,Al)2(O,OH)4(Si3O10)(SiO4)2
Dana No: 57.02.03.03 Strunz No: 09.BJ.65
Locality:

Notes: