Mordenite Mineral Data

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General Mordenite Information

Chemical Formula:

(Ca,Na2,K2)Al2Si10O24•7(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 874.11 gm

Potassium 0.45 % K 0.54 % K₂O

Sodium 2.89 % Na 3.90 % Na₂O

Calcium 2.29 % Ca 3.21 % CaO

Aluminum 6.79 % Al 12.83 % Al₂O₃

Silicon 31.49 % Si 67.36 % SiO₂

Hydrogen 1.36 % H 12.16 % H₂O

Oxygen 54.73 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Na_1.1Ca_0.5K_0.1Al_2.2Si_9.8O₂₄•5.9(H₂O)

Environment:

Cavities in andesitic rocks.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1864

Locality:

Shore of Bay of Fundy, 3-5 km east of Morden, King’s County, Nova Scotia, Canada. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named after its locality.

Name Pronunciation:

Mordenite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

Arduinite

Ashtonite

Pseudonatrolite

Ptilolite

Mordenite Image

Images:

Mordenite Heulandite-Ca

Comments: White, acicular crystals of mordenite in heulandite geode.
Location: Rock Creek, Stevenson, Skamania County, Washington, USA. Scale: Not Given.
© Lou Perloff / Photo Atlas of Minerals

Images:

Mordenite Heulandite-Ca

Comments: Pink heulandite crystals up to 15 mm in fibrous white mordenite matrix.
Location: Rats Nest Claim, Challis, Custer Co., Idaho, USA. Scale: 6x6x4 cm.
© John Betts - Fine Minerals

Mordenite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.883:1:0.3669

Cell Dimensions:

a = 18.114, b = 20.514, c = 7.527, Z = 4; V = 2,796.96 Den(Calc)= 2.08

Crystal System:

Orthorhombic - PyramidalH-M Symbol (mm2) Space Group: C mc2₁

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 9.06(1), 4(0.7), 3.48(0.45),

Crystal Structure:

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Simoncic P , Armbruster T , American Mineralogist , 89 (2004) p.421-431, Peculiarity and defect structure of the natural and synthetic zeolite mordenite:, A single-crystal X-ray study, Sample: natural

View Additional jPOWD Structure files for Mordenite
[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]

Physical Properties of Mordenite

Cleavage:

{010} Perfect

Color:

Colorless, White, Yellowish, Pinkish.

Density:

2.1 - 2.15, Average = 2.12

Diaphaneity:

Transparent to translucent

Fracture:

Uneven - Flat surfaces (not cleavage) fractured in an uneven pattern.

Habit:

Blocky - Crystal shape tends to be equant (e.g. feldspars).

Habit:

Reniform - "Kidney like" in shape (e.g.. hematite).

Habit:

Striated - Parallel lines on crystal surface or cleavage face.

Hardness:

5 - Apatite

Luminescence:

Non-fluorescent.

Luster:

Vitreous - Silky

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Mordenite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.012 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.033 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2307,KPDmeas= 0.2258,KC= 0.2232
Ncalc = 1.46 - 1.48

Optical Data:

Biaxial (+/-), a=1.472-1.483, b=1.475-1.485, g=1.477-1.487, bire=0.0040-0.0050, 2V(Calc)=78-88, 2V(Meas)=76-104. Dispersion none.

Calculated Properties of Mordenite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.14 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Mordenite =2.13 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.01
Boson Index = 0.99

Photoelectric:

PE_Mordenite= 1.80 barns/electron
U=PE_Mordenite x r_electron= 3.87 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 6.53 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Mordenite per GRapi unit = 15.31 (%)

Estimated Radioactivity from Mordenite - barely detectable

Mordenite Classification

Dana Class:

77.01.06.01 (77)Tectosilicate Zeolite group

(77.01)true zeolites

(77.01.06)Mordenite and related species

77.01.06.01 Mordenite (Ca,Na2,K2)Al2Si10O24•7(H2O) C mc2₁ mm2

77.01.06.02 Epistilbite CaAl2Si6O16•5(H2O) C1 1

77.01.06.03 Maricopaite Pb7Ca2(Si,Al)48O100•32(H2O) Cm2m 2/m 2/m 2/m

77.01.06.04 Dachiardite-Ca (Ca,Na2,K2)5Al10Si38O96•25(H2O) C 2/m 2/m

77.01.06.05 Dachiardite-Na (Na2,Ca,K2)4Al4Si20O48•13(H2O) C 2/m 2/m

77.01.06.06 Ferrierite-Mg (Mg,Na,K)2Mg(Si,Al)18O36•9(H2O) Pnnm 2/m 2/m 2/m

77.01.06.06a Ferrierite-K! (K,Na)2Mg(Si,Al)18O36•9(H2O) Pnnm 2/m 2/m 2/m

77.01.06.06b Ferrierite-Na! (Na,K)2Mg(Si,Al)18O36•9(H2O) P 2₁/n 2/m

77.01.06.07 Boggsite NaCa2(Al5Si19O48)•17(H2O) I mma 2/m 2/m 2/m

77.01.06.08 Gottardiite! Na3Mg3Ca5Al19Si117O272•93(H2O) C mca 2/m 2/m 2/m

77.01.06.09 Terranovaite! (Na,Ca)8(Si68Al12)O160•29(H2O) C mcm 2/m 2/m 2/m

77.01.06.10 Mutinaite! Na3Ca4Si85Al11O192•60(H2O) P nma 2/m 2/m 2/m

77.01.06.12 Direnzoite! NaK6MgCa2(Al13Si47O120)•36H2O Pmmn 2/m 2/m 2/m

Strunz Class:

09.GD.35 09 - SILICATES (Germanates)

09.G - Tektosilicates with Zeolitic H2O

09.GD -Chains of 6-membered rings – tabular zeolites

09.GD.35 Maricopaite Pb7Ca2(Si,Al)48O100•32(H2O) Cm2m 2/m 2/m 2/m

09.GD.35 Mordenite (Ca,Na2,K2)Al2Si10O24•7(H2O) C mc2₁ mm2

Other Mordenite Information

References:

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

See Also:

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

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

Mordenite

(Ca,Na2,K2)Al2Si10O24•7(H2O)
Dana No: 77.01.06.01 Strunz No: 09.GD.35
Locality:

Notes: