Eucryptite Mineral Data
General Eucryptite Information
Chemical Formula:
LiAlSiO4
Composition:
Molecular Weight = 126.01 gm
Lithium 5.51 % Li 11.86 % Li2 O
Aluminum 21.41 % Al 40.46 % Al2 O3
Silicon 22.29 % Si 47.68 % SiO2
Oxygen 50.79 % O
______ ______
100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE
Empirical Formula:
LiAlSiO4
Environment:
In lithium-rich pegmatites. Secondary mineral derived from spodumene.
IMA Status:
Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1880
Locality:
Branchville, Faifield Co., Connecticut, USA. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.
Name Origin:
Named from the Greek for well and concealed, in reference to its occurrence as intimate intergrowths with albite.
Name Pronunciation:
Eucryptite + Pronunciation
Synonym:
ICSD 30982
PDF 14-667
Eucryptite Image
Images:
Images:
Eucryptite
Comments: Fine grained, massive eucryptite. Fluorescent Red under SW.
Location: Midnight Owl mine, Yavapai Co., Arizona, USA.
Scale: 6x4x4cm.
© Tom Loomis / Dakota Matrix
Eucryptite Crystallography
Axial Ratios:
a:c = 1:0.66773
Cell Dimensions:
a = 13.48, c = 9.001, Z = 18; V = 1,416.45 Den(Calc)= 2.66
Crystal System:
Trigonal - Rhombohedral H-M Symbol ( 3 ) Space Group: R 3
X Ray Diffraction:
By Intensity(I/Io ): 3.362(1), 3.965(0.9), 2.733(0.7),
Physical Properties of Eucryptite
Cleavage:
{1011} Indistinct
Color:
Brown, Colorless, White.
Density:
2.67
Diaphaneity:
Transparent to translucent
Fracture:
Brittle - Conchoidal - Very brittle fracture producing small, conchoidal fragments.
Hardness:
6.5 - Pyrite
Luminescence:
Fluorescent, Short UV=pink, Long UV=pink.
Luster:
Vitreous (Glassy)
Magnetism:
Nonmagnetic
Streak:
white
Optical Properties of Eucryptite
Gladstone-Dale:
CI meas = 0.05 (Good) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas /KC ) CI calc = 0.046 (Good) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc /KC )
KPDcalc = 0.2092,KPDmeas = 0.2084,KC = 0.2193 Ncalc = 1.58 - 1.59
Optical Data:
Uniaxial (+), w=1.527, e=1.586, bire=0.0590.
Calculated Properties of Eucryptite
Electron Density:
Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.62 gm/cc note: Specific Gravity of Eucryptite =2.66 gm/cc.
Fermion Index:
Fermion Index = 0.01 Boson Index = 0.99
Photoelectric:
PEEucryptite = 1.52 barns/electronU=PEEucryptite x r Electron Density= 3.98 barns/cc.
Radioactivity:
GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units) Eucryptite is Not Radioactive
Eucryptite Classification
Dana Class:
51.01.01.03 (51) Nesosilicate Insular SiO4 Groups Only
(51.01) with cations in [4] coordination
(51.01.01) Phenakite group
51.01.01.01 Phenakite Be2SiO4 R 3 3
51.01.01.02 Willemite Zn2SiO4 R 3 3
51.01.01.03 Eucryptite LiAlSiO4 R 3 3
Strunz Class:
09.AA.05 09 - SILICATES (Germanates)
09.A - Nesosilicates
09.AA -Nesosilicates without additional anions;
09.AA.05 Eucryptite LiAlSiO4 R 3 3
09.AA.05 Phenakite Be2SiO4 R 3 3
09.AA.05 Willemite Zn2SiO4 R 3 3
Other Eucryptite 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 Eucryptite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery
3 - Athena
4 - EUROmin Project
5 - GeoScienceWorld
6 - Glendale Community College
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 - QUT Mineral Atlas
15 - Ruff.Info
16 - WWW-MINCRYST
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Print or Cut-and-Paste your Eucryptite Specimen Label here :
Eucryptite
LiAlSiO4
Dana No: 51.01.01.03 Strunz No: 09.AA.05
Locality:
Notes:
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