Fuenzalidaite Mineral Data

General Fuenzalidaite Information

Chemical Formula:

K6(Na,K)4Na6Mg10(SO4)12(IO3)12•12(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 4,191.42 gm

Potassium 6.53 % K 7.87 % K₂O

Sodium 4.94 % Na 6.65 % Na₂O

Magnesium 5.80 % Mg 9.62 % MgO

Hydrogen 0.58 % H 5.16 % H₂O

Sulfur 9.18 % S 22.92 % SO₃

Iodine 36.33 % I 47.78 % I₂O₅

Oxygen 36.64 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

K₇Na₉Mg₁₀(SO₄)₁₂(IO₃)₁₂•12(H₂O)

Environment:

In veins and veinlets of white nitrate ore called caliche blanco.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1994

Locality:

A former nitrate mine about 1 km south of the former plant site of Oficina Santa Luisa, Chile. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

For Humberto Fuenzalida P. (1904-1966), who planned and directed the first school of geology at the University of Chile.

Name Pronunciation:

Fuenzalidaite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

ICSD 77416

IMA1993-021

PDF 47-1851

Fuenzalidaite Image

Images:

Fuenzalidaite

Comments: SEM image of hexagonal (trigonal) crystals of fuenzalidaite. (AmMin, v79:1003).
Location: Nitrate mine about I km south of the former plant site of Oficina Santa Luisa, northern Chile. Scale: Scale Bar 10 µm.
© American Mineralogist

Fuenzalidaite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:c = 1:2.88832

Cell Dimensions:

a = 9.4643, c = 27.336, Z = 1; V = 2,120.52 Den(Calc)= 3.28

Crystal System:

Trigonal - Hexagonal Scalenohedral H-M Symbol (3 2/m) Space Group: P 3c1

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 3.927(1), 13.67(0.5), 3.023(0.41),

Physical Properties of Fuenzalidaite

Cleavage:

{110} Good

Color:

White, Pale yellow.

Density:

3.31

Diaphaneity:

Transparent

Fracture:

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

Habit:

Platy - Sheet forms (e.g. micas).

Hardness:

2.5-3 - Finger Nail-Calcite

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Fuenzalidaite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.059 (Fair) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.05 (Good) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1886,KPDmeas= 0.1869,KC= 0.1986
Ncalc = 1.65 - 1.66

Optical Data:

Uniaxial (-), e=1.615, w=1.622, bire=0.0070.

Calculated Properties of Fuenzalidaite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=3.09 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Fuenzalidaite =3.28 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0066718756
Boson Index = 0.9933281244

Photoelectric:

PE_{Fuenzalidaite}= 131.55 barns/electron
U=PE_{Fuenzalidaite} x r_electron= 406.00 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 88.68 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Fuenzalidaite per GRapi unit = 1.13 (%)

Estimated Radioactivity from Fuenzalidaite - barely detectable

Fuenzalidaite Classification

Dana Class:

23.01.02.01 (23)Compound Iodates

(23.01)with miscellaneous formulae

(23.01.02)Fuenzalidaite Group

23.01.02.01 Fuenzalidaite K6(Na,K)4Na6Mg10(SO4)12(IO3)12•12(H2O) P 3c1 3 2/m

23.01.02.02 Carlosruizite K6(Na,K)4Na6Mg10(SeO4)12(IO3)12•12(H2O) P 3c1 3 2/m

23.01.02.03 George-ericksenite! Na6CaMg(IO3)6(CrO4)2•12(H2O) C 2/c 2/m

Strunz Class:

07.DG.40 07 - SULFATES (SELENATES, TELLURATES)

07.D - Sulfates (selenates, etc.) with additional anions, with H2O

07.DG -With large and medium sized cations; with NO3, CO3, B(OH)4, SiO4 or IO3

07.DG.40 Carlosruizite K6(Na,K)4Na6Mg10(SeO4)12(IO3)12•12(H2O) P 3c1 3 2/m

07.DG.40 Fuenzalidaite K6(Na,K)4Na6Mg10(SO4)12(IO3)12•12(H2O) P 3c1 3 2/m

Other Fuenzalidaite Information

References:

NAME( MinRec) PHYS. PROP.(Am.Min.,Vol.79,p1003-1008,1994) OPTIC PROP.(MinRec)

See Also:

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

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

Fuenzalidaite

K6(Na,K)4Na6Mg10(SO4)12(IO3)12•12(H2O)
Dana No: 23.01.02.01 Strunz No: 07.DG.40
Locality:

Notes:

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