Kalsilite Mineral Data
General Kalsilite Information
Chemical Formula:
KAlSiO4
Composition:
Molecular Weight = 158.16 gm
Potassium 24.72 % K 29.78 % K2 O
Aluminum 17.06 % Al 32.23 % Al2 O3
Silicon 17.76 % Si 37.99 % SiO2
Oxygen 40.46 % O
______ ______
100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE
Empirical Formula:
KAlSiO4
Environment:
Embedded grains in silica-undersaturated lavas and nepheline-bearing igneous rocks.
IMA Status:
Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1942
Locality:
Kyambogo crater, Bynyaryguru field, Lake Mafuru, Uganda Link to MinDat.org Location Data.
Name Origin:
Named for the compostion, Kallium (Potassium), Aluminum, and Silicon. K,AL,SI.
Name Pronunciation:
Kalsilite + Pronunciation
Synonym:
ICSD 34350
PDF 11-579
Kalsilite Image
Images:
Kalsilite
Comments: Small, hair-like crystals of kalsilite on crystals of phlogopite and smaller crystals of analcime and fluorapatite.
Location: San Venanzo, Tern, Italy.
Scale: Picture size 5 mm.
© John Veevaert
Kalsilite Crystallography
Axial Ratios:
a:c = 1:1.68819
Cell Dimensions:
a = 5.157, c = 8.706, Z = 2; V = 200.51 Den(Calc)= 2.62
Crystal System:
Trigonal - Ditrigonal Pyramidal H-M Symbol (3m) Space Group: P 31 c
X Ray Diffraction:
By Intensity(I/Io ): 3.12(1), 2.58(0.5), 3.97(0.45),
Physical Properties of Kalsilite
Cleavage:
{1010} Indistinct, {0001} Indistinct
Color:
Colorless, Gray, Gray white, White.
Density:
2.59 - 2.625, Average = 2.6
Diaphaneity:
Transparent to Translucent
Fracture:
Brittle - Conchoidal - Very brittle fracture producing small, conchoidal fragments.
Hardness:
6 - Orthoclase
Luster:
Vitreous - Greasy
Streak:
white
Optical Properties of Kalsilite
Gladstone-Dale:
CI meas = -0.01 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas /KC ) CI calc = -0.005 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc /KC )
KPDcalc = 0.2052,KPDmeas = 0.2061,KC = 0.2041 Ncalc = 1.53 - 1.54
Optical Data:
Uniaxial (-), e=1.532-1.537, w=1.538-1.543, bire=0.0060.
Calculated Properties of Kalsilite
Electron Density:
Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.58 gm/cc note: Specific Gravity of Kalsilite =2.62 gm/cc.
Fermion Index:
Fermion Index = 0.0085165557 Boson Index = 0.9914834443
Photoelectric:
PEKalsilite = 3.65 barns/electronU=PEKalsilite x r electron = 9.44 barns/cc.
Radioactivity:
GRapi = 351.79 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Kalsilite per GRapi unit = 0.28 (%)
Estimated Radioactivity from Kalsilite - barely detectable
Kalsilite Classification
Dana Class:
76.02.01.01 (76) Tectosilicate Al-Si Framework
(76.02) Feldspathoids and related species
(76.02.01) Nepheline group
76.02.01.01 Kalsilite KAlSiO4 P 31 c 3m
76.02.01.02 Nepheline (Na,K)AlSiO4 P 63 6
76.02.01.03 Trikalsilite (K,Na)AlSiO4 P 63 6
76.02.01.04 Panunzite (K,Na)AlSiO4 P 63 6
76.02.01.05 Kaliophilite KAlSiO4 P 63 22 6 2 2
76.02.01.06 Yoshiokaite (Ca8-(x/2)[](x/2)Al16-xSixO32) P 3 3
76.02.01.07 Megakalsilite ! KAlSiO4 P 63 6
Strunz Class:
09.FA.05 09 - SILICATES (Germanates)
09.F - Tektosilicates without Zeolitic H2O
09.FA -Tektosilicates without additional non-tetrahedral anions, (Al,B):Si = 1:1
09.FA.05 Nepheline (Na,K)AlSiO4 P 63 6
09.FA.05 Kaliophilite KAlSiO4 P 63 22 6 2 2
09.FA.05 Kalsilite KAlSiO4 P 31 c 3m
09.FA.05 Panunzite (K,Na)AlSiO4 P 63 6
09.FA.05 Trikalsilite (K,Na)AlSiO4 P 63 6
09.FA.05 Megakalsilite ! KAlSiO4 P 63 6
09.FA.05 Yoshiokaite (Ca8-(x/2)[](x/2)Al16-xSixO32) P 3 3
Other Kalsilite Information
References:
NAME( Dana8) PHYS. PROP.(Am.Min.,Vol.82,p276-279,1997) OPTIC PROP.(Am.Min.,Vol.82,p276-279,1997)
See Also:
Links to other databases for Kalsilite :
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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Kalsilite
KAlSiO4
Dana No: 76.02.01.01 Strunz No: 09.FA.05
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