Nontronite Mineral Data

General Nontronite Information

Chemical Formula:

Na0.3Fe+++2(Si,Al)4O10(OH)2•n(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 495.90 gm

Sodium 1.39 % Na 1.87 % Na₂O

Aluminum 5.44 % Al 10.28 % Al₂O₃

Iron 22.52 % Fe 32.20 % Fe₂O₃

Silicon 16.99 % Si 36.35 % SiO₂

Hydrogen 2.03 % H 18.16 % H₂O

Oxygen 51.62 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 98.87 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Na_0.3Fe³⁺₂Si₃AlO₁₀(OH)₂•4(H₂O)

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1827

Locality:

Nontrone, Dordogne, France. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named after its locality.

Name Pronunciation:

Nontronite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

Chloropal

ICSD 86916

Nontronite Image

Images:

Nontronite

Comments: Green massive nontronite in quartz.
Location: Horni Slavkov, Zapadocesky, Czech Republic. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Nontronite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.574:1:1.6739

Cell Dimensions:

a = 5.23, b = 9.11, c = 15.25, Z = 2; beta = 96° V = 722.61 Den(Calc)= 2.28

Crystal System:

Monoclinic - Prismatic H-M Symbol (2/m) Space Group: C 2/m

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 1.52(1), 4.56(1), 15.4(1),

Physical Properties of Nontronite

Cleavage:

{001} Perfect

Color:

Greenish yellow, Brownish green, Olive green.

Density:

2.3

Diaphaneity:

Subopaque

Fracture:

Earthy - Dull, clay-like fractures with no visible crystalline affinities, (e.g. howlite).

Habit:

Earthy - Dull, clay-like texture with no visible crystalline affinities, (e.g. howlite).

Hardness:

1.5-2 - Talc-Gypsum

Luminescence:

Non-fluorescent.

Luster:

Earthy (Dull)

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Nontronite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.051 (Good) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.043 (Good) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2523,KPDmeas= 0.2501,KC= 0.2636
Ncalc = 1.6 - 1.61

Optical Data:

Biaxial (-), a=1.53-1.58, b=1.555-1.612, g=1.56-1.615, bire=0.0300-0.0350, 2V(Calc)=32-46, 2V(Meas)=5-66. Dispersion r > v strong.

Pleochroism (x):

yellowish green or yellowish green.

Pleochroism (y):

olive green or brownish green.

Pleochroism (z):

olive green or brownish green.

Calculated Properties of Nontronite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.28 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Nontronite =2.28 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.01
Boson Index = 0.99

Photoelectric:

PE_Nontronite= 7.45 barns/electron
U=PE_Nontronite x rElectron Density= 17.00 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

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

Nontronite Classification

Dana Class:

71.03.01a.03 (71)Phyllosilicate Sheets of Six-Membered Rings

(71.03)with 2:1 clays

(71.03.01a)Smectite group (Dioctahedral Smectites)

71.03.01a.01 Beidellite Na0.5Al2(Si3.5Al0.5)O10(OH)2•n(H2O) C 2/m or ORTH 2/m

71.03.01a.02 Montmorillonite (Na,Ca)0,3(Al,Mg)2Si4O10(OH)2•n(H2O) C 2/m 2/m

71.03.01a.03 Nontronite Na0.3Fe2(Si,Al)4O10(OH)2•n(H2O) C 2/m 2/m

71.03.01a.04 Volkonskoite Ca0.3(Cr,Mg,Fe)2(Si,Al)4O10(OH)2•4(H2O) C 2/m 2/m

71.03.01a.05 Swinefordite (Li,Ca0.5,Na)0.72(Li,Al,Mg)2.66(Si,Al)4O10(OH,F)2•2(H2O) C 2/m (MON or ORTH) 2/m

Strunz Class:

09.EC.40 09 - SILICATES (Germanates)

09.E - Phyllosilicates

09.EC -Phyllosilicates with mica sheets, composed of tetrahedral and octahedral nets

09.EC.40 Almbosite? Fe5Fe4V4Si3O27 Ortho ? Ortho

09.EC.40 Beidellite Na0.5Al2(Si3.5Al0.5)O10(OH)2•n(H2O) C 2/m or ORTH 2/m

09.EC.40 Kurumsakite (Zn,Ni,Cu)8Al8V2Si5O35•27(H2O)(?) Unk Ortho

09.EC.40 Montmorillonite (Na,Ca)0,3(Al,Mg)2Si4O10(OH)2•n(H2O) C 2/m 2/m

09.EC.40 Nontronite Na0.3Fe2(Si,Al)4O10(OH)2•n(H2O) C 2/m 2/m

09.EC.40 Volkonskoite Ca0.3(Cr,Mg,Fe)2(Si,Al)4O10(OH)2•4(H2O) C 2/m 2/m

09.EC.40 Yakhontovite (Ca,K)0.5(Cu,Fe,Mg)2Si4O10(OH)2•3(H2O) C 2/m 2/m

Other Nontronite Information

References:

NAME( Duda&Rejl90) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Heinrich65)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Nontronite :
1 - Alkali-Nuts(English)
2 - Alkali-Nuts(Francais)
3 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
4 - Athena
5 - EUROmin Project
6 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
7 - Franklin Minerals(Dunn)
8 - GeoScienceWorld
9 - Google Images
10 - Google Scholar
11 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
12 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
13 - MinDAT
14 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
15 - Online Mineral Museum
16 - QUT Mineral Atlas
17 - Ruff.Info
18 - WWW-MINCRYST

Search for Nontronite using:

[AOL] [Bing] [Dog Pile] [GeoScienceWorld] [HotBot] [Ixquick] [Lycos] [MAMMA] [Scirus] [Teoma] [WebCrawler] [Wikipedia] [YAHOO]

Visit our Advertisers for Nontronite :

Ask about Nontronite here :
Ask-A-Mineralogist from the Mineralogical Society of America
Mindat.org's Discussion Groups
Original Rockhounds Discussion Group
Rockhounds Discussion Group on Yahoo Groups
Mineral Discussion Forum from Fabre Minerals - also available in Espa�ol

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

Nontronite

Na0.3Fe+++2(Si,Al)4O10(OH)2•n(H2O)
Dana No: 71.03.01a.03 Strunz No: 09.EC.40
Locality:

Notes:

Dakota Matrix
Excalibur Minerals
Exceptional Minerals
Hudson Insitute
John Betts Fine Minerals
Mc Dougall Minerals
Mineral News
Rock and Mineral Shows
Weinrich Minerals, Inc.