Tschernichite Mineral Data
General Tschernichite Information
Chemical Formula:
(Ca,Na)(Si6Al2)O16•4-8(H2O)
Composition:
Molecular Weight = 658.39 gm
Sodium 0.87 % Na 1.18 % Na2 O
Calcium 4.57 % Ca 6.39 % CaO
Aluminum 8.20 % Al 15.49 % Al2 O3
Silicon 25.59 % Si 54.76 % SiO2
Hydrogen 2.45 % H 21.89 % H2 O
Oxygen 58.32 % O
______ ______
100.00 % 99.70 % = TOTAL OXIDE
Empirical Formula:
Ca0.75 Na0.25 Si6 Al2 O16 •8(H2 O)
Environment:
In vesicles in an olivine basalt, formed by hydrothermal action. Monoclinic polymorph may be a separate species.
IMA Status:
Approved IMA 1991
Locality:
Neer Road pit, Goble, Colombia County, Oregon, USA. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.
Name Origin:
Named for Rudy Warren Tschernich (1945-), amateur mineralogist specializing in zeolites.
Name Pronunciation:
Tschernichite + Pronunciation
Synonym:
IMA1989-037
Tschernichite Image
Images:
Tschernichite Crystallography
Axial Ratios:
a:c = 1:1.94254
Cell Dimensions:
a = 12.88, c = 25.02, Z = 8; V = 4,150.68 Den(Calc)= 2.11
Crystal System:
Tetragonal - Ditetragonal Dipyramidal H-M Symbol (4/m 2/m 2/m) Space Group: P 4/mmm
X Ray Diffraction:
By Intensity(I/Io ): 4.03(1), 11.6(0.32), 2.114(0.16), 3.156(0.16), 3.062(0.15), 4.22(0.14), 12.5(0.1),
Physical Properties of Tschernichite
Cleavage:
None
Color:
Colorless, Milky white.
Density:
2.02
Diaphaneity:
Transparent to Translucent
Fracture:
Brittle - Conchoidal - Very brittle fracture producing small, conchoidal fragments.
Habit:
Aggregates - Made of numerous individual crystals or clusters.
Habit:
Druse - Crystal growth in a cavity which results in numerous crystal tipped surfaces.
Hardness:
4.5 - Between Fluorite and Apatite
Luminescence:
Sometimes Fluorescent, Short UV=pale yellow, Long UV=pale yellow.
Luster:
Vitreous (Glassy)
Streak:
white
Optical Properties of Tschernichite
Gladstone-Dale:
CI meas = -0.014 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas /KC ) CI calc = 0.029 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc /KC )
KPDcalc = 0.2291,KPDmeas = 0.2394,KC = 0.236 Ncalc = 1.48 - 1.5
Optical Data:
Uniaxial (-), e=1.483, w=1.484, bire=0.0010.
Calculated Properties of Tschernichite
Electron Density:
Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.06 gm/cc note: Specific Gravity of Tschernichite =2.02 gm/cc.
Fermion Index:
Fermion Index = 0.01 Boson Index = 0.99
Photoelectric:
PETschernichite = 1.84 barns/electronU=PETschernichite x r Electron Density= 3.79 barns/cc.
Radioactivity:
GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units) Tschernichite is Not Radioactive
Tschernichite Classification
Dana Class:
77.01.08.02 (77) Tectosilicate Zeolite group
(77.01) true zeolites
(77.01.08) Unclassified zeolite species
77.01.08.01 Bellbergite (K,Ba,Sr)2Sr2Ca2(Ca,Na)4Al18Si18O72•30(H2O) P 63 /mmc, P 62 c-, P 63 mc Hex
77.01.08.02 Tschernichite (Ca,Na)(Si6Al2)O16•4-8(H2O) P 4/mmm 4/m 2/m 2/m
Strunz Class:
09.GF.30 09 - SILICATES (Germanates)
09.G - Tektosilicates with Zeolitic H2O
09.GF -Other Rare Zeolites
09.GF.30 Tschernichite (Ca,Na)(Si6Al2)O16•4-8(H2O) P 4/mmm 4/m 2/m 2/m
Other Tschernichite Information
References:
NAME( AntBidBlaNic2) PHYS. PROP.(Am.Min.,Vol.78,p822-826,1993) OPTIC PROP.(Am.Min.,Vol.78,p822-826,1993)
See Also:
Links to other databases for Tschernichite :
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
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Tschernichite
(Ca,Na)(Si6Al2)O16•4-8(H2O)
Dana No: 77.01.08.02 Strunz No: 09.GF.30
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