Carraraite Mineral Data

General Carraraite Information

Chemical Formula:

Ca3Ge(OH)6(SO4)(CO3 )•12H2 O

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 670.75 gm

Calcium 17.93 % Ca 25.08 % CaO

Germanium 10.83 % Ge 15.60 % GeO₂

Hydrogen 4.51 % H 40.29 % H₂O

Carbon 1.61 % C 5.91 % CO₂

Sulfur 5.26 % S 13.13 % SO₃

Oxygen 59.87 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Ca₃Ge(OH)₆(SO₄)_1.1(CO₃)_0.9•12(H₂O)

Environment:

Hydrothermal alteration product of Cu-V sulfides in calcite vein cavities within the Carrara marble. A member of the thaumasite and ettringite groups.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1998 (Dana # Added)

Locality:

Gioia quarry, Colonnata valley, Carrara basin region, Apuan Alps, Italy. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for the locality.

Synonym:

IMA1998-002

Carraraite Image

Images:

Carraraite

Comments: Scanning electron microscope image of tabular, hexagonal carraraite crystals. (AmMin 86:1294).
Location: Marble quarries of the Carrara basin (Apuan Alps, Italy). Scale: See Image.
© American Mineralogist

Carraraite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:c = 1:0.96137

Cell Dimensions:

a = 11.056, c = 10.629, Z = 2; V = 1,125.17 Den(Calc)= 1.98

Crystal System:

HexagonalSpace Group: P 6₃/m, or P 6₃

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 9.57(1)(100), 3.83(0.8)(112), 5.53(0.8)(110),2.74(0.6)(302), 3.56(0.6)(202), 2.38(0.5)(312,132), 2.53(0.5)(213,123), 3.44(0.5)(211,212), 3.2(0.4)(300),

Forms:

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Forms: ( 1 0 0) ( 0 0 1)

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Crystal Structure:

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Merlino S , Orlandi P , American Mineralogist , 86 (2001) p.1293-1301, Carraraite and zaccagnaite, two new minerals from the Carrara marble quarries:, their chemical compositions, physical properties and structural features

Physical Properties of Carraraite

Cleavage:

None

Color:

Milky white.

Diaphaneity:

Transparent

Habit:

Hexagonal - Six-sided crystal shape in cross-section or habit.

Habit:

Microscopic Crystals - Crystals visible only with microscopes.

Habit:

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

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Carraraite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI calc= 0.008 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2495,KC= 0.2514
Ncalc = 1.5

Optical Data:

Uniaxial (+), w=1.479, e=1.509, bire=0.0300.

Calculated Properties of Carraraite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.04 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Carraraite =1.98 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0095514711
Boson Index = 0.9904485289

Photoelectric:

PE_Carraraite= 8.70 barns/electron
U=PE_Carraraite x rElectron Density= 17.75 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

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

Carraraite Classification

Dana Class:

32.04.04.05 (32)Compound Sulfates

(32.04)(hydrous) with poly-anionic formula

(32.04.04)Charlesite Group

32.04.04.01 Charlesite Ca6(Al,Si)2(SO4)2B(OH)4(OH,O)12•26(H2O) P 3₁c 3m

32.04.04.02 Sturmanite Ca6(Fe,Al,Mn)2(SO4)2[B(OH)4](OH)12•25(H2O) P 3₁c 3m

32.04.04.03 Jouravskite Ca3Mn(SO4,CO3)2(OH)6•12(H2O) P 6₃/m 6/m

32.04.04.04 Thaumasite Ca3Si(CO3)(SO4)(OH)6•12(H2O) P 6₃/m 6/m

32.04.04.05 Carraraite! Ca3Ge(OH)6(SO4)(CO3)•12H2O P 6₃/m, or P 6₃ Hex

Strunz Class:

07.DG.15 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.15 Bentorite Ca6(Cr,Al)2(SO4)3(OH)12•26(H2O) P 6₃/mmc 6/m 2/m 2/m

07.DG.15 Charlesite Ca6(Al,Si)2(SO4)2B(OH)4(OH,O)12•26(H2O) P 3₁c 3m

07.DG.15 Ettringite Ca6Al2(SO4)3(OH)12•26(H2O) P 6₃/mmc 6/m 2/m 2/m

07.DG.15 Jouravskite Ca3Mn(SO4,CO3)2(OH)6•12(H2O) P 6₃/m 6/m

07.DG.15 Sturmanite Ca6(Fe,Al,Mn)2(SO4)2[B(OH)4](OH)12•25(H2O) P 3₁c 3m

07.DG.15 Thaumasite Ca3Si(CO3)(SO4)(OH)6•12(H2O) P 6₃/m 6/m

07.DG.15 Buryatite! Ca3(Si,Fe,Al)[SO4][B(OH)4](OH,O)6•12(H2O) P 3₁c 3m

07.DG.15 Carraraite! Ca3Ge(OH)6(SO4)(CO3)•12H2O P 6₃/m, or P 6₃ Hex

Other Carraraite Information

References:

NAME( AmMin, Vol 86, p 1293-1301) PHYS. PROP.(AmMin, Vol 86, p 1293-1301) OPTIC PROP.(AmMin, Vol 86, p 1293-1301)

See Also:

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

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

Carraraite

Ca3Ge(OH)6(SO4)(CO3 )•12H2 O
Dana No: 32.04.04.05 Strunz No: 07.DG.15
Locality:

Notes: