Leifite Mineral Data

General Leifite Information

Chemical Formula:

Na2(Si,Al,Be)7(O,OH,F)14

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 425.47 gm

Sodium 10.81 % Na 14.57 % Na₂O

Beryllium 1.48 % Be 4.11 % BeO

Aluminum 13.32 % Al 25.16 % Al₂O₃

Silicon 23.76 % Si 50.84 % SiO₂

Hydrogen 0.76 % H 6.77 % H₂O

Oxygen 43.62 % O

Fluorine 6.25 % F 6.25 % F

- % F -2.63 % -O=F₂

______ ______

100.00 % 105.08 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Na₂Si_3.6Al_2.1Be_0.7O_8.4(OH)_3.2F_1.4

Environment:

Cavities in alkali-pegmatite veins.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1915

Locality:

Narsarsuk, Greenland. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for the tenth-century Norse mariner and explorer Leif Ericson.

Name Pronunciation:

Leifite

Synonym:

ICSD 2031

PDF 27-1

Leifite Image

Images:

Leifite

Comments: Tan translucent crystal spray of leifite in syenite rock.
Location: Lovozero Massif, Kola Peninsula, Murmansk District, Russia. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Images:

Leifite

Comments: Snow white, prismatic, crystal aggregate of leifite.
Location: Poudrette Quarry, Mont St. Hilaire, Quebec, Canada. Scale: 3x1cm.
© Tom Loomis / Dakota Matrix

Leifite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:c = 1:0.3382

Cell Dimensions:

a = 14.361, c = 4.857, Z = 3; V = 867.50 Den(Calc)= 2.44

Crystal System:

Trigonal - Hexagonal ScalenohedralH-M Symbol (3 2/m) Space Group: P 3m1

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 3.151(1), 3.375(0.7), 4.698(0.4),

Crystal Structure:

Mouse
drag1 - LMB Manipulate Structure
drag2 - RMB Resize/Rotate
Keyboard
S - Stereo Pair on/off
H - Help Screen
I - Data Info
A - Atoms On/Off
P - Polyhedra On/Off
B - Bonds On/Off
Help on Above

Sokolova E V , Huminicki D M C , Hawthorne F C , Agakhanov A A , Pautov L A , Grew E S , The Canadian Mineralogist , 40 (2002) p.183-192, The crystal chemistry of telyushenkoite and leifite, A Na6[Be2Al3Si15O39F2],, A = Cs, Na

Physical Properties of Leifite

Cleavage:

{???} Good, {???} Good

Color:

Colorless, White.

Density:

2.57

Diaphaneity:

Transparent

Fracture:

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

Habit:

Prismatic - Crystals Shaped like Slender Prisms (e.g. tourmaline).

Habit:

Pseudo Hexagonal - Crystals show a hexagonal outline.

Hardness:

6 - Orthoclase

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Leifite

Optical Data:

Uniaxial (+), w=1.5117, e=1.5224, bire=0.0107.

Calculated Properties of Leifite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.42 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Leifite =2.44 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.02
Boson Index = 0.98

Photoelectric:

PE_Leifite= 1.51 barns/electron
U=PE_Leifite x rElectron Density= 3.66 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

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

Leifite Classification

Dana Class:

78.07.10.01 (78)Unclassified silicates

(78.07)wholly unclassified silicates

(78.07.10)Dana Group

78.07.10.01 Leifite Na2(Si,Al,Be)7(O,OH,F)14 P 3m1 3 2/m

78.07.10.02 Telyushenkoite! CsNa6[Be2(Si,Al)18O39F2] P 3m1 3 2/m

78.07.10.03 Eirikite! KNa6Be2(Si15Al3)O39F2 P 3m1 3 2/m

Strunz Class:

09.EH.25 09 - SILICATES (Germanates)

09.E - Phyllosilicates

09.EH -Transitional structures between phyllosilicate and other silicate units

09.EH.25 Leifite Na2(Si,Al,Be)7(O,OH,F)14 P 3m1 3 2/m

09.EH.25 Telyushenkoite! CsNa6[Be2(Si,Al)18O39F2] P 3m1 3 2/m

09.EH.25 Eirikite! KNa6Be2(Si15Al3)O39F2 P 3m1 3 2/m

Other Leifite Information

References:

NAME( Ford32) PHYS. PROP.(AmMin, Vol 88, p 255) OPTIC PROP.(Ford32)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Leifite :
1 - Alkali-Nuts(English)
2 - Alkali-Nuts(Francais)
3 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
4 - Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery
5 - Athena
6 - EUROmin Project
7 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
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

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Ask about Leifite here :
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Print or Cut-and-Paste your Leifite Specimen Label here :

Leifite

Na2(Si,Al,Be)7(O,OH,F)14
Dana No: 78.07.10.01 Strunz No: 09.EH.25
Locality:

Notes: