Sursassite Mineral Data

General Sursassite Information

Chemical Formula:

Mn++2Al3(SiO4)(Si2O7)(OH)3

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 502.09 gm

Manganese 21.88 % Mn 28.26 % MnO

Aluminum 16.12 % Al 30.46 % Al₂O₃

Silicon 16.78 % Si 35.90 % SiO₂

Hydrogen 0.60 % H 5.38 % H₂O

Oxygen 44.61 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Mn²⁺₂Al₃(SiO₄)(Si₂O₇)(OH)₃

Environment:

As vein fillings in manganese deposits in low-grade metasediments.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA)

Locality:

Val d'Err, Oberhalbstein, GraubÄunden, Switzerland. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named from the Roman name for Oberhalbstein, Sursass, Switzerland.

Name Pronunciation:

Sursassite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

ICSD 40031

PDF 37-479

Sursassite Image

Images:

Sursassite

Comments: Coppery-red colored silky fibrous sursassite vein with white quartz in rock.
Location: Strategic Manganese Mine, near Woodstock, New Brunswick, Canada. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Sursassite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =1.5025:1:1.5164

Cell Dimensions:

a = 8.7, b = 5.79, c = 8.78, Z = 2; beta = 108.9° V = 418.43 Den(Calc)= 3.98

Crystal System:

Monoclinic - PrismaticH-M Symbol (2/m) Space Group: P 2₁/m

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 2.82(1), 2.57(0.7), 2.88(0.7),

Crystal Structure:

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Gottschalk M , Fockenberg T , Grevel K-D , Wunder B , Wirth R , Schreyer W , Maresch W V , European Journal of Mineralogy , 12 (2000) p.935-945, Crystal structure of the high-pressure phase Mg4(MgAl)Al4[Si6O21/(OH)7]:, an analogue of sursassite, Sample: A53

View Additional jPOWD Structure files for Sursassite
[1]

Physical Properties of Sursassite

Cleavage:

{101} Distinct

Color:

Deep reddish brown, Copper red.

Density:

3.256

Diaphaneity:

Transparent to translucent

Habit:

Botryoidal - "Grape-like" rounded forms (e.g.. malachite).

Habit:

Radial - Crystals radiate from a center without producing stellar forms (e.g. stibnite)

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Streak:

yellowish brown

Optical Properties of Sursassite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.091 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.107 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.189,KPDmeas= 0.2311,KC= 0.2117
Ncalc = 1.69 - 1.84

Optical Data:

Biaxial (-), a=1.736, b=1.755, g=1.766, bire=0.0300, 2V(Calc)=72, 2V(Meas)=medium.

Pleochroism (x):

light yellow.

Pleochroism (y):

reddish brown.

Pleochroism (z):

light yellow.

Calculated Properties of Sursassite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=3.19 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Sursassite =3.26 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0080517972
Boson Index = 0.9919482028

Photoelectric:

PE_Sursassite= 6.66 barns/electron
U=PE_Sursassite x rElectron Density= 21.24 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

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

Sursassite Classification

Dana Class:

58.02.03.01 (58)Sorosilicate Insular, Mixed, Single, and Larger Tetrahedral Groups

(58.02)with cations in [6] and higher coordination; single and double groups (n=1,2)

(58.02.03)Sursassite and related species

58.02.03.01 Sursassite Mn2Al3(SiO4)(Si2O7)(OH)3 P 2₁/m 2/m

58.02.03.02 Macfallite Ca2(Mn,Al)3(SiO4)(Si2O7)(OH)3 P 2₁/m 2/m

Strunz Class:

09.BG.15 09 - SILICATES (Germanates)

09.B - Sorosilicates

09.BG -Sorosilicates with mixed SiO4 and Si2O7 groups;

09.BG.15 Macfallite Ca2(Mn,Al)3(SiO4)(Si2O7)(OH)3 P 2₁/m 2/m

09.BG.15 Sursassite Mn2Al3(SiO4)(Si2O7)(OH)3 P 2₁/m 2/m

Other Sursassite Information

References:

NAME( AntBidBlaNic2) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Sursassite :
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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Ask about Sursassite here :
Ask-A-Mineralogist from the Mineralogical Society of America
Mindat.org's Discussion Groups
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Rockhounds Discussion Group on Yahoo Groups
Mineral Discussion Forum from Fabre Minerals - also available in Español

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

Sursassite

Mn++2Al3(SiO4)(Si2O7)(OH)3
Dana No: 58.02.03.01 Strunz No: 09.BG.15
Locality:

Notes: