Chloritoid

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Chloritoid
Chloritoid-bem-12b.jpg
Chloritoid crystal group on matrix from Nuristan Province, Afghanistan (size:6.3 x 3.5 x 3.0 cm)
General
Category Nesosilicates
Formula
(repeating unit)
(Fe,Mg,Mn)
2
Al
4
Si
2
O
10
(OH)
4
IMA symbol Cld [1]
Strunz classification 9.AF.85
Dana classification52.03.03.01
Crystal system 1A polytype: triclinic
2M polytype: monoclinic
Crystal class 1A polytype: pinacoidal (1)
2M polytype: prismatic (2/m)
Unit cell 1A polytype: a = 9.46 Å,
b = 5.50 Å, c = 9.15 Å;
α = 97.05°, β = 101.56°,
γ = 90.10°
2M polytype: a = 9.50 Å,
b = 5.50 Å, c = 18.22 Å;
β = 101.9°; Z = 4
Identification
ColorDark gray, greenish gray, greenish black
Crystal habit Tabular pseudohexagonal crystals; rosettes, commonly coarsely foliated with foliae typically curved or bent; also massive
Twinning Common on {001}, polysynthetic may be lamellar
Cleavage Perfect on {001}, distinct on {110}; parting on {010}
Tenacity Brittle
Mohs scale hardness6.5
Luster pearly on cleavage surfaces
Streak White, grayish, or very slightly greenish
Diaphaneity Translucent
Specific gravity 3.46 – 3.80
Optical propertiesBiaxial (+) or (−)
Refractive index nα = 1.713 – 1.730 nβ = 1.719 – 1.734 nγ = 1.723 – 1.740
Birefringence δ = 0.010
Pleochroism X = olive-green to yellow; Y = grayish blue to blue; Z = colorless to pale greenish yellow
2V angle Measured: 36° to 89°
Dispersion r > v; strong
References [2] [3] [4]

Chloritoid is a silicate mineral of metamorphic origin. It is an iron magnesium manganese alumino-silicate hydroxide with formula (Fe, Mg, Mn)
2
Al
4
Si
2
O
10
(OH)
4
. It occurs as greenish grey to black platy micaceous crystals and foliated masses. Its Mohs hardness is 6.5, unusually high for a platy mineral, and it has a specific gravity of 3.52 to 3.57. It typically occurs in phyllites, schists and marbles.

Both monoclinic and triclinic polytypes exist and both are pseudohexagonal. [2] [3]

It was first described in 1837 from localities in the Ural Mountains region of Russia. It was named for its similarity to the chlorite group of minerals. [3] [4]

Related Research Articles

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The mineral anorthoclase ((Na,K)AlSi3O8) is a crystalline solid solution in the alkali feldspar series, in which the sodium-aluminium silicate member exists in larger proportion. It typically consists of between 10 and 36 percent of KAlSi3O8 and between 64 and 90 percent of NaAlSi3O8.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hemimorphite</span> Silicate mineral

Hemimorphite is the chemical compound Zn4(Si2O7)(OH)2·H2O, a component of mineral calamine. It is a silicate mineral which, together with smithsonite (ZnCO3), has been historically mined from the upper parts of zinc and lead ores. Both compounds were originally believed to be the same mineral and classified as calamine. In the second half of the 18th century, it was discovered that these two different compounds were both present in calamine. They closely resemble one another.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zinnwaldite</span>

Zinnwaldite, KLiFeAl(AlSi3)O10(OH,F)2, potassium lithium iron aluminium silicate hydroxide fluoride is a silicate mineral in the mica group. The IMA status is as a series between siderophyllite (KFe2Al(Al2Si2)O10(F,OH)2) and polylithionite (KLi2AlSi4O10(F,OH)2) and not considered a valid mineral species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Afwillite</span> Nesosilicate alteration mineral also sometimes found in hydrated cement paste

Afwillite is a calcium hydroxide nesosilicate mineral with formula Ca3(SiO3OH)2·2H2O. It occurs as glassy, colorless to white prismatic monoclinic crystals. Its Mohs scale hardness is between 3 and 4. It occurs as an alteration mineral in contact metamorphism of limestone. It occurs in association with apophyllite, natrolite, thaumasite, merwinite, spurrite, gehlenite, ettringite, portlandite, hillebrandite, foshagite, brucite and calcite.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eucryptite</span>

Eucryptite is a lithium bearing aluminium silicate mineral with formula LiAlSiO4. It crystallizes in the trigonal - rhombohedral crystal system. It typically occurs as granular to massive in form and may pseudomorphically replace spodumene. It has a brittle to conchoidal fracture and indistinct cleavage. It is transparent to translucent and varies from colorless to white to brown. It has a Mohs hardness of 6.5 and a specific gravity of 2.67. Optically it is uniaxial positive with refractive index values of nω = 1.570 - 1.573 and nε = 1.583 - 1.587.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aliettite</span> Mineral

Aliettite is a complex phyllosilicate mineral of the smectite group with a formula of (Ca0.2Mg6(Si,Al)8O20(OH)4·4H2O) or [Mg3Si4O10(OH)2](Ca0.5,Na)0.33(Al,Mg,Fe2+)23(Si,Al)4O10(OH)2·n(H2O).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neptunite</span>

Neptunite is a silicate mineral with the formula KNa2Li(Fe2+, Mn2+)2Ti2Si8O24. With increasing manganese it forms a series with mangan-neptunite. Watatsumiite is the variety with vanadium replacing the titanium in the formula.

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Chalcophyllite is a rare secondary copper arsenate mineral occurring in the oxidized zones of some arsenic-bearing copper deposits. It was first described from material collected in Germany. At one time chalcophyllite from Wheal Tamar in Cornwall, England, was called tamarite, but this name is now discredited. At Wheal Gorland a specimen exhibiting partial replacement of liriconite, Cu
2
Al(AsO
4
)(OH)
4
•(4H
2
O)
, by chalcophyllite has been found. The mineral is named from the Greek, chalco "copper" and fyllon, "leaf", in allusion to its composition and platy structure. It is a classic Cornish mineral that can be confused with tabular spangolite.

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Plancheite is a hydrated copper silicate mineral with the formula Cu8Si8O22(OH)4•(H2O). It is closely related to shattuckite in structure and appearance, and the two minerals are often confused.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gilalite</span>

Gilalite is a copper silicate mineral with chemical composition of Cu5Si6O17·7(H2O).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Annite</span> Phyllosilicate mineral in the mica family

Annite is a phyllosilicate mineral in the mica family. It has a chemical formula of KFe32+AlSi3O10(OH)2. Annite is the iron end member of the biotite mica group, the iron rich analogue of magnesium rich phlogopite. Annite is monoclinic and contains tabular crystals and cleavage fragments with pseudohexagonal outlines. There are contact twins with composition surface {001} and twin axis {310}.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Imogolite</span> Phyllosilicate mineral found in soils formed from volcanic ash

Imogolite is an aluminium silicate clay mineral with the chemical formula Al2SiO3(OH)4. It occurs in soils formed from volcanic ash and was first described in 1962 for an occurrence in Uemura, Kumamoto prefecture, Kyushu Region, Japan. Its name originates from the Japanese word imogo, which refers to the brownish yellow soil derived from volcanic ash. It occurs together with allophane, quartz, cristobalite, gibbsite, vermiculite and limonite.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Perhamite</span>

Perhamite is a phosphate mineral with the formula Ca3Al7(SiO4)3(PO4)4(OH)3·16.5(H2O). It occurs in rare isolated masses in amblygonite-rich pegmatite deposits throughout the world. It was discovered in platy sheed form of 1mm hexagonal crystals. It was first described in 1977 by P.J. Dunn and D.E. Appleman from pegmatite collected from Bell Pit, Newry, Maine. Other specimens have been found in Kapunda, South Australia, in Silver Coin mine near Humboldt County, Nevada and various locations throughout Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weeksite</span> Mineral

Weeksite is a naturally occurring uranium silicate mineral with the chemical formula: K2(UO2)2Si6O15•4(H2O), potassium uranyl silicate. Weeksite has a Mohs hardness of 1-2. It was named for USGS mineralogist Alice Mary Dowse Weeks (1909–1988).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minnesotaite</span> Iron silicate mineral

Minnesotaite is an iron silicate mineral with formula: (Fe2+,Mg)3Si4O10(OH)2. It crystallizes in the triclinic crystal system and occurs as fine needles and platelets with other silicates. It is isostructural with the pyrophyllite-talc mineral group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daubréelite</span> Sulfide mineral

Daubréelite is a rare sulfide mineral. It crystallizes with cubic symmetry and has chemical composition of Fe2+Cr3+2S4. It usually occurs as black platy aggregates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ianbruceite</span>

Ianbruceite is a rare hydrated zinc arsenate with the formula [Zn2(OH)(H2O)(AsO4)](H2O)2; material from the Driggith mine has traces of cobalt. It was first discovered at Tsumeb, approved by the International Mineralogical Association as a new mineral species in 2011, reference IMA2011-49, and named for Ian Bruce, who founded "Crystal Classics" in the early 1990s, and was heavily involved in attempts to reopen the famous Tsumeb mine for specimen mining.
In 2013 new occurrences of ianbruceite were reported from the neighbouring Driggith and Potts Gill mines on High Pike in the Caldbeck Fells, Cumbria, England. Here the mineral is probably a post-mining product. Caldbeck Fells and Tsumeb are the only reported localities for ianbruceite to date (May 2013).

Yangite (PbMnSi3O8•H2O) is a chain-silicate mineral, first discovered within the Kombat mine in Namibia. The mineral is named after Hexiong Yang, a researcher at the University of Arizona's Department of Geosciences. Yangite was approved as a valid mineral species by the International Mineralogical Association in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bannisterite</span> Silicate mineral

Bannisterite is a mineral named in honor of mineralogist and x-ray crystallographer Dr. Frederick Allen Bannister (1901-1970). It is a calcium-dominant member of the ganophyllite group, and was previously identified as ganophyllite in 1936, but otherwise it is structurally related to the stilpnomelane group. It was approved by the IMA in 1967.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reedmergnerite</span> Silicate mineral

Reedmergnerite is a borosilicate mineral named in honor of Frank S. Reed and John L. Mergner. It is approved by the International Mineralogical Association but was first described prior to the association's formation, first published in 1955. Although it is approved, it got grandfathered, meaning the name reedmergnerite is still believed to refer to a valid species. Reedmergnerite has a synthetic potassium analogue.

References

  1. Warr, L.N. (2021). "IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols". Mineralogical Magazine. 85 (3): 291–320. Bibcode:2021MinM...85..291W. doi: 10.1180/mgm.2021.43 . S2CID   235729616.
  2. 1 2 Handbook of Mineralogy
  3. 1 2 3 Mindat
  4. 1 2 Webmineral data