Ikranite

Last updated
Ikranite
Ikranite, Aegirine-136174.jpg
Brown- yellow ikranite and aegirine fibers (field of view: c. 13 × 11 mm)
General
Category Cyclosilicate
Eudialyte group
Formula
(repeating unit)
(Na,H3O)15(Ca,Mn,REE)6Fe3+2Zr3([ ],Zr)([ ],Si)Si24O66(O,OH)6Cl2−3H2O
IMA symbol Ikr [1]
Strunz classification 9.CO.10
Dana classification64.1.1.08
Crystal system Trigonal
Crystal class Ditrigonal pyramidal (3m)
H-M symbol: (3m)
Space group R3m
Unit cell a = 14.167, c = 30.081 [Å]; Z = 3
Identification
ColorYellow to brownish yellow
Crystal habit Pseudo-hexagonal
Cleavage None
Fracture Conchoidal
Tenacity Brittle
Mohs scale hardness5
Luster Vitreous
Streak White
Diaphaneity Transparent
Density 2.82 g/cm3
Optical propertiesUniaxial; weak anomalous biaxiality
Other characteristicsMildly Radioactive.svg Radioactive
References [2] [3] [4]

Ikranite is a member of the eudialyte group, named after the Shubinov Institute of Crystallography of the Russian Academy of Sciences. It is a cyclosilicate mineral that shows trigonal symmetry with the space group R3m, and is often seen with a pseudo-hexagonal habit. [2] Ikranite appears as translucent and ranges in color from yellow to a brownish yellow. This mineral ranks a 5 on Mohs scale of mineral hardness, though it is considered brittle, exhibiting conchoidal fracture when broken. [3]

Contents

Eudialyte group

The eudialyte group currently consists of 27 known minerals (see below), all considered rare, with the exception of eudialyte. The list below also includes one of around six unnamed ("UM") species listed by Mindat. [5] This group is growing exponentially, with 17 members having been written about since 2000, and the chemical possibility of several thousand species that have yet to be discovered. Eudialyte group members are typically found as small crystals which have a complex crystal structure that is unique in that it consists of both 3- and 9-member SiO4 tetrahedra rings. [6]

Ikranite separates itself from the other members of this group through both its physical and compositional properties. The most prominent of these characteristics is the absence of sodium in its structure, along with the replacement of divalent iron with the trivalent form. This replacement also causes the characteristic color change from the reddish color seen in eudialyte to the yellow brown of ikranite, which can be further examined in its IR spectrum. [4]

Occurrence

Ikranite was first discovered on Mount Karnasurt (Kola Peninsula) in an agpaitic pegmatite, in the form of 1–2 cm grains. It is commonly associated with microcline, nepheline, lorenzenite, murmanite, lamprophyllite, and arfvedsonite. Tetranatrolite, and halloysite can also be found with it, though they occur at a later stage. [4]

Chemical composition

Compound%
K2O0.44
Na2O7.99
SrO1.61
CaO6.32
La2O30.65
Ce2O31.55
HfO20.31
ZrO214.02
TiO20.38
MnO3.42
Nb2O50.29
FeO0.39
Fe2O34.83
SiO249.15
H2O7.74
Cl0.90 (−0.20 -O=Cl2)
F0.10 (−0.04 -O=F2)

Crystal structure

General Ikranite unit cell projected onto the (001) plane. Ikranite Structure.png
General Ikranite unit cell projected onto the (001) plane.

The crystal structure of ikranite can be described as a framework of three- and nine- member SiO4 tetrahedra rings, connected by Ca six-membered rings and Zn (Ti, or Nb) octahedra. Layers are constructed along the c axis as Si-Zr-Si-Ca. This repetition generates 12 layers, equal to ~30Å in size. [4]

Differing types cations, anions, anionic groups, and water molecules fill any pockets within the framework. A defining feature is the location of the M(3) and M(4) vacancies in the nine-membered rings. These cavities may be occupied with Si in the M(3b) location, Zr in the M(4a), and Zr, Nb, or Ti in the (M4b), though the probability of occupancy is low. The M(2a) and M(2b) locations are also uniquely occupied in ikranite. The M(2a) vacancy is seen occupied by Fe3+ octahedra. Typically holding a five-membered polyhedra with Fe, the M(2b) position is occupied by Na cations. Ikranite also holds a significant amount of water in the space between the rings where an Na molecule is usually found. A distinctive feature is the oxonium groups that can also be found occupying Na sites. [4]

Ikranite's general formula thus becomes (Na,H3O)15(Ca,Mn,REE)6Fe3+2Zr3([ ],Zr)([ ],Si)Si24O66(O,OH)6Cl2−3H2O. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sekaninaite</span> Mg, Fe, Al cyclosilicate mineral

Sekaninaite ((Fe+2,Mg)2Al4Si5O18) is a silicate mineral, the iron-rich analogue of cordierite.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sodalite</span> Blue tectosilicate mineral

Sodalite is a tectosilicate mineral with the formula Na
8
(Al
6
Si
6
O
24
)Cl
2
, with royal blue varieties widely used as an ornamental gemstone. Although massive sodalite samples are opaque, crystals are usually transparent to translucent. Sodalite is a member of the sodalite group with hauyne, nosean, lazurite and tugtupite.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silicate mineral</span> Rock-forming minerals with predominantly silicate anions

Silicate minerals are rock-forming minerals made up of silicate groups. They are the largest and most important class of minerals and make up approximately 90 percent of Earth's crust.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eudialyte</span> Cyclosilicate mineral

Eudialyte, whose name derives from the Greek phrase Εὖ διάλυτος, eu dialytos, meaning "well decomposable", is a somewhat rare, nine member ring cyclosilicate mineral, which forms in alkaline igneous rocks, such as nepheline syenites. Its name alludes to its ready solubility in acid.

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

Julgoldite is a member of the pumpellyite mineral series, a series of minerals characterized by the chemical bonding of silica tetrahedra with alkali and transition metal cations. Julgoldites, along with more common minerals like epidote and vesuvianite, belong to the subclass of sorosilicates, the rock-forming minerals that contain SiO4 tetrahedra that share a common oxygen to form Si2O7 ions with a charge of 6− (Deer et al., 1996). Julgoldite has been recognized for its importance in low grade metamorphism, forming under shear stress accompanied by relatively low temperatures (Coombs, 1953). Julgoldite was named in honor of Professor Julian Royce Goldsmith (1918–1999) of the University of Chicago.

Alluaivite is a rare mineral of the eudialyte group, with complex formula written as Na19(Ca,Mn)6(Ti,Nb)3Si26O74Cl·2H2O. It is unique among the eudialyte group as the only titanosilicate (other representatives of the group are usually zirconosilicates). The two dual-nature minerals of the group, being both titano- and zirconosilicates, are labyrinthite and dualite. They both contain alluaivite module in their structures. Alluaivite is named after Mt. Alluaiv in Lovozero Tundry massif, Kola Peninsula, Russia, where it is found in ultra-agpaitic, hyperalkaline pegmatites.

Eudialyte group is a group of complex trigonal zircono- and, more rarely, titanosilicate minerals with general formula [N(1)N(2)N(3)N(4)N(5)]3[M(1a)M(1b)]3M(2)3M(4)Z3[Si24O72]O'4X2, where N(1) and N(2) and N(3) and N(5) = Na+ and more rarely H3O+ or H2O, N(4) = Na+, Sr2+, Mn2+ and more rarely H3O+ or H2O or K+ or Ca2+ or REE3+ (rare earth elements), M(1) and M(1b) = Ca2+, M(1a) = Ca2+ or Mn2+ or Fe2+, M(2) = Fe (both II and III), Mn and rarely Na+, K+ or Zr4+, M(3) = Si, Nb and rarely W, Ti and [] (vacancy), M(4) = Si and or rarely [], Z Zr4+ and or rarely Ti4+, and X = OH, Cl and more rarely CO32− or F. Some of the eudialyte-like structures can even be more complex, however, in general, its typical feature is the presence of [Si3O9]6− and [Si9O27]18− ring silicate groups. Space group is usually R3m or R-3m but may be reduced to R3 due to cation ordering. Like other zirconosilicates, the eudialyte group minerals possess alkaline ion-exchange properties, as microporous materials.

Alsakharovite-Zn (IMA symbol: Ask-Zn) is an extremely rare alkaline strontium zinc titanium silicate mineral from the cyclosilicates class, with the chemical formula NaSrKZn(Ti,Nb)4(Si4O12)2(O,OH)4·7H2O, from alkaline pegmatites. It belongs to the labuntsovite group.

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

Vlasovite is a rare inosilicate (chain silicate) mineral with sodium and zirconium, with the chemical formula Na2ZrSi4O11. It was discovered in 1961 at Vavnbed Mountain in the Lovozero Massif, in the Northern Region of Russia. The researchers who first identified it, R P Tikhonenkova and M E Kazakova, named it for Kuzma Aleksevich Vlasov (1905–1964), a Russian mineralogist and geochemist who studied the Lovozero massif, and who was the founder of the Institute of Mineralogy, Geochemistry, and Crystal Chemistry of Rare Elements, Moscow, Russia.

Farneseite is a mineral from the cancrinite sodalite group with 14 layer stacking. It is a complex silicate mineral with formula (Na,Ca,K)56(Al6Si6O24)7(SO4)12·6H2O. It was named after a location in Farnese, Lazio, Italy. It is a member of the cancrinite-sodalite group, approved in 2004 as a new mineral species. The group is characterized by the number of stacking layers making up each member, with farneseite being one of newest minerals in the group with a 14 layer stacking structure. It is a clear transparent mineral and has a hexagonal crystal system with crystal class of 6/m and space group of P63/m. The specimens discovered in Farnese were in a pyroclastic rock from the Làtera Cauldera region.

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

Tumchaite, Na2(Zr,Sn)Si4O11·H2O, is a colorless to white monoclinic phyllosilicate mineral. It is associated with calcite, dolomite, and pyrite in the late dolomite-calcite carbonatites. It can be transparent to translucent; has a vitreous luster; and has perfect cleavage on {100}. Its hardness is 4.5, between fluorite and apatite. Tumchaite is isotypic with penkvilksite. The structure of the mineral is identified by silicate sheets parallel {100}, formed by alternation of clockwise and counterclockwise growing spiral chains of corner-sharing SiO4 tetrahedra. Tumchaite is named for the river Tumcha near Vuoriyarvi massif.

Ilyukhinite is a very rare mineral of the eudialyte group, with formula (H3O,Na)14Ca6Mn2Zr3Si26O72(OH)2·3H2O. The formula given is simplified and does not show the presence of cyclic silicate groups. Ilyukhinite is the second group representative with species-defining hydronium ion after aqualite.

Labyrinthite is a very rare mineral of the eudialyte group. When compared to other species in the group, its structure is extremely complex – with over 100 sites and about 800 cations and anions – hence its name, with its complexity expressed in its chemical formula (Na,K,Sr)35Ca12Fe3Zr6TiSi51O144(O,OH,H2O)9Cl3. The formula is simplified as it does not show the presence of cyclic silicate groups. Complexity of the structure results in symmetry lowering from the typical centrosymmetrical group to R3 space group. Other eudialyte-group representatives with such symmetry lowering include aqualite, oneillite, raslakite, voronkovite. Labyrinthite is the second dual-nature representative of the group after dualite and third with essential titanium after dualite and alluaivite.

Feklichevite is a rare mineral of the eudialyte group with the formula Na11Ca9(Fe3+,Fe2+)2Zr3NbSi(Si3O9)2(Si9O27)2. The original formula was extended to show the presence of cyclic silicate groups and presence of silicon at the M4 site, according to the nomenclature of eudialyte group. When compared to other minerals of the group, feklichevite characterizes in the presence of ferric iron (thus similar to ikranite, mogovidite and fengchengite) and dominance of calcium at the N4 site. Calcium is ordered in the structure and is also present at the M1 site. Other iron-bearing minerals of the group are eudialyte, ferrokentbrooksite, georgbarsanovite, khomyakovite, labyrinthite, oneillite and rastsvetaevite, but they rather contain ferrous iron Feklichevite name honors Russian mineralogist and crystallographer, V. G. Feklichev.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golyshevite</span> Rare cyclosilicate mineral

Golyshevite is a rare mineral of the eudialyte group, with the formula Na10Ca3Ca6Zr3Fe2SiNb(Si3O9)2(Si9O27)2CO3(OH)3•H2O. The original formula was extended to show both the presence of cyclic silicate groups and silicon at the M4 site, according to the nomenclature of the eudialyte group. The characteristic feature of golyshevite is calcium-rich composition, with calcium at two main sites instead of one site. Together with feklichevite, fengchengite, ikranite and mogovidite it is a ferric-iron-dominant representative of the group. It is chemically similar to mogovidite. Golyshevite was named after Russian crystallographer Vladimir Mikhailovich Golyshev.

Taseqite is a rare mineral of the eudialyte group, with chemical formula Na12Sr3Ca6Fe3Zr3NbSiO(Si9O27)2(Si3O9)2(O,OH,H2O)3Cl2. The formula given is derived from the original one and shows a separate silicon at the M4 site, basing on the nomenclature of the eudialyte group. Taseqite, khomyakovite and manganokhomyakovite are three group representatives with species-defining strontium, although many other members display strontium diadochy. Both strontium (N4Sr) and niobium (M3Nb) are essential in the crystal structure of taseqite. When compared to khomyakovite, taseqite differs in niobium- and chlorine-dominance.

Mogovidite is a very rare mineral of the eudialyte group, with formula Na9(Ca,Na)6Ca6(Fe3+,Fe2+)2Zr3[]Si(Si9O27)2(Si3O9)2(CO3)(OH,H2O)4. The formula given is based on the original one but extended to show the presence of cyclic silicate groups. It is similar to feklichevite, differing from it in the presence of essential vacancies and carbonate group. Another specific feature is the dominance of ferric iron – a feature shared with other eudialyte-group members, including feklichevite, fengchengite, golyshevite and ikranite. Similarly to golyshevite, it is calcium-dominant, however on three sites: M(1), N(3) and N(4). It has a molecular mass of 3,066.24 gm.

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

Raslakite is a rare mineral of the eudialyte group with the chemical formula Na15Ca3Fe3(Na,Zr)3Zr3(Si,Nb)SiO(Si9O27)2(Si3O9)2(OH,H2O)3(Cl,OH). This formula is based on the original one, and is extended to show the presence of cyclic silicate groups. The additional silicon and oxygen shown in separation from the cyclic groups are in fact connected with two 9-fold rings. The mineral has lowered symmetry, similarly to some other eudialyte-group members: aqualite, labyrinthite, oneillite and voronkovite. The specific feature of raslakite is, among others, the presence of sodium and zirconium at the M2 site. Raslakite was named after Raslak Cirques located nearby the type locality.

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

Jinshajiangite is a rare silicate mineral named after the Jinshajiang river in China. Its currently accepted formula is BaNaFe4Ti2(Si2O7)2O2(OH)2F. It gives a name of the jinshajiangite group. The mineral is associated with alkaline rocks. In jinshajiangite, there is a potassium-to-barium, calcium-to-sodium, manganese-to-iron and iron-to-titanium diadochy substitution. Jinshajiangite is the iron-analogue of surkhobite and perraultite. It is chemically related to bafertisite, cámaraite and emmerichite. Its structure is related to that of bafertisite. Jinshajiangite is a titanosilicate with heteropolyhedral HOH layers, where the H-layer is a mixed tetrahedral-octahedral layer, and the O-layer is simply octahedral.

Cattiite is a phosphate mineral. The mineral was first found in a veins of dolomite carbonatites veins at the bottom of the Zhelezny (Iron) Mine in the Kovdor massif, Kola Peninsula, Russia. Cattiite was tentatively identified as Mg3(PO4)2·22H2O, which as a high hydrate magnesium orthophosphate. Later structural studies, revealed the existence of two polytypes named Mg3(PO4)2·22H2O-1A1 and Mg3(PO4)2·22H2O-1A2.

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 Ikranite on Mindat.org
  3. 1 2 Ikranite on Webmineral
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 R.K. Rastsvetaeva; N.V. Chukanov (2003). "Ikranite: Composition and Structure of a New Mineral of the Eudialyte Group". Crystallography Reports. 48 (5): 717–720. Bibcode:2003CryRp..48..717R. doi:10.1134/1.1612591. S2CID   94179488.
  5. Mindat, http://www.mindat.org
  6. Lauf, Robert J. (2014). "Collector's Guide to the Eudialyte Group". Rocks and Minerals Magazine. 89 (May/June): 250–257. doi:10.1080/00357529.2012.728924. S2CID   128757755.

Further reading