May 10 2013
Studenitsite is a monoclinic-prismatic mineral containing calcium, boron, hydrogen, oxygen, and sodium. Studenitsite was named after the Studenitsa Cloister located near the area of first occurrence.
Properties of Studenitsite
The following are the key properties of studenitsite:
- Cell Data
- Space Group: P21/c
- a = 11.4994(8)
- b = 12.5878(9)
- c = 10.5297(7)
- β = 99.423(6)°
- Z = 4
- Crystal Data
- Monoclinic
- Point group: 2/m
- Flattened wedge-shaped crystals- to 5 mm, dominated by {001}, {011}, {111}, with poorly developed {100}, {110}, {012}, in aggregates.
- X-ray powder pattern: 3.04 (100), 3.35 (89), 5.41 (66), 3.27 (59), 2.210 (59), 5.20 (57), 4.20 (56)
- Chemical Composition
| Elements |
Content 1 |
Content 2 |
| B2O3 |
59.64 |
59.28 |
| CaO |
20.84 |
21.22 |
| H2O+ |
13.64 |
- |
| H2O |
- |
13.64 |
| Na2O |
5.96 |
5.86 |
| SiO2 |
0.09 |
- |
| SrO |
0.09 |
- |
| K2O |
0.08 |
- |
| Al2O3 |
0.05 |
- |
| Fe2O3 |
0.05 |
- |
| MgO |
0.02 |
- |
| MnO |
0.01 |
- |
| H2O- |
0.00 |
- |
| CO2 |
0.00 |
- |
| Total |
100.47 |
100.00 |
- Optical Properties
- Optical Class: Biaxial (+)
- Orientation: X = b; Z = a; Y ^ c = 10°
- Dispersion: r > v, medium
- α = 1.532(2)
- β = 1.538(2)
- γ = 1.564(2)
- 2V(meas.) = 54(2)
- Estimated Properties
| Electron density |
Bulk density (electron density)= 2.33 g/cm3
note: Specific gravity of studenitsite = 2.33 g/cm3 |
| Photoelectric |
PEStudenitsite = 2.17 barns/electron
U=PEStudenitsite x ρelectron density= 5.05 barns/cm3 |
| Fermion index |
Fermion index = 0.03
Boson index = 0.97 |
Radioactivity
|
GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Studenitsite is not radioactive |
How to Identify Studenitsite
Studenitsite can be identified in the field by its colorless to light dirty yellow or light gray color variations. The appearance of this mineral is transparent. It is a mineral with a glassy luster and a white streak. The fractures in the mineral are fragile. The mineral has striated-parallel lines on crystal surface or cleavage face. The crystals are wedge shaped. The density of studenitsite is 2.29 - 2.33 g/cm3 and hardness is 5.5-6 between knife blade and orthoclase.
Global Distribution
Studenitsite is widely distributed in Yugoslavia - From the Piskaya deposit, Yarondolskii Basin, on the Ibar River, 280 km south of Belgrade.
Occurrence of Studenitsite and Useful Mineral Association
Studenitsite is often associated with minerals such as howlite, colemanite, ulexite, and pentahydroborite.
Studenitsite occurs as lenses in clay and carbonate-bearing volcanogenic-sedimentary borate deposits.
References