May 13 2014
Arctite is named after the Arctic region where it was discovered.
Properties of Arctite
The following are the key properties of arctite:
- Cell Data
- Space group: R3m
- a = 7.094
- c = 41.320
- Z = 1
- Crystal Data
- Hexagonal
- Point group: 3 2/m
- As crystals to 3cm
- X-ray powder pattern: 2.746 (100), 3.43 (32), 13.80 (25), 3.06 (25), 2.804 (25), 3.54 (21), 2.719 (21)
- Chemical Composition
| Elements |
Content 1 |
Content 2 |
| P2O5 |
33.83 |
36.72 |
| SiO2 |
3.6 |
- |
| ZrO2 |
3.25 |
- |
| Fe2O3 |
0.20 |
- |
| CaO |
31.80 |
33.85 |
| BaO |
12.00 |
13.22 |
| Na2O |
9.72 |
13.36 |
| K2O |
1.64 |
- |
| F |
5.25 |
4.92 |
| H2O |
0.50 |
- |
| -O=F2 |
2.20 |
2.07 |
| S |
0.22 |
- |
| Total |
99.81 |
100.00 |
- Optical Properties
- Transparent
- Color: colorless
- Luster: vitreous
- Optical Class: Uniaxial (-), maybe anomalously biaxial
- ω = 1.578(2)
- ε = 1.577(2)
- Estimated Properties
| Electron density |
Bulk density (electron density) = 3.08 g/cm3
note: Specific gravity of arctite = 3.12 g/cm3 |
| Photoelectric |
PEArctite = 4.91 barns/electron
U = PEArctite x ρ electron density = 15.14 barns/cm3 |
| Fermion index |
Fermion index = 0.0006048124
Boson index = 0.99939 |
Radioactivity
|
Arctite is not radioactive.
|
How to Identify Arctite
Arctite appears as a colorless, transparent mineral, with a vitreous luster. It exhibits a pearly luster on the perfect cleavages.
Global Distribution
Arctite is found in the valley of Vuonnemiok River on Mt. Koashva, Khibiny massif, Kola Peninsula, Russia.
Occurrence of Arctite and Useful Mineral Association
Arctite occurs in the late stage pneumatolytic mineral in pegmatites veinlets in a differentiated alkali massif.
It is associated with such minerals as natrosilite, vuonnemite, zirsinalite, lomonosovite, natisite, rasvumite, villiaumite, aegirine, thenardite, umbite, paraumbite, wadeite, and kostylevite.
References