bentorite

Also known as IMA1979-042

Bentorite is a mineral with the chemical formula . It is colored violet to light violet. Its crystals are hexagonal to dihexagonal dipyramidal. It is transparent and has vitreous luster. It has perfect cleavage. It is not radioactive. Bentorite is rated 2 on the Mohs scale.

Key facts

Mineral.name: Bentorite
Mineral.image: Bentorite.jpg
Mineral.caption: Bentorite found in Israel
Mineral.IMAsymbol: Bto
Mineral.strunz: 7.DG.15 (9th Ed)
Mineral.dana: 31.10.2.2
Mineral.unit cell: 2,355.60 Å³
Mineral.colour: Violet to rose-purple
Mineral.twinning: (1010)
Mineral.cleavage: Perfect
Mineral.fracture: Sub-conchoidal
Mineral.mohs: 2
Mineral.luster: Resinous, waxy, earthy
Mineral.streak: Very pale purple
Mineral.gravity: 2.025
Mineral.density: 2.025 g/cm3 (measured)
Mineral.birefringence: 0.006
Mineral.pleochroism: Visible

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Wikidata facts

Image: Bentorite.jpg

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Nickel-Strunz '10th ed', review of (9th ed/ 2009 update): 7.DG.15
Nickel-Strunz 9th edition (updated 2009): 7.DG.15
Commons category: Bentorite
Mohs' hardness: 2
IMA Mineral Symbol: Bto
chemical formula: Ca₆Cr₂(SO₄)₃(OH)₁₂·26H₂O

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Formation
Applications
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References

The mineral was first described in 1980 by Shulamit Gross for an occurrence in the Hatrurim Formation of Danian age along the western margin of the Dead Sea, Israel. It was named by its discoverer, Shulamit Gross, for Yaakov Ben-Tor (1910–2002), Professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the University of California, San Diego, California, US, for his contributions to geology and mineralogy in Israel.