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Dawsonite is a mineral composed of sodium aluminium carbonate hydroxide, chemical formula NaAlCO3(OH)2. It crystallizes in the orthorhombic crystal system. It is not mined for ore. It was discovered in 1874 during the construction of the Redpath Museum in a feldspathic dike on the campus of McGill University on the Island of Montreal, Canada. It is named after geologist Sir John William Dawson (1820–1899).

Key facts

Mineral.name
Dawsonite
Mineral.category
Carbonate minerals
Mineral.image
Dawsonite-165134.jpg
Mineral.imagesize
260px
Mineral.caption
Dawsonite from Mont Saint-Hilaire, Rouville RCM, Montérégie, Québec, Canada
Mineral.formula
NaAlCO3(OH)2
Mineral.IMAsymbol
Dws
Mineral.molweight
144.00 g/mol
Mineral.strunz
5.BB.10
Mineral.dana
16a.03.08.01
Mineral.system
Orthorhombic
Mineral.class
Dipyramidal (mmm) H-M symbol: (2/m 2/m 2/m)
Mineral.symmetry
Imam
Mineral.color
white
Mineral.habit
encrustations or radial
Mineral.cleavage
perfect on {110}
Mineral.fracture
uneven
Mineral.mohs
3

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Image
Dawsonite-90694.jpg
Show 7 more facts
Nickel-Strunz '10th ed', review of (9th ed/ 2009 update)
5.BB.10
Commons category
Dawsonite
Nickel-Strunz 9th edition (updated 2009)
5.BB.10
Mohs' hardness
3
IMA Mineral Symbol
Dws
chemical formula
NaAl(CO₃)(OH)₂
Strunz 8th edition (series ID, updated)
Vb/B.02
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{{Infobox mineral | name = Dawsonite | category = Carbonate minerals | image = Dawsonite-165134.jpg | imagesize = 260px | caption = Dawsonite from Mont Saint-Hilaire, Rouville RCM, Montérégie, Québec, Canada | formula = NaAlCO3(OH)2 | IMAsymbol = Dws | molweight = 144.00 g/mol | strunz = 5.BB.10 | dana = 16a.03.08.01 | system = Orthorhombic | class = Dipyramidal (mmm) H-M symbol: (2/m 2/m 2/m) | symmetry = Imam | color = white | habit = encrustations or radial | twinning = | cleavage = perfect on {110} | fracture = uneven | mohs = 3 | luster = vitreous | refractive = nα = 1.466nβ = 1.542nγ = 1.596 | opticalprop = | birefringence = δ = 0.130 | 2V = 77° | pleochroism = | streak = white | gravity = 2.436 | density = | melt = | fusibility = | diagnostic = | solubility = | diaphaneity = transparent | other = | references = }} Dawsonite is a mineral composed of sodium aluminium carbonate hydroxide, chemical formula NaAlCO3(OH)2. It crystallizes in the orthorhombic crystal system. It is not mined for ore. It was discovered in 1874 during the construction of the Redpath Museum in a feldspathic dike on the campus of McGill University on the Island of Montreal, Canada. It is named after geologist Sir John William Dawson (1820–1899).

The type material is preserved in the collection of the Redpath Museum.

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