xonotlite

Xonotlite, or eakleite, is a mineral of general formula named by the German mineralogist Karl Friedrich August Rammelsberg in 1866. The name originates from its discovery locality, Tetela de Xonotla, Puebla, Mexico. Although it was discovered in 1866, it was first described in 1959. It is approved by the IMA, but it is a grandfathered species, meaning the name supposedly represents a valid species til this day.

Key facts

Mineral.name: Xonotlite
Mineral.boxbgcolor: f5e4b5
Mineral.image: Xonotlite-Inesite-21179.jpg
Mineral.caption: Combination piece with radial fibrous inesite and xonotlite
Mineral.category: Inosilicates
Mineral.IMAsymbol: Xon
Mineral.strunz: 9.DG.35
Mineral.dana: 66.3.1.1
Mineral.system: Monoclinic
Mineral.class: Prismatic (2/m) (same H-M symbol)
Mineral.symmetry: P2/a
Mineral.unit cell: 879.33
Mineral.color: White, grey, pale pink, lemon white, colorless
Mineral.cleavage: Perfect, Good
Mineral.fracture: Splintery, tough
Mineral.mohs: 6.5
Mineral.luster: Vitreous, silky, pearly
Mineral.streak: White

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Image: Xonotlite Hydrous calcium silicate Point Shivery near Cox' Cove Bay of Islands Newfoundland 1928.jpg

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Nickel-Strunz '10th ed', review of (9th ed/ 2009 update): 9.DG.35
Commons category: Xonotlite
Nickel-Strunz 9th edition (updated 2009): 9.DG.35
IMA Mineral Symbol: Xon
chemical formula: Ca₆Si₆O₁₇(OH)₂
Strunz 8th edition (series ID, updated): VIII/D.11

Sources (1)

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Article

6 sections

Contents

Properties
Environment and mining
See also
References
Further reading
External links

== Properties == Xonotlite is an ino-silicate with double dreier chains, of which several polytypes are known. The known polytypes are Ma2bc, Ma2b2c and M2a2bc. It is a mineral related to the tobermorite group. It can be colorless, gray, light gray, lemon white, or pink. It is transparent with a vitreous to silky luster. It leaves a white streak. Xonotlite is rated 6.5 on the Mohs scale of hardness. It crystallizes in the monoclinic – prismatic crystal system, with typically an acicular crystal form or habit, meaning it occurs as needle-like crystals. It is massive, meaning individual crystals are hard to tell apart as they form large masses. It mainly consists of oxygen (42.52%), calcium (33.63%) and silicon (23.57%), and includes hydrogen (0.28%). It is a luminescent mineral, under short ultraviolet light it has a weak gray-white fluorescence, and under long UV it is weak white. It is not a magnetic mineral, and is not radioactive.