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Ekanite

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Case Collina (Toscopomici quarry), Pitigliano, Grosseto Province, Tuscany, Italy
© D. Preite

Show Ekanite Photos (12)
Formula:
(Ca,Fe
2+
 
,Pb)
 
2
(Th,U)[Si
 
8
O
 
20
]
System:TetragonalHardness:4½
This page provides mineralogical data about Ekanite.

Classification of Ekanite

IMA status:Approved
Strunz 8th edition ID:8/E.10-10
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:9.EA.10

9 : SILICATES (Germanates)
E : Phyllosilicates
A : Single nets of tetrahedra with 4-, 5-, (6-), and 8-membered rings
Dana 8th edition ID:72.1.1.1

72 : PHYLLOSILICATES Two-Dimensional Infinite Sheets with Other Than Six-Membered Rings
1 : Two-Dimensional Infinite Sheets with Other Than Six-Membered Rings with 4-membered rings
Hey's CIM Ref.:14.16.16

14 : Silicates not Containing Aluminum
16 : Silicates of U
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Type Occurrence of Ekanite

Type Locality:Ehiliyagoda (Ehaliyagoda), Ratnapura, Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka
Year of Discovery:1961

Physical Properties of Ekanite

Hardness (Mohs):4½

Crystallography of Ekanite

Crystal System:Tetragonal
Cell Parameters:a = 7.48Å, c = 14.89Å
Ratio:a:c = 1 : 1.991
Unit Cell Volume:V 833.10 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)

Optical Data of Ekanite

Type:Uniaxial (-)
RI values: nω = 1.580 nε = 1.568
Maximum Birefringence:δ = 0.012

Chart shows birefringence interference colour range (at 30µm thickness) and does not take into account mineral colouration.
Surface Relief:Low

Chemical Properties of Ekanite

Formula:
(Ca,Fe
2+
 
,Pb)
 
2
(Th,U)[Si
 
8
O
 
20
]
Essential elements:Ca, O, Si, Th
All elements listed in formula:Ca, Fe, O, Pb, Si, Th, U
Common Impurities:U,Fe,Pb,Al,Mn,Pb,Mg

Relationship of Ekanite to other Species

Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):
9.EA.05Cuprorivaite
CaCu[Si
 
4
O
 
10
]
9.EA.05Gillespite
BaFe
2+
 
[Si
 
4
O
 
10
]
9.EA.05Effenbergerite
BaCu[Si
 
4
O
 
10
]
9.EA.05Wesselsite
SrCu[Si
 
4
O
 
10
]
9.EA.15Apophyllite-(KF)
KCa
 
4
[(F,OH)|Si
 
8
O
 
20
] · 8H
 
2
O
9.EA.15Apophyllite-(KOH)
KCa
 
4
[(OH,F)|Si
 
8
O
 
20
] · 8H
 
2
O
9.EA.15Apophyllite-(NaF)
NaCa
 
4
[F|Si
 
8
O
 
20
] · 8H
 
2
O
9.EA.20Magadiite
NaSi
 
7
O
 
13
(OH)
 
3
·3H
 
2
O
9.EA.25Dalyite
K
 
2
ZrSi
 
6
O
 
15
9.EA.25Davanite
K
 
2
TiSi
 
6
O
 
15
9.EA.30Sazhinite-(Ce)
Na
 
3
Ce[Si
 
6
O
 
15
] · 6H
 
2
O
9.EA.30Sazhinite-(La)
Na
 
3
La[Si
 
6
O
 
15
] · 2H
 
2
O
9.EA.35Armstrongite
CaZr[Si
 
6
O
 
15
]·3H
 
2
O
9.EA.40Okenite
CaSi
 
2
O
 
5
·2H
 
2
O
9.EA.45Nekoite
Ca
 
3
Si
 
6
O
 
15
·7H
 
2
O
9.EA.50Cavansite
Ca(VO)Si
 
4
O
 
10
·4H
 
2
O
9.EA.55Pentagonite
Ca(VO)Si
 
4
O
 
10
·4H
 
2
O
9.EA.60Penkvilksite
(Na,Ca)
 
4
(Ti,Zr)
 
2
Si
 
8
O
 
22
·5H
 
2
O
9.EA.60Tumchaite
Na
 
2
Zr(Si
 
4
O
 
11
)·2H
 
2
O
9.EA.65Nabesite
Na
 
2
BeSi
 
4
O
 
10
 * 4 H
 
2
O
9.EA.70Ajoite
(K,Na)Cu
 
7
[(OH)
 
6
|AlSi
 
9
O
 
24
] · 3H
 
2
O
9.EA.75Zeravshanite
Cs
 
4
Na
 
2
Zr
 
3
[Si
 
18
O
 
45
](H
 
2
O)
 
2
Related Minerals - Hey's Index Grouping:
14.16.1Uranosilite
UO
 
3
 · 7SiO
 
2
14.16.2Coffinite
(U,Th)[(OH)
 
4x
|(SiO
 
4
)
 
1-x
]
14.16.3Soddyite
(UO
 
2
)
 
2
SiO
 
4
·2H
 
2
O
14.16.4Swamboite
UH
 
6
(UO
 
2
)
 
6
(SiO
 
4
)
 
6
·30H
 
2
O
14.16.5Weeksite
K
 
2
(UO
 
2
)
 
2
(Si
 
2
O
 
5
)
 
3
·4H
 
2
O
14.16.6Boltwoodite
(K,Na)(UO
 
2
)[HSiO
 
4
] · 0.5H
 
2
O
14.16.7Natroboltwoodite
(H
 
3
O)(Na,K)UO
 
2
SiO
 
4
·H
 
2
O
14.16.8Cuprosklodowskite
Cu(UO
 
2
)
 
2
[HSiO
 
4
]
 
2
 · 6H
 
2
O
14.16.9Sklodowskite
Mg(UO
 
2
)
 
2
[HSiO
 
4
]
 
2
 · 5H
 
2
O
14.16.10Uranophane
Ca(UO
 
2
)
 
2
[HSiO
 
4
]
 
2
 · 5H
 
2
O
14.16.11β-Uranophane
Ca(UO
 
2
)
 
2
[HSiO
 
4
]
 
2
 · 5H
 
2
O
14.16.12Haiweeite
Ca(UO
 
2
)
 
2
[Si
 
5
O
 
12
(OH)
 
2
]·4.5H
 
2
O
14.16.13Metahaiweeite
Ca(UO
 
2
)
 
2
Si
 
6
O
 
15
·nH
 
2
O
14.16.14Thorogummite
(Th,U)[(OH)
 
4x
|(SiO
 
4
)
 
1-x
]
14.16.15Steacyite
([ ],K)(Na,Ca)
 
2
(Th,U)[Si
 
8
O
 
20
]
14.16.17Kasolite
Pb(UO
 
2
)[SiO
 
4
] · H
 
2
O
14.16.18 Orlite
Pb
 
3
(UO
 
2
)
 
3
(Si
 
2
O
 
7
)
 
2
·6H
 
2
O
14.16.19Oursinite
(Co,Mg)(UO
 
2
)
 
2
[HSiO
 
4
]
 
2
 · 6H
 
2
O

Other Names for Ekanite

German names:
Ekanit
Russian names:
Эканит
Spanish names:
Ekanita

Other Information

Health Warning:No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.

References for Ekanite

Reference List:American Mineralogist: 46: 1516.

Nature: 190: 997.

Canadian Mineralogist: 20: 65-75.

Della Ventura, G., Maras, A. & Parodi, G. C. (1986): Nonmetamict U-rich ekanite from Pitigliano (Tuscany, Italy). Atti della Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, Rendiconti, Classe di Scienze Fisiche, Matematiche e Naturali 80, 585-592.

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Internet Links for Ekanite

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    Localities for Ekanite

    Hide Locality List
    The map shows a selection of localities that have latitude and longitude coordinates recorded. Click on the symbol to view information about a locality. The symbol next to localities in the list can be used to jump to that position on the map.
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    (TL) indicates type locality. ? indicates mineral may be doubtful at this locality. All other localities listed without reference should be considered as uncertain and unproven until references can be found.
    Canada
     
    • Québec
      • Rouville Co.
        • Mont Saint-Hilaire
    		Richard A.J. (1971), La methode d'addition symbolique et la definition de la structure cristalline de l'ekanite de St-Hilaire, P.Q. Ph.D. Thesis, Ecole polytechnique de Montréal, Canada; Perrault G. and Richard P. (1973), L'ekanite de St-Hilaire, P.Q. Canadian Mineralogist: 11: 913-929.
      • Témiscamingue Co.
        • Villedieu Township
          • Sheffield Lake
    • Yukon Territory
    Italy
     
    • Latium
      • Rome Province
    		Caponera, I., Fiori, S., Pucci, R., & Signoretti, E. (2007). I minerali dei Colli Albani. Un aggiornamento sugli ultimi dieci anni di ricerche. Rivista Mineralogica Italiana, 31 (2), 74-91.
          • Albano Laziale
    		Gianfagna, A., Merlino, S., Perchiazzi, N. (1988). Guarinite, a new finding in the sanidinite ejecta of the IV Hydromagmatic Unit from Albano lake crater, Latium, Italy. Periodico di Mineralogia, 57: 81-84.
      • Viterbo Province
        • Vico Lake
    		No reference listed
    • Lombardy
      • Sondrio Province
    		Lapis, 19 (10), 15-21+86.
    • Tuscany
      • Grosseto Province
    		Demartin F., Gramaccioli C. M., Liborio G., Tumaini C., 1982. Ekanite nei proietti vulcanici di Pitigliano (Grosseto). Rend. Soc. Ital. Mineral. Petrol., 38: 1401-1406; Diella, V. and Mannucci, G. (1986): A uranium-rich ekanite (Th 0.78, U 0.21) (Ca 2.01, Fe 0.04, Mn 0.01) Si 7.99 0 20, from Pitigliano, Italy. Rendiconti della Societa Italiana di Mineralogia e Petrologia. 41 ( 1), 3-6; Della Ventura G., Maras A., Parodi G. C., 1986. Non metamictic U-rich ekanite from Pitigliano (Tuscany, Italy). Atti Accad. Naz. Lincei, Rend., 53: 585-592.
    Liotti L., 1991. I minerali dei vulcani laziali a Pitigliano (Grosseto). Riv. Mineral. Ital., 15: 121-139.
    Russia
     
    • Eastern-Siberian Region
      • Saha Republic (Sakha Republic; Yakutia)
        • Aldan Shield
          • Torgo River Basin
            • Davan
    [Lapis 1993:4 p.13-20]
    Sri Lanka
     
    • Sabaragamuwa Province
      • Ratnapura
    		Nature 190 (1961), 997
    Tajikistan
     
    • Region of Republican Subordination
      • Tien Shan Mts
        • Alayskiy (Alai) Range
    		http://www.koeln.netsurf.de/~w.steffens/dara.htm
    USA
     
    • California
      • Tulare Co.
        • Chickencoop Canyon
    Mineral and/or Locality
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