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Pollucite

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Dunton Gem Quarry, Newry, Oxford Co., Maine, USA
© Van King

Show Pollucite Photos (33)
Formula:
(Cs,Na)
 
2
[Al
 
2
Si
 
4
O
 
12
] · 2H
 
2
O
System:IsometricColour:colorless, white, grey, ...
Hardness:6½
Name:Named after Pollux, a figure from Greek mythology, brother of Castor, for its common association with "castorite" (petalite). The name was later changed to the current Pollucite.


Zeolite Group. Analcime-Pollucite Series. The cesium analogue of Analcime.

Classification of Pollucite

IMA status:Approved
Strunz 8th edition ID:8/J.27-20
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:9.GB.05

9 : SILICATES (Germanates)
G : Tektosilicates with zeolitic H2O; zeolite family
B : Chains of single connected 4-membered rings
Dana 7th edition ID:77.1.1.2
Dana 8th edition ID:77.1.1.2

77 : TECTOSILICATES Zeolites
1 : Zeolite group - True zeolites
Hey's CIM Ref.:16.5.1

16 : Silicates Containing Aluminum and other Metals
5 : Aluminosilicates of Cs, NH4 and Cu
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Type Occurrence of Pollucite

Type Locality:La Speranza (Pisani's Quarry), San Piero in Campo, Campo nell'Elba, Elba Island, Livorno Province, Tuscany, Italy
Year of Discovery:1846

Physical Properties of Pollucite

Lustre:Vitreous, Dull
Diaphaneity (Transparency):Transparent, Translucent
Colour:colorless, white, grey, pink, blue, violet
Streak:white
Hardness (Mohs):6½
Cleavage:None Observed
Fracture:Irregular/Uneven, Conchoidal
Density (measured):2.9 g/cm3
Density (calculated):2.96 g/cm3

Crystallography of Pollucite

Crystal System:Isometric
Class (H-M):m3m (4/m 3 2/m) - Hexoctahedral
Space Group:Ia3d {I41/a 3 2/d}
Cell Parameters:a = 13.67Å
Unit Cell Volume:V 2 ų
Z:16
Comment:A monoclinic variety (C2/c) has also been reported (Kamiya et al., 2008). Pollucite may probably be (as is analcime) cubic, tetragonal, orthorhombic, monoclinic or triclinic, depending on ordering.
X-Ray Powder Diffraction:
Image Loading

Radiation - Copper Kα
Data Set:
Horizontal Axis: ° to ° Vertical Axis: % Source Data: Filtered Data: Peaks:
Data courtesy of RRUFF project at University of Arizona, used with permission.

Chemical Properties of Pollucite

Formula:
(Cs,Na)
 
2
[Al
 
2
Si
 
4
O
 
12
] · 2H
 
2
O
Essential elements:Al, Cs, H, O, Si
All elements listed in formula:Al, Cs, H, Na, O, Si
Common Impurities:Fe,Ca,K,Rb

Relationship of Pollucite to other Species

Series:Forms a series with Analcime (see here)
Member of Group:
Zeolite Group:
Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):

- +
9.GB.05Ammonioleucite
(NH
 
4
,K)AlSi
 
2
O
 
6
9.GB.05Analcime
Na
 
2
[Al
 
2
Si
 
4
O
 
12
] · 2H
 
2
O
9.GB.05Hsianghualite
Ca
 
3
Li
 
2
Be
 
3
[F
 
2
|(SiO
 
4
)
 
3
]
9.GB.05Lithosite
K
 
6
Al
 
4
Si
 
8
O
 
25
·2H
 
2
O
9.GB.05Leucite
KAlSi
 
2
O
 
6
9.GB.05Wairakite
Ca[Al
 
2
Si
 
4
O
 
12
] · 2H
 
2
O
9.GB.10Laumontite
CaAl
 
2
Si
 
4
O
 
12
·4H
 
2
O
9.GB.15Yugawaralite
CaAl
 
2
Si
 
6
O
 
16
·4H
 
2
O
9.GB.20Roggianite
Ca
 
2
Be(OH)
 
2
Al
 
2
Si
 
4
O
 
13
·2.5H
 
2
O
9.GB.25Goosecreekite
Ca[Al
 
2
Si
 
6
O
 
16
] · 5H
 
2
O
9.GB.30Montesommaite
(K,Na)
 
9
Al
 
9
Si
 
23
O
 
64
·10H
 
2
O
9.GB.35Parthéite
CaAl
 
2
Si
 
2
O
 
8
·2H
 
2
O
Related Minerals - Hey's Index Grouping:

- +
16.5.2Nanpingite
CsAl
 
2
[(OH,F)
 
2
|AlSi
 
3
O
 
10
]
16.5.3Buddingtonite
(NH
 
4
)[AlSi
 
3
O
 
8
]
16.5.4Ammonioleucite
(NH
 
4
,K)AlSi
 
2
O
 
6
16.5.5Tobelite
(NH
 
4
,K)Al
 
2
[(OH)
 
2
|AlSi
 
3
O
 
10
]
16.5.6Ajoite
(K,Na)Cu
 
7
[(OH)
 
6
|AlSi
 
9
O
 
24
] · 3H
 
2
O
16.5.7Papagoite
CaCu[H
 
3
AlSi
 
2
O
 
9
]
Related Minerals - Dana Grouping):

- +
77.1.1.1Analcime
Na
 
2
[Al
 
2
Si
 
4
O
 
12
] · 2H
 
2
O
77.1.1.3Wairakite
Ca[Al
 
2
Si
 
4
O
 
12
] · 2H
 
2
O

Other Names for Pollucite

Synonyms:
Caesium Silicate
Other Languages:
German:Pollucit
Japanese:ポルクス石
Latin:Pollux
Russian:Поллуцит
Spanish:Pollucita

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 Pollucite

Reference List:American Mineralogist (1967): 52: 1515-1518.

Černý, P. (1974) The present status of the analcime-pollucite series. Canadian Mineralogist: 12: 334-341.

Černý, P. and Simpson, F.M. (1978) The Tanco pegmatite at Bernic Lake, Manitoba. X. Pollucite. Canadian Mineralogist: 16: 325-333.

Černý, P. (1979) Pollucite and its alteration in geological occurrences and in deep-burial radioactive waste disposal. Scientific basis for Nuclear Waste Management: 1: 231-236.

Wang, X.J., Zou, T.R., Xu, J.G., Yu, X.Y., and Qiu, Y.Z. (1981) Study of pegmatite minerals of the Altai region. Science Publishing House, Beijing, China.

Sebastian, A. and Lagache, M. (1990) Experimental study of the equilibrium between pollucite, albite, and hydrothermal fluid in pegamtite systems. Mineralogical Magazine: 54: 447-454.

Teertstra, D.K. and Černý, P. (1992) Controls on morphology of analcime-pollucite in natural minerals, synthetic phases, and nuclear waste products. Crystal Research Technology: 27: 931-939.

Teertstra, D.K., Černý, P., and Chapman, R. (1992) Compositional heterogeneity ad alteration of pollucite from High Grade Dyke, southeastern Manitoba. Canadian Mineralogist: 30: 687-697.

Canadian Mineralogist (1994): 32: 69.

Legache, M. (1995) New experimental data on the stability of the pollucite-analcime series: application to natural assemblages. European Journal of Mineralogy: 7: 319-323.

Teertstra, D.K. and Černý, P. (1995) First natural occurrences of end-member pollucite: A product of low-temperature reequilibration. European Journal of Mineralogy: 7: 1137-1148.

Teertstra, D.K., Černý, P., and Novák, M. (1995) Compositional and textural evolution of pollucite in pegmatites of the Maldanubicum. Mineralogy and Petrology: 55: 37-51.

London, D., Morgan, G.B., VI, and Icehower, J. (1998) Stability and solubility of pollucite in granitic system at 200 MPa H2O. Canadian Mineralogist: 36: 497-510.

Zhu, J.C., Wu, C.N., Liu, C.S., Li, F.C., Huang, X.L., and Zhou, D.S. (2000) Magmatic-hydrothermal evolution and genesis of Koktokay no. 3 rare metal pegmatite dyke, Altai, China. Geological Journal of China Universities: 6(1): 40-52 (in Chinese with English abstract).

Mineralogical Record: 30: 5-6.

Zeitschrift für Kristallographie: 129: 280-302.

Ogorodova, L.P., Melchakova, L.V., Kiseleva, I.A., and Belitsky, I.A. (2003) Thermochemical study of natural pollucite. Thermochimica Acta: 403: 251-256.

Wang, R.C., Hu, H., Zhang, A.C., Huang, X.L., and Ni., P. (2004) Pollucite and the cesium-dominant analogue of polylithionite as expressions of extreme Cs enrichment in the Yichun topaz-lepidolite granite, southern China. Canadian Mineralogist: 42: 883-896.

Wang, R.C., Hu, H., Zhang, A.C., Fontan, F., Zhang, H., and de Parseval, P. (2006) Occurrence and late re-equilibration of pollucite from the Koktokay no. 3 pegmatite, Altai, northwestern China. American Mineralogist: 91: 729-739.

Natsumi Kamiya, Koji Nishi and Yoshinobu Yokomori (2008): Crystal structure of pollucite. Z. Kristallogr. 223, 584–590.

Gatta, G. Diego, et al (2009) On the Crystal structure and crystal chemistry of pollucite, (Cs,Na)16Al16Si32O96·nH2O: A natural microporous material of interest in nuclear technology, American Mineralogist: 94(11-12): 1560-1568.

Internet Links for Pollucite

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  • Raman and XRD data at RRUFF project
  • American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database
  • Search for Pollucite in the Natural History Museum (London) online catalogue
  • Pollucite details from Handbook of Mineralogy (PDF)
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    Localities for Pollucite

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