Summary
Jonesite is a mineral with the chemical formula Ba4(K,Na)2[Ti4Al2Si10O36]*6H2O.[5] This mineral is named after Francis Tucker Jones (1905–1993), who discovered the mineral while working as a Research Chemical Microscopist at Berkeley in CA.[6] Jonesite has diffraction symmetry of mmm, which implies an orthorhombic system with all three axes perpendicular to each other and the angles between each axis equal to 90 degrees.[7] In addition to symmetrical properties, Jonesite is a biaxial mineral with birefringence, which is a term to describe the difference between index of refraction.[8] Jonesite is anisotropic, meaning the speed of light changes through the mineral, so the mineral shows color when viewed in crossed polarized light under a microscope. The mineral also has medium relief, which is a measure of how well the mineral stands out when viewed under a microscope in plane polarized light.[9] In addition to being one of the rarest minerals in the Benitoite Gem mine located in California, Jonesite also is the first titanosilicate mineral with a porous double-layered crystal structure.[10] This discovery is important because titanosilicate frameworks have industrial uses in energy companies and are used in containing radioactive waste.[11]
| Jonesite | |
|---|---|
| General | |
| Category | Inosilicates |
| Formula (repeating unit) | Ba4(K,Na)2[Ti4Al2Si10O36]•6H2O |
| IMA symbol | Jon[1] |
| Crystal system | Monoclinic |
| Crystal class | Prismatic (2/m) (same H-M symbol) |
| Space group | P21/m |
| Unit cell | a = 10.618, b = 25.918 c = 8.6945 [Å]; β = 127.633°; Z = 4 |
| Identification | |
| Formula mass | 914.93 g/mol |
| Color | Colorless |
| Crystal habit | Bladed– Aggregation is thin blade-like crystals and Tabular– Dimensions thin in one direction |
| Cleavage | {010} Distinct |
| Fracture | Irregular |
| Mohs scale hardness | 3–4 |
| Luster | Vitreous |
| Streak | White |
| Diaphaneity | Transparent |
| Specific gravity | 3.21 g/cm3 |
| Density | 3.25 g/cm3 |
| Optical properties | Biaxial (+), a=1.641, b=1.66, g=1.682, bire=0.0410 |
| Refractive index | Index: 1.64 to 1.68 |
| Birefringence | δ = 0.041 |
| Pleochroism | Colorless |
| Other characteristics | Has medium relief and weak dispersion. Has fluorescent luminescence & white streak Year of Discovery:1977 |
| References | [2][3][4] |
References edit
- ^ Warr, L.N. (2021). "IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols". Mineralogical Magazine. 85 (3): 291–320. Bibcode:2021MinM...85..291W. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43. S2CID 235729616.
- ^ Ralph, J., and Chau I. (2010) Jonesite Mineral Information and Data. Mineralogy Database. Retrieved 23 September 2010, from <http://www.mindat.org/min-2112.html>.
- ^ Barthelmy, D. (2010) Jonesite Mineral Data. Mineralogy Database. Retrieved 11 September 2010, from <http://webmineral.com/data/Jonesite.shtml>.
- ^ Wise, W., and Pabst, A. (2010) Jonesite. Mineralogical Record. Retrieved 23 September 2010, from <http://euromin.w3sites.net//mineraux/JONESITE.html>.
- ^ American Geological Institute. (2010) Jonesite. Retrieved 11 September 2010, from <http://glossary.agiweb.org/dbtw-wpd/exec/dbtwpub.dll>
- ^ Barthelmy, D. (2010) Jonesite Mineral Data. Mineralogy Database. Retrieved 11 September 2010, from <http://webmineral.com/data/Jonesite.shtml>.
- ^ Wise, W., and Pabst, A. (1977) Jonesite: A New Mineral from the Benitoite Gem Mine, San Benito County, California. Mineralogical Record, 8, 453-456.
- ^ Barthelmy, D. (2010) Jonesite Mineral Data. Mineralogy Database. Retrieved 11 September 2010, from <http://webmineral.com/data/Jonesite.shtml>.
- ^ Wise, W., and Pabst, A. (2010) Jonesite. Mineralogical Record. Retrieved 23 September 2010, from <http://euromin.w3sites.net//mineraux/JONESITE.html>.
- ^ Krivovichev, S., and Armbruster, T. (2004) The Crystal Structure of Jonesite: A First Example of Titanosilicate with Porous Double Layers. American Mineralogist, 89, 314-318.
- ^ Krivovichev, S., and Armbruster, T. (2004) The Crystal Structure of Jonesite: A First Example of Titanosilicate with Porous Double Layers. American Mineralogist, 89, 314-318.