Vladimirivanovite, Na6Ca2[Al6Si6O24](SO4,S3,S2,Cl)2 · H2O, a new mineral of sodalite group

Abstract

The results of an examination of vladimirivanovite, a new mineral of the sodalite group, found at the Tultui deposit in the Baikal region are discussed. The mineral occurs in the form of outer rims (0.01–3 mm thick) of lazurite, elongated segregations without faced crystals (0.2 to 3–4 mm in size; less frequently, 4 × 12–15 × 20 mm), and rare veinlets (up to 5 mm) hosted in calciphyre and marble. Vladimirivanovite is irregular and patchy dark blue. The mineral is brittle; on average, the microhardness VHN is 522–604, 575 kg/mm2; and the Mohs hardness is 5.0–5.5. The measured and calculated densities are 2.48(3) and 2.436 g/cm3, respectively. Vladimirivanovite is optically biaxial; 2V meas = 63(±1)°, 2V calc = 66.2°; the refractive indices are α = 1.502–1.507 (±0.002), N m = 1.509–1.514 (±0.002), and N g = 1.512–1.517 (±0.002). The chemical composition is as follows, wt %: 32.59 SiO2, 27.39 Al2O3, 7.66 CaO, 17.74 Na2O, 11.37 SO3, 1.94 S, 0.12 Cl, and 1.0 H2O; total is 99.62. The empirical formula calculated based on (Si + Al) = 12 with sulfide sulfur determined from the charge balance is Na6.36Ca1.52(Si6.03Al5.97)Σ12O23.99(SO4)1.58(S3)0.17(S2)0.08 · Cl0.04 · 0.62H2O; the idealized formula is Na6Ca2[Al6Si6O24](SO4,S3,S2,Cl)2 · H2O. The new mineral is orthorhombic, space group Pnaa; the unit-cell dimensions are a = 9.066, b = 12.851, c = 38.558 Å, V = 4492 Å3, and Z = 6. The strongest reflections in the X-ray powder diffraction pattern (dÅ—I[hkl]) are: 6.61–5[015], 6.43–11[020, 006], 3.71–100[119, 133], 2.623–30[20.12, 240], 2.273–6[04.12], 2.141–14[159, 13.15], 1.783–9[06.12, 04.18], and 1.606–6[080, 00.24]. The crystal structure has been solved with a single crystal. The mineral was named in memoriam of Vladimir Georgievich Ivanov (1947–2002), Russian mineralogist and geochemist. The type material of the mineral is deposited at the Mineralogical Museum of St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia.