General Information:
Chemical Formula:
(K,Na,Ca)1-2(Si,Al)8O16·6(H2O)
Composition:
(Molecular Weight = 664.63 gm)
Potassium 5.88 % K
Calcium 6.03 % Ca
Aluminum 12.18 % Al
Silicon 21.13 % Si
Hydrogen 1.82 % H
Oxygen 52.96 % O
Empirical Formula:
KCaAl3Si5O16·6(H2O)
Environment:
Common zeolite in volcanic rocks, ore veins, diagenetically altered rhyolitic vitric tuffs, saline lake deposites, and ocean floor sediments.
Locality:
Capo di Bove, south of Rome, Italy.
Name Origin:
Named after William Phillips (1775-1829), English mineralogist and founder of the Geologial Society of London.
Physical Properties:
Cleavage:
[010] Distinct, [001] Indistinct
Color:
white, reddish white, light yellow, or pink.
Density:
2.2
Diaphaniety:
Translucent to opaque
Habits:
Twinning Common - Crystals are usually twinned., Pseudo Tetragonal - Crystals show a tetragonal shape., Prismatic - Crystals Shaped like Slender Prisms (e.g. tourmaline).
Hardness:
4-5 - Fluorite-Apatite
Luminescence:
None.
Luster:
Vitreous (Glassy)
Streak:
white
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