AQUALITE, A NEW MINERAL SPECIES OF THE EUDIALYTE GROUP FROM THE INAGLI ALKALINE PLUTON, SAKHA-YAKUTIA, RUSSIA, AND THE PROBLEM OF OXONIUM IN HYDRATED EUDIALYTES

Abstract

Aqualite, a new eudialyte-group mineral from hydrothermally altered peralkaline pegmatites of the Inagli alkaline pluton (Sakha-Yakutia, Russia) is described in this paper. Natrolite, microcline, eckermanite, aegirine, batisite, innelite, lorezenite, thorite, and galena are associated minerals. Aqualite occurs as isometric crystals up to 3-cm across. The color is pale pink, with a white streak and vitreous luster. The mineral is transparent. The fracture is conchoidal. The mineral is brittle; no cleavage or parting is observed. The Mohs’ hardness is 4 to 5. The density is 2.58(2) g/cm3 (measured by the volumetric method) and 2.66 g/cm3 (calculated). Aqualite is optically uniaxial (+), α = 1.569(1) and β = 1.571(1). The mineral is pleochroic from colorless to pale pink on X and pink on Y, α < β. Aqualite is weakly fluorescent with a dull yellow color under ultraviolet light. The mineral is stable in 50% HCl and HNO3 at room temperature. Weight loss after ignition at 500°C is 9.8%. Aqualite is monoclinic, and the space group is R3. The unit-cell dimensions are a = 14.078(3) Å, c = 31.24(1) Å, V = 5362 Å3, and Z = 3. The strongest reflections in the X-ray powder pattern [d, Å (I)(hkl)] are: 4.39(100)(2005), 2.987(100)(315), 2.850(79)(404), 10.50(44)(003), 6.63(43)(104), 7.06(42)(110), 3.624(41)(027), and 11.43(39)(101). The chemical composition (electron microprobe, H2O determined with the Penfield method) is as follows (wt %): 2.91 Na2O, 1.93 K2O, 11.14 CaO, 1.75 SrO, 2.41 BaO, 0.56 FeO, 0.30 MnO, 0.17 La2O3, 0.54 Ce2O3, 0.36 Nd2O3, 0.34 Al2O3, 52.70 SiO2, 12.33 ZrO2, O.78 TiO2, 0.15 Nb2O5; 1.50 Cl, 9.93 H2O,-O=Cl2 0.34; where the total is 99.46.