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Formula | (Ba,Ca,K,Na)2(Si,Al)8O16 • 6H2O |
| Optic class & sign | Biaxial positive |
| Optical orientation | X at a high angle to a, Y near b, Z = b |
| Optical plane | Orthogonal to (010) |
| Relief | Low-negative |
| Refractive indices | nx = 1.503 -1.506
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ny = 1.505 -1.509
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nz = 1.508 -1.514
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| Birefringence (max.) | 0.005 - 0.008 |
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| Optic Angle
| 2Vx
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| 2Vz
= 79° - |
| Sign of elongation | |
| Interference figure | Broad, diffuse isogyres; high 2V |
| Colour / pleochroism | Colourless |
| Zoning | - |
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Form | Habit | Granular, columnar-prismatic, tabular, radiating aggregates; twinning resulting in pseudo-orthorhombic, pseudo-tetragonal and pseudo-cubic forms |
| | Surface | Commonly euhedral |
| Cleavage | {010}, {100} |
| Twinning | Generally twinned; single and double penetration twins on {001}, {201} and (011) |
| Extinction | Inclined to crystal faces and twin planes in random sections |
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Reaction textures | |
| Alteration / decomposition | |
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Occurence | Ign | |
| | Met | |
| | Sed | Laterite |
| | Hyd | Vesicle and fracture fillings in silica-deficient volcanic rocks (including basalts, phonolites, trachytes); hydrothermal ore veins |
| | Other | |
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Distinctive properties | Habit and twinning; opticallly hardly distinguishable from phillipsite Note: Reliable identification of zeolite species may require chemical analysis, X-ray diffraction, and/or DTA |
| Additional comments | n-Δn chart: Anl – analcime, Cbz – chabazite, Fau – faujasite, Gis - gismondine, Gme – gmelinite, Hrm – harmotome, Php – phillipsite, Wrk - wairakite |
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