Mineral - Bikitaite
Bikitaite
Chemical Properties
Mineral Class
Silicates
Toxicity
none
Formula
LiAlSi₂O₆ · H₂O
Unit Cell
a=8,61 b=4,96 c=7,60 α=89° β=114° γ=89° Z=2
Physical Properties
Hardness
6
Streak
white
Density
Normal (2-3,5)
Cleavage
Perfect after (100), good after (001)
Fracture
conchoidal
Tenacity
Brittle
Optical Properties
Color
whitecolorless
Birefringence
0.013
Luster
Vitreous
Transparency
transparent
Pleochroism
Geomineralogical Properties
Crystal System
triclinic
Point Group
triclinic-pedial - 1
Space Group
P1 (1)
Habit
massive, acicular, prismatic
Formation
In lithium pegmatites
Paragenesis
Twinning
Rarity
Rarely
Synonyms
Bikitaite
Composition
Elements
Mass
SiO₂
55.78
Al₂O₃
26.70
Fe₂O₃
0.08
MgO
0.34
Li₂O
6.52
Na₂O
0.10
K₂O
0.18
H₂O
9.83
Zimbabwe
Groups and Members
Zeolite-Group
BIK-Zeolite-Subgroup