Grossite
| Grossite | |
|---|---|
| General | |
| Category | Oxide minerals |
| Formula (repeating unit) | CaAl4O7 |
| Strunz classification | 04.CC.15 |
| Dana classification | 07.03.02.01 |
| Crystal system | Monoclinic |
| Space group | Monoclinic (2/m) prismatic |
| Unit cell | a = 12.94 Å, b = 8.91 Å, c = 5.44 Å; β = 107.01°; Z = 4 |
| Identification | |
| Color | Colorless to white |
| Crystal habit | Lathlike or subhedral rounded grains in polycrystalline aggregates rimmed by melilite (in meteorites) |
| Luster | Vitreous |
| Streak | White |
| Diaphaneity | Transparent |
| Specific gravity | 2.88 |
| Optical properties | Biaxial (+) |
| Refractive index | nα = 1.618 nβ = 1.618 nγ = 1.652 |
| Birefringence | δ = 0.034 |
| 2V angle | Measured: 15° |
| References | [1][2][3] |
Grossite is a calcium aluminium oxide mineral with formula CaAl4O7. It is a colorless to white vitreous mineral which crystallizes in th monoclinic crystal system.[2][3]
Grossite was first described 1994 for an occurrence in the Hatrurim Formation of Israel. It was named for Shulamit Gross (1923- ) of the Geological Survey of Israel.[3][1]
It occurs within high temperature metamorphosed impure limestone of the Hatrurim Formation and also within calcium-aluminium rich inclusions in chondriticmeteorites. Associated minerals in the Hatrurium include brownmillerite, mayenite and larnite. In meteorites it occurs with perovskite, melilite, hibonite, spinel and calcium rich pyroxene.[1] It has been reported from meteorites in Algeria, Antarctica, Kazakhstan and Morocco.[2]
References
- ^ a b c Handbook of Mineralogy
- ^ a b c Mindat.org
- ^ a b c Webmineral data