| Stellerite | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General | |
| Category | Zeolite mineral |
| Formula (repeating unit) | Ca(Al2Si7O18)•7H20 |
| IMA symbol | Ste[1] |
| Strunz classification | 9.GE.15 |
| Crystal system | Orthorhombic |
| Crystal class | Dipyramidal (mmm) H-M symbol: (2/m 2/m 2/m) |
| Space group | Fmmm |
| Identification | |
| Color | Colorless to white, pink, orange |
| Crystal habit | Spherical, Stellate, Tabular |
| Cleavage | Perfect on {010} |
| Fracture | Uneven |
| Mohs scale hardness | 4.5 |
| Luster | Pearly |
| Streak | white |
| Diaphaneity | Transparent to translucent |
| Specific gravity | approximately 2.2 |
| Density | 2.13 g/cm3 |
| Optical properties | Biaxial (-), a=1.4848, b=1.4864-1.4964, g=1.4979 |
| Birefringence | δ = 0.013 |
| References | [2] |
Stellerite is a rare mineral discovered by and named after Georg Wilhelm Steller, a German explorer and zoologist.[2] The mineral has a general formula of Ca[Al2Si7O18]·7H2O.[3] Like most rare minerals, there are few commercial uses for stellerite. Mineral collectors are lucky to find it in good enough crystal form. Zeolites, including stellerite, have been studied using a dehydration process to gauge the potential use of their phases as molecular sieves, sorbents, and catalysts.[4] Its occurrences are in cavities of andesite as sheaf-like clusters of small crystals.[2]
- ^ Warr, L.N. (2021). "IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols". Mineralogical Magazine. 85 (3): 291–320. Bibcode:2021MinM...85..291W. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43. S2CID 235729616.
- ^ a b c Pabst, Adolf (March 1939). "The relation of stellerite and epidesmine to stilbite". Mineralogical Magazine and Journal of the Mineralogical Society. 25 (164): 271–276. Bibcode:1939MinM...25..271P. doi:10.1180/minmag.1939.025.164.06.
- ^ "Stellerite". PubChem. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
- ^ Arletti, R.; Mazzucato, E.; Vezzalini, G. (1 April 2006). "Influence of dehydration kinetics on T-O-T bridge breaking in zeolites with framework type STI: The case of stellerite". American Mineralogist. 91 (4): 628–634. Bibcode:2006AmMin..91..628A. doi:10.2138/am.2006.1966. hdl:2318/80204. S2CID 36048763.