Eur. J. Mineral. 2003, 15, 1019–1027 Marinellite, a new feldspathoid of the cancrinite-sodalite group ELENA BONACCORSI* and PAOLO ORLANDI Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Universita` di Pisa, Via S. Maria 53, I-56126 Pisa, Italy * Corresponding author, e-mail:
[email protected] Abstract: Marinellite, [(Na,K)42Ca6](Si36Al36O144)(SO4)8Cl2·6H2O, cell parameters a = 12.880(2) Å, c = 31.761(6) Å, is a new feldspathoid belonging to the cancrinite-sodalite group. The crystal structure of a twinned crystal was preliminary refined in space group P31c, but space group P62c could also be possible. It was found near Sacrofano, Latium, Italy, associated with giuseppettite, sanidine, nepheline, haüyne, biotite, and kalsilite. It is anhedral, transparent, colourless with vitreous lustre, white streak and Mohs’ hardness of 5.5. The mineral does not fluoresce, is brittle, has conchoidal fracture, and presents poor cleavage on {001}. Dmeas is 3 3 2.405(5) g/cm , Dcalc is 2.40 g/cm . Optically, marinellite is uniaxial positive, non-pleochroic, = 1.495(1), = 1.497(1). The strongest five reflections in the X-ray powder diffraction pattern are [d in Å (I) (hkl)]: 3.725 (100) (214), 3.513 (80) (215), 4.20 (42) (210), 3.089 (40) (217), 2.150 (40) (330). The electron microprobe analysis gives K2O 7.94, Na2O 14.95, CaO 5.14, Al2O3 27.80, SiO2 32.73, SO3 9.84, Cl 0.87, (H2O 0.93), sum 100.20 wt %, less O = Cl 0.20, (total 100.00 wt %); H2O calculated by difference. The corresponding empirical formula, based on 72 (Si + Al), is (Na31.86K11.13Ca6.06) =49.05(Si35.98Al36.02)S=72O144.60(SO4)8.12Cl1.62·3.41H2O.