Albite

Albite

Albite is a plagioclase feldspar mineral. It is the sodium endmember of the plagioclase solid solution series. As such it represents a plagioclase with less than 10% anorthite content. The pure albite endmember has the formula NaAlSi3O8. It is a tectosilicate.

Albite crystallizes with triclinic pinacoidal forms. Its specific gravity is about 2.62 and it has a Mohs hardness of 6 - 6.5. Albite almost always exhibits crystal twinning often as minute parallel striations on the crystal face. Albite often occurs as fine parallel segregations alternating with pink microcline in perthite as a result of exolution on cooling.It occurs in granitic and pegmatite masses, in some hydrothermal vein deposits and forms part of the typical greenschist metamorphic assemblage for rocks of originally basaltic composition.

It was first reported in 1815 for an occurrence in Sweden. The name is from Latin, "albus" for the typical white color.

References

* [http://www.mindat.org/min-96.html Mindat data]
* [http://www.webmineral.com/data/Albite.shtml Webmineral data]
* [http://mineral.galleries.com/minerals/silicate/albite/albite.htm Mineral galleries]


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  • Albite — Catégorie IX : silicates[1] Albite Zillertal, Autriche (15x14 cm) …   Wikipédia en Français

  • albite — [ albit ] n. f. • 1814; du lat. albus « blanc » ♦ Feldspath de teinte pâle, aux macles fines non croisées. ● albite nom féminin (latin albus, blanc) Feldspath alcalin triclinique (formule NaAlSi3O8). [L albite constitue le pôle alcalin de la… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Albite — Al bite, n. [L. albus white.] (Min.) A mineral of the feldspar family, triclinic in crystallization, and in composition a silicate of alumina and soda. It is a common constituent of granite and of various igneous rocks. See {Feldspar}. [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • albite — s. f. [Mineralogia] Espécie de feldspato.   ♦ Grafia no Brasil: albita …   Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa

  • albite — [al′bīt΄] n. [< L albus, white + ITE1] a usually milky white variety of plagioclase, NaAlSi3O8, found in various plutonic rocks, esp. granite and syenite, often with twin crystals …   English World dictionary

  • albite — albitic /al bit ik/, adj. /al buyt/, n. Mineral. the sodium end member of the plagioclase feldspar group, light colored and found in alkalic igneous rocks. [1835 45; < L alb(us) white + ITE1] * * * Common feldspar mineral, a sodium… …   Universalium

  • albite — noun A plagioclase feldspar, the first member of the Albite Anorthite solid solution series …   Wiktionary

  • albite — albitas statusas T sritis chemija apibrėžtis Mineralas. formulė Na[AlSi₃O₈] atitikmenys: angl. albite; sodium feldspar rus. альбит; натриевый полевой шпат ryšiai: sinonimas – natrio feldšpatas …   Chemijos terminų aiškinamasis žodynas

  • albite — noun Etymology: Swedish albit, from Latin albus Date: circa 1843 a triclinic usually white mineral of the feldspar group consisting of a sodium aluminum silicate • albitic adjective …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • albite — al·bì·te s.f. TS mineral. minerale di colore bianco o grigio, costituito da plagioclasio di sodio, abbondante in graniti e porfidi e altre rocce eruttive {{line}} {{/line}} DATA: 1855. ETIMO: der. del lat. albus bianco con 2 ite …   Dizionario italiano

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