Magnesium Silicate (Enstatite)
MgSiO3
|
Chemical name
Magnesium Silicate (Enstatite) |
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Mineral name
Enstatite |
|
Chemical formula
MgSiO3 |
|
Melting point [°C]
N/A |
|
Crystal system
orthorhombic |
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Crystal Class
orthorhombic-dipyramidal (2/m 2/m 2/m) |
|
Space Group
Pbca |
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Unit cell
a [Å]:18.23 b [Å]:8.84 c [Å]:5.19 |
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Molecular weight [g/mol]
100.39 |
|
Formula units
Z=8 |
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Frequent crystal surfaces
{010}, {210}, {311}, {111} |
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Twinning
simple or lamellar on {100} |
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Mohs hardness
5 - 6 |
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Density [g/cm3]
~3.2 |
|
Cleavage
good on {210} |
|
Fracture / Tenacity
brittle, uneven |
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Color
colorless, white, gray, yellowish-green, olive, brown |
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Streak
white |
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Transparency
translucent to opaque |
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Luster
vitreous |
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Optical character
biaxial (+) |
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Refractive Index
nα=1.650-1.668; nβ=1.652-1.673; nΥ=1.659-1.679 |
|
Birefringence δ
0.010 |
|
Pleochroism δ
moderate |
