Constituent
- Name
- Albite
- IMA name
- Albite
- Class
- silicate mineral
- Compound type
- tektosilicate
- Comments
- Albite: name by extension in the range Ca=0-10%, K=0-10% of $(Na,Ca,K)Al_2Si_2O_8$
- Relevance
- main - major
- Arrangement
- heterogeneous in multi-phases
- Mass fraction
- 9.01
- Formula
- $NaAlSi_3O_8$
- Chemical formula
- NaAlSi3O8
- Elemental formula
- Na Al Si3 O8
- Isotope mixture type
- terrestrial abundance
- Composition comments
- Typical formula: Na0.95Ca0.05Al1.05Si2.95O8 - Common replacement: Ca, K - Common impurities: Mg
- Oxides
-
Formula $Na_{2}O$ $CaO$ $K_{2}O$ $Al_{2}O_{3}$ $SiO_{2}$ Mass fraction (%) 12.26 20.35 67.39 - Oxides comments
- frequently also Na2O ~1%
Strunz
- Class
- silicates (09)
- Division
- tektosilicate without zeolitic H2O (09.F)
- Family
- Tektosilicates without additional non-tetrahedral anions, (Al,B):Si = 1:1 (09.FA)
- Code
- 09.FA.35
Dana
- Major class
- silicates (VIII)
- Class
- tectosilicate Al-Si framework (76)
- Type
- with Al-Si frameworks (76.01)
- Group
- Plagioclase series (76.01.03)
- Code
- 76.01.03.01
- Phase type
- crystalline
- Crystal system
- triclinic
- Crystal class
- pinacoidal
- Crystal class symbol
- -1 (Ci)
- Crystal spacegroup
- P-1
- Texture
- polycrystalline
- Molar mass
- 263.02 $g/mol$
- Density
- 2.61 - 2.63 $g/cm^3$
- Refringence type
- biaxial
- Refringence sign
- positive
- Birefringence
- 0.009 - 0.010
- Refraction index $n_{\alpha}$
- 1.528 - 1.533
- Refraction index $n_{\beta}$
- 1.532 - 1.537
- Refraction index $n_{\gamma}$
- 1.538 - 1.542
- Dispersion V
- r < v; weak (low)
- Color
- white, gray, greenish gray, bluish green
- Diaphaneity
- transparent to subtranslucent
- Luster
- vitreous