Constituent
Name
Mg-exchanged beidellite SbId-1 size-fraction <0.1 µm
IMA name
Beidellite
Class
silicate mineral
Compound type
phyllosilicate
Comments
Beidelite has a typical hydration number of 1 - Chemical composition and molecular mass are per half unit cell
Formula
$Mg_{0.20}(Al_{1.89}Mg_{0.1}Fe_{0.05})(Si_{3.59}Al_{0.41})O_{10}(OH)_2$
Chemical formula
(Na,Ca0.5)0.3Al2(Si,Al)4O10(OH)2•n(H2O)
Elemental formula
(Al)2.3-2.5 Mg0.3 Fe0.05 (Si)3.59-4 O12 H2
Isotope mixture type
terrestrial abundance
  Formula Name Family Number min-max Isotope mole fraction State Relevance
$Al$ Aluminium element 2.3 - 2.5 1.0 constituent element main
$Mg$ Magnesium element 0.3 1.0 constituent element main
$Fe$ Iron element 0.05 1.0 constituent element main
$Si$ Silicon element 3.59 - 4 1.0 constituent element main
$O$ Oxygen element 12 1.0 constituent element main
$H$ Hydrogen element 2 1.0 constituent element main
Composition comments
Typical formula: $Na_{0.5}Al_2.(Si_{3.5}Al_{0.5})O_{10}(OH)_2 \bullet (H_2O)$ - Common impurities: Ti, K, Mg, Fe - Intermolecular water was not taken into account in atomic composition calculation
Chemical functions
  Function Number
$(OH)^-$ 2
Chemical bonds
  Bond Number
$O^--H$ 1
Oxides
Formula $SiO_{2}$ $Al_{2}O_{3}$ $MgO$ $Fe_{2}O_{3}$ $H_{2}O$
Mass fraction (%) 55.84 34.25 3.06 1.95 4.88

Strunz

Class
silicates (09)
Division
phyllosilicate (09.E)
Family
with mica sheets, composed of tetrahedral and octahedral nets (09.EC)
Code
09.EC.40

Dana

Major class
silicates (VIII)
Class
phyllosilicate sheets of six-membered rings (71)
Type
with 2:1 clays (71.03)
Group
Smectite group (Dioctahedral Smectites) (71.03.01a)
Code
71.03.01a.01
Phase type
crystalline
Crystal system
monoclinic
Crystal class
prismatic
Crystal class symbol
2/m (C2h)
Crystal spacegroup
C2/m
Texture
cryptocrystalline
Molar mass
369.0 $g/mol$
Density
N/A $g/cm^3$
Refringence type
biaxial
Refringence sign
negative
Birefringence
0.030 - 0.032
Refraction index $n_{\alpha}$
1.494 - 1.503
Refraction index $n_{\beta}$
1.525 - 1.532
Refraction index $n_{\gamma}$
1.526 - 1.533
Dispersion V
0
Color
white, gray, reddish white, brownish white, pale yellow
Diaphaneity
translucent to subtranslucent
Luster
N/A