Meridianiite
A variety of Minerals
What is Meridianiite?
Meridianiite is the mineral consisting of magnesium sulfate undecahydrate, MgSO4·11H2O. It is colorless transparent crystalline salt that precipitates from solutions saturated in Mg and SO4 ions at temperatures less than 2 °C. The synthetic compound was formerly known as Fritzsche's salt. Meridianiite is a naturally occurring mineral species found on Earth in a variety of environments including sea ice, crusts and efflorescences in coal/metal mines, cave systems, oxidized zones of sulfide deposits, salt lakes/playas and Antarctic ice-cores. It is commonly associated with other evaporite minerals such as epsomite, mirabilite, halides, and other sodium-magnesium-sulfates. There is some evidence that it was once present on the surface of Mars, and may occur in several bodies of the Solar system. As of 2012, it was the only undecahydrate sulfate known.
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Key Characteristics
Characteristics of Meridianiite
Meridianiite belongs to the triclinic crystal system, having cell parameters a = 6.7459 Å, b = 6.8173 Å, c = 17.299 Å, a density = 1.512 g/cm, x-ray diffraction peaks at d-spacings = 5.73, 5.62, 5.41, 4.91, 4.85, 2.988, 2.958 (highest intensity), and 2.940, and is IR active. It produces needle-shaped to broad flat crystals that are clear to colorless-white. Meridianiite decomposes incongruently above 2 °C to produce epsomite (MgSO4·7H2O) and water. Meridaniite and water have an eutectic point at −3.9 °C and 17.3% (mass) of MgSO4. Meridianiite can incorporate large proportions of other divalent cations (whose sulfates themselves do not seem to form an undecahydrate) as solid solution, without changes to its structure. These include nickel (up to about 27% of the cations replaced), zinc (up to about 27%), cobalt (up to about 67%), manganese(II) (about 62%), copper (about 8%), and iron(II) (about 8%). At pressures of about 0.9 GPa and at 240 K, meridianiite decomposes into a mixture of ice VI and the enneahydrate MgSO4·9H2O,
Quick Facts
Chemical Properties
- Chemical Formula
- MgSO4 · 11H2O
- Elements
- H, Mg, O, S
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