On the crystal chemistry of londonite [(Cs,K,Rb)Al4Be5B11O28] : a single-crystal neutron diffraction study at 300 and 20 K
Articolo
Data di Pubblicazione:
2010
Citazione:
On the crystal chemistry of londonite [(Cs,K,Rb)Al4Be5B11O28] : a single-crystal neutron diffraction study at 300 and 20 K / G.D. Gatta, P. Vignola, G.J. McIntyre, V. Diella. - In: AMERICAN MINERALOGIST. - ISSN 0003-004X. - 95:10(2010), pp. 1467-1472.
Abstract:
The crystal chemistry of londonite, a rare Cs-bearing mineral [ideal chemical formula: (Cs,K)Al4Be4(B,Be)12O28; a = 7.3098(2) Å at 300 K, space group PFormula3m] from the granitic pegmatites of the Antsongombato Gem Mine, Betafo district, Madagascar, has been reinvestigated by means of wavelength dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, and single-crystal neutron diffraction at 300 and 20 K. Single-crystal anisotropic structural refinement at 300 K gave a final agreement index R1 = 0.0479 for 32 refined parameters and 416 unique reflections with Fo > 4{sigma} (Fo). The analysis of the difference-Fourier maps of the nuclear density discounts the presence of hydroxyl groups, as wrongly reported in some of the previous studies. The structural refinements and the chemical analyses suggested that: the tetrahedral 4e site (at x ~ 0.258) is mainly occupied by Be, but a low amount of B (~3%) likely occurs; the tetrahedral 12h site (at x ~ 0.248) is mainly occupied by B, but a significant fraction of Be (~12%) is present; the octahedral 4e site (at x ~ 0.361) is fully occupied by Al; and the 1a site (at x = 0, with CN = 12) is mainly occupied by Cs, with Rb and K. The significantly high amount of B2O3 (~50 wt%) and Cs+Rb(CsO2+RbO2 ≥ 8 wt%) makes the synthetic counterpart of londonite of interest as a potential neutron absorber or a potential host for nuclear waste.
Tipologia IRIS:
01 - Articolo su periodico
Keywords:
Londonite ; Cs and B in minerals ; nuclear technology
Elenco autori:
G.D. Gatta, P. Vignola, G.J. McIntyre, V. Diella
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