Banalsite

Banalsite is a rare barium, sodium aluminium silicate mineral with formula: BaNa₂Al₄Si₄O₁₆6. Banalsite is a tectosilicate of the feldspar group.

Banalsite and its strontium analogue, stronalsite (SrNa₂Al₄Si₄O₁₆), constitute a complete solid solution series.[4] In addition limited solid solution with calcium exists between these and lisetite: CaNa₂Al₄Si₄O₁₆.[5]

It was first described in 1944 for an occurrence in the Benallt Mine, Rhiw, Llanfaelrhys, Lleyn Peninsula, Gwynedd (Caernarvonshire), Wales.[2] The name is derived from the chemical symbols of its composition. It has also been reported from Långban, Värmland, Sweden and from the Kalahari manganese field, Cape Province, South Africa.[1] It has recently been reported from the nepheline syenites of the Zhidoy massif, Eastern Sayan, Siberia, Russia; the Prairie Lake complex of alkaline rocks and carbonatites, Superior Alkaline Province, northwestern Ontario, Canada; the Pilansberg peralkaline complex, South Africa; the Sakharjok alkaline complex in the Kola Alkaline Province, Kola Peninsula of northwestern Russia {the Gremyakha–Vyrmes peralkaline complex, and the Turiy Mys complex of ultramafic–alkaline rocks and carbonatites.[5]

References

1. ^ a b http://rruff.geo.arizona.edu/doclib/hom/banalsite.pdf Handbook of Mineralogy
2. ^ a b http://www.mindat.org/min-504.html Mindat.org
3. ^ http://www.webmineral.com/data/Banalsite.shtml Webmineral data
4. ^ Liferovich, Ruslan P., et. al., The Crystal Structure of Stronalsite and a Redetermination of the Structure of Banalsite, The Canadian Mineralogist, Vol. 44, pp. 533-546 (2006)
5. ^ a b Liferovich, Ruslan P., et. al., Paragenesis and Composition of Banalsite, Stronalsite, and Their Solid Solution in Nepheline Syenite and Ultramafic Alkaline Rocks, The Canadian Mineralogist, Vol. 44, pp. 929-942 (2006)

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