NaLiPO
Nalipoite was first collected in 1988 from a sodalite syenite xenolith.
The unidentified mineral UK63 from Mont Saint-Hilaire has been shown
to be the natural analogue of NaLiPO
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
Color is white, very pale blue or very pale yellow.
Luster is vitreous.
Diaphaneity is transparent to translucent.
Crystal System is orthorhombic (pseudohexagonal); Pmnb
Crystal Habits include anhedral to subhedral blocky grains to 2mm
and as irregular grains 0.2mm in clusters.
Cleavage: {100}, {010}, {001}and {110} are good.
Fracture is uneven.
Hardness is ~4.
Specific Gravity is approximately 2.58 g/cm
Streak is white.
Associated Minerals include aegirine, analcime, cancrinite, chkalovite,
clinoamphibole group, eudialyte, lintisite, lovozerite, natrophosphate,
rasvumite, revdite, sérandite, silinaite, sidorenkite, steenstrupine,
terskite, thermonatrite, ussingite, villiaumite, vitusite-(Ce) and
vuonnemite.
Distinguishing Features: Very brittle. Not fluorescent. Cleavage.
Origin: Named for its composition (Na +Li + P + O + ite), formerly
designated as UK #63.
CLASSIFICATION:
Dana System
# 38.4.10.3
Strunz Classification
# VII/A.01-25
REFERENCES:
CanMin 29:565-568 (1991), CanMin 29:569-573 (1991), Dana 8:728 (1997)
DISTRIBUTION AND RARITY AT MONT SAINT-HILAIRE:
MSH
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