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Natrolemoynite mineral

Hydrated sodium-zirconium silicate mineral of the lemoynite group with current September 2026 IMA-CNMNC approved formula Na4Zr2Si10O26(H2O)7·2H2O, status A, and approval number IMA 1996-063. McDonald and Chao (2001) described the holotype specimen (Canadian Museum of Nature CNMMI 81534) from altered pegmatite clasts within an igneous breccia at the Poudrette quarry, Mont Saint-Hilaire, Rouville County, Quebec, Canada, where it occurs as a hydrothermal pseudomorph after eudialyte alongside microcline, albite, aegirine, arfvedsonite, catapleiite, gaidonnayite, and pyrite. Electron-microprobe WDS analysis (mean of 19 analyses on 4 crystals, p. 1297) with H2O calculated by crystal-structure analysis yielded Na2O 7.47, K2O 1.29, CaO 0.37, MnO 0.12, Al2O3 0.04, SiO2 54.51, TiO2 0.38, ZrO2 21.97, Nb2O5 1.01, H2O 14.72 (calc), total 101.88 wt%, corresponding on the basis of Si + Al = 10 to the empirical formula (Na2.66K0.30Ca0.07Mn0.02)Sigma3.05(Zr1.96Nb0.08Ti0.05)Sigma2.09(Si9.99Al0.01)Sigma10O25.79·9H2O (reduced Na below ideal 4 apfu attributed to Na migration and volatilization under the electron beam). Single-crystal X-ray diffraction refined in monoclinic space group C2/m (a = 10.5150(2), b = 16.2534(4), c = 9.1029(3) A, beta = 105.462(2) degrees, V = 1499.4(1) A3, Z = 2; reported as R = 4.2% for 2125 reflections in abstract/text pp. 1295, 1299 and R = 4.6%, wR2 = 13.6% for 2133 observed reflections out of 2289 unique reflections in Table 2 p. 1300; Guinier-Hagg powder cell a = 10.525(3), b = 16.235(4), c = 9.104(2) A, beta = 105.48(1) degrees, V = 1499.2(4) A3) established six-membered silicate ring sheets linked by [ZrO6] octahedra, with channel-hosted Na+ and H2O sites lowering crystal-chemical doubling relative to C2/c lemoynite. Distinct from lemoynite, alluaivite, eudialyte, and elemental zirconium; no criticality designation, microbial mechanism, or industrial recovery yield is asserted.

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Identifiers & Classification

System Identifier Label
IMA IMA:1996-063 Natrolemoynite

Sources & References

  1. ima_2026_09: IMA-CNMNC, The New IMA List of Minerals, September 2026, PDF page 152, Natrolemoynite row: formula Na4Zr2Si10O26(H2O)7·2H2O, status A, IMA No. 1996-063, country Canada, reference Canadian Mineralogist 39 (2001), 1295; column definitions on PDF page 1.
    https://cnmnc.units.it/files/editor/IMA_Master_List_(2026-09).pdf (accessed 2026-10-22)
  2. mcdonald_2001_natrolemoynite: McDonald AM, Chao GY (2001), Natrolemoynite, a new hydrated sodium zirconium silicate from Mont Saint-Hilaire, Quebec: description and structure determination, Canadian Mineralogist 39:1295-1306, DOI 10.2113/gscanmin.39.5.1295. Complete 12-page primary PDF visually inspected: occurrence, holotype CNMMI 81534, optical/IR properties, WDS chemical composition, and powder XRD Table 1 pp. 1295-1299; monoclinic C2/m structure refinement Tables 2-6 and Figures 1-4 pp. 1299-1305.
    https://www.rruff.net/doclib/cm/vol39/CM39_1295.pdf (accessed 2026-10-22)

Curation History

Timestamp Curator Action Summary
2026-10-22T07:20:00Z antigravity CREATE Created natrolemoynite mineral record with verified IMA:1996-063 identity, holotype CNMMI 81534 WDS chemistry, and monoclinic C2/m crystal structure from the complete 2001 primary study.

Record source: data/records/natrolemoynite.yaml