Category Zeolite minerals Strunz classification 9.GB.05 Space group I2/a | Formula
(repeating unit) Ca8(Al16Si32O96)•16H2O Crystal system Monoclinic | |
Crystal class Prismatic (2/m)
(same H-M symbol) | ||
Wairakite is a zeolite mineral with an analcime structure but containing a calcium ion. The chemical composition is Ca8(Al16Si32O96)•16H2O. It is named for the location of its discovery in Wairakei, North Island, New Zealand, by Alfred Steiner in 1955. The mineral has since been found in metamorphic rocks and in geothermal areas. It was most likely first successfully synthesized in a laboratory in 1970.
References
Wairakite Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA