Sanidine

Formula: K-Na-feldspar

Origin of name: from Greek for tablet

 

Crystal system: monoclinic

Crystal class: 2/m

Twinning: common by Carlsbad law, less common by Manebach or Baveno law

Unit cell: a = 8.43 Å, b = 13.00 Å, c = 7.17 Å, b = 116.1°

 

Colour: colourless, whitish, tan, pinkish

Diaphaneity: transparent to translucent

Luster: vitreous

Habit: crystals prismatic, often tabular

Hardness: 6

Specific gravity: 2.56 to 2.62

Cleavage: 6; {001} and {010} perfect, {100}, {110}, {-110} and {-210} partings

Tenacity: brittle

Streak: white

 

Synonyms/varieties: potassium feldspar, potash feldspar

 

Comments: K-Na feldspar with disordered Al-Si arrangement, trimorphous with microcline and orthoclase

 

Back to Alphabetical list Colour photos Optical properties/Thin sections: 1) low sanidine, 2) high sanidine SEM images TEM images vibrational spectra description IR spectra Raman spectra N-IR spectra F-IR spectra IES spectra