Gonnardite and disordered natrolite-group minerals: their distinction and relations with mesolite, natrolite and thomsonite

1988 ◽  
Vol 52 (365) ◽  
pp. 207-219 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rab Nawaz

AbstractThis paper presents a literature survey of compositions of the fibrous zeolites mesolite, natrolite, thomsonite and their derivatives such as pseudomesolite, high-Na mesolite, tetranatrolite, paranatrolite, ranite, and gonnardite, and evaluates them in the light of new electron probe analyses and X-ray powder data for gonnardites and associated minerals from Aci Castello, Gignat, Hills Port, Kladno, and Lamo. The analyses are plotted on the basis of bivalent vs. trivalent cations per 80 oxygen cell and a new chemical classification is tentatively proposed. It is concluded that ranite is definitely not synonymous with gonnardite and until species status is confirmed it is useful to retain this term as a Ca- and Al-rich disordered variety of natrolite. It is further concluded that natrolite and tetranatrolite contain up to 2 Ca, ranite 2–4 Ca, gonnardite 4–6 Ca and thomsonite 6–8 Ca atoms with corresponding limits on the Al atoms. Compositions are governed by NaSi = CaAl and to some extent by Na2 = Ca type replacements and the Al-content generally varies sympathetically with Ca-content. The plot reveals that most high-Na mesolites are ranites, a number of gonnardites are ranites and one or two are tetranatrolites. The compositional field of gonnardite crosses that of mesolite (and pseudomesolite), but these minerals can be easily distinguished optically and by their powder patterns. The unit cell volumes increase in the order tetranatrolite, ranite, gonnardite and paranatrolite, therefore if the 1040 (or 1460) line can be identified in the powder patterns one can distinguish between these minerals. New infrared spectra of gonnardite, ranite and tetranatrolite are compared with each other and with published spectra, and differences are noted. DSC results for gonnardite and ranite are compared and appear to be diagnostic.

2019 ◽  
Vol 75 (7) ◽  
pp. 1020-1025 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jarrod V. Crum ◽  
Saehwa Chong ◽  
Jacob A. Peterson ◽  
Brian J. Riley

Six different rare-earth oxyapatites, including Ca2 RE 8(SiO4)6O2 (RE = La, Nd, Sm, Eu, or Yb) and NaLa9(SiO4)6O2, were synthesized using solution-based processes followed by cold pressing and sintering. The crystal structures of the synthesized oxyapatites were determined from powder X-ray diffraction (P-XRD) and their chemistries verified with electron probe microanalysis (EPMA). All the oxyapatites were isostructural within the hexagonal space group P63/m and showed similar unit-cell parameters. The isolated [SiO4]4− tetrahedra in each crystal are linked by the cations at the 4f and 6h sites occupied by RE 3+ and Ca2+ in Ca2 RE 8(SiO4)6O2 or La3+ and Na+ in NaLa9(SiO4)6O2. The lattice parameters, cell volumes, and densities of the synthesized oxyapatites fit well to the trendlines calculated from literature values.


Author(s):  
Richard L. McConville

A second generation twin lens has been developed. This symmetrical lens with a wider bore, yet superior values of chromatic and spherical aberration for a given focal length, retains both eucentric ± 60° tilt movement and 20°x ray detector take-off angle at 90° to the tilt axis. Adjust able tilt axis height, as well as specimen height, now ensures almost invariant objective lens strengths for both TEM (parallel beam conditions) and STEM or nano probe (focused small probe) modes.These modes are selected through use of an auxiliary lens situ ated above the objective. When this lens is on the specimen is illuminated with a parallel beam of electrons, and when it is off the specimen is illuminated with a focused probe of dimensions governed by the excitation of the condenser 1 lens. Thus TEM/STEM operation is controlled by a lens which is independent of the objective lens field strength.


Author(s):  
R. Hutchings ◽  
I.P. Jones ◽  
M.H. Loretto ◽  
R.E. Smallman

There is increasing interest in X-ray microanalysis of thin specimens and the present paper attempts to define some of the factors which govern the spatial resolution of this type of microanalysis. One of these factors is the spreading of the electron probe as it is transmitted through the specimen. There will always be some beam-spreading with small electron probes, because of the inevitable beam divergence associated with small, high current probes; a lower limit to the spatial resolution is thus 2αst where 2αs is the beam divergence and t the specimen thickness.In addition there will of course be beam spreading caused by elastic and inelastic interaction between the electron beam and the specimen. The angle through which electrons are scattered by the various scattering processes can vary from zero to 180° and it is clearly a very complex calculation to determine the effective size of the beam as it propagates through the specimen.


Author(s):  
J. R. Michael

X-ray microanalysis in the analytical electron microscope (AEM) refers to a technique by which chemical composition can be determined on spatial scales of less than 10 nm. There are many factors that influence the quality of x-ray microanalysis. The minimum probe size with sufficient current for microanalysis that can be generated determines the ultimate spatial resolution of each individual microanalysis. However, it is also necessary to collect efficiently the x-rays generated. Modern high brightness field emission gun equipped AEMs can now generate probes that are less than 1 nm in diameter with high probe currents. Improving the x-ray collection solid angle of the solid state energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) results in more efficient collection of x-ray generated by the interaction of the electron probe with the specimen, thus reducing the minimum detectability limit. The combination of decreased interaction volume due to smaller electron probe size and the increased collection efficiency due to larger solid angle of x-ray collection should enhance our ability to study interfacial segregation.


Author(s):  
P. Ingram

It is well established that unique physiological information can be obtained by rapidly freezing cells in various functional states and analyzing the cell element content and distribution by electron probe x-ray microanalysis. (The other techniques of microanalysis that are amenable to imaging, such as electron energy loss spectroscopy, secondary ion mass spectroscopy, particle induced x-ray emission etc., are not addressed in this tutorial.) However, the usual processes of data acquisition are labor intensive and lengthy, requiring that x-ray counts be collected from individually selected regions of each cell in question and that data analysis be performed subsequent to data collection. A judicious combination of quantitative elemental maps and static raster probes adds not only an additional overall perception of what is occurring during a particular biological manipulation or event, but substantially increases data productivity. Recent advances in microcomputer instrumentation and software have made readily feasible the acquisition and processing of digital quantitative x-ray maps of one to several cells.


Author(s):  
A. LeFurgey ◽  
P. Ingram ◽  
L.J. Mandel

For quantitative determination of subcellular Ca distribution by electron probe x-ray microanalysis, decreasing (and/or eliminating) the K content of the cell maximizes the ability to accurately separate the overlapping K Kß and Ca Kα peaks in the x-ray spectra. For example, rubidium has been effectively substituted for potassium in smooth muscle cells, thus giving an improvement in calcium measurements. Ouabain, a cardiac glycoside widely used in experimental and clinical applications, inhibits Na-K ATPase at the cell membrane and thus alters the cytoplasmic ion (Na,K) content of target cells. In epithelial cells primarily involved in active transport, such as the proximal tubule of the rabbit kidney, ouabain rapidly (t1/2= 2 mins) causes a decrease2 in intracellular K, but does not change intracellular total or free Ca for up to 30 mins. In the present study we have taken advantage of this effect of ouabain to determine the mitochondrial and cytoplasmic Ca content in freeze-dried cryosections of kidney proximal tubule by electron probe x-ray microanalysis.


2013 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 719-726
Author(s):  
R. Ayadi ◽  
Mohamed Boujelbene ◽  
T. Mhiri

The present paper is interested in the study of compounds from the apatite family with the general formula Ca10 (PO4)6A2. It particularly brings to light the exploitation of the distinctive stereochemistries of two Ca positions in apatite. In fact, Gd-Bearing oxyapatiteCa8 Gd2 (PO4)6O2 has been synthesized by solid state reaction and characterized by X-ray powder diffraction. The site occupancies of substituents is0.3333 in Gd and 0.3333 for Ca in the Ca(1) position and 0. 5 for Gd in the Ca (2) position.  Besides, the observed frequencies in the Raman and infrared spectra were explained and discussed on the basis of unit-cell group analyses.


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