Abstract
The new mineral orschallite, Ca3(SO3)2SO4 · 12H2O, was found at the Hannebacher Ley near Hannebach, Eifel, Germany. Crystal structure analysis of the mineral, chemical analysis and water determination on synthetic material gave the composition Ca3(SO3)2SO4 · 12H2O. The mineral crystallizes in space group R3̅c with a = 11.350(1), c = 28.321(2) Å, V = 3159.7 Å3, Z = 6, Dc = 1.87 Mg/m3, Dm = 1.90(3) Mg/m3. It is uniaxial positive with the optical constants ω = 1.4941, ɛ = 1.4960(4). The strongest lines in the powder pattern are (d-value (Å), I, hkl) 5.73, 100, 1 0 4/8.11, 80, 0 1 2/2.69, 80, 3 0 6/3.63, 60, 1 1 6/3.28, 40, 3 0 0. Refinement of the crystal structure led to a weighted residual of Rw = 0.043 for 600 observed reflections with I > 2σ(I) and 52 variable parameters.
