Mineral description : Pollucite

Pollucite from Varuträsk, Västerbotten.

Mineral class	Silicates : Tekto silicates : Nefeline leucite sodalite group
Chemical formula	(Cs,Na)2(Al2Si4O12)*H2O
Crystal system	Cubic
Habitus	As grains and masses, rarely as crystals.
Cleavage
Hardness	6.5
Density	2.86-2.90
Color	Colorless to white, gray and slightly yellow. Transprent to translucent.
Streak
Luster	Vitreous to adamantine.
Description
Occurance	In lithium pegmatites.
Associates
Notes	The main ore of cesium. Pollucite is soluble in concentrated sulfuric acid, it dissolves slowly in nitric acid and hydrochloric acid and separates out SiO2 after it's disintegration. It can dissolve quickly in phosphoric acid.
Locations	A rare mineral in Sweden Varuträsk, Västerbotten. As white or slightly yellow masses. Look for the oncosine veins, a positive sign of pollucite. A couple of tons have been mined here. Viitaniemi, Finland. Bernice lake, Manitoba. One of the largest deposits of pollucite. The deposit is estimated to contain about 300.000 tons of pollucite.

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