The Related Layered Minerals Ganophyllite, Bannisterite, and Stilpnomelane1

Marie Smith Lindberg and Clifford Frondel
U.S. Geological Survey, Washington, D.C., and Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
1Publication authorized by the Director, U.S. Geological Survey. Harvard University, Mineralogical Contributions No. 454.

Summary: Two monoclinic minerals formerly classified as ganophyllite have been differentiated on the basis of single-crystal X-ray data. True ganophyllite occurs at the Harstig mine, Pajsberg, Sweden (a, 16·60 ± 0·05 Å; b, 27·04 ± 0·08 Å; c, 50·34 ± 0·15 Å; β, 94° 10′ ± 10′; space group A 2/a), at the Benallt mine, Caernarvonshire, Wales, and in Aroostook County, Maine. Bannisterite, a new mineral, occurs at Franklin, New Jersey (a, 22·20 ± 0·07 Å; b, 16·32 ± 0·05 Å; c, 24·70 ± 0·08 Å; β, 94° 20′ ± 10′; space group A2/a) and at the Benallt mine, Wales. Both minerals have similar pseudocells: a, 5·53 Å; b, 3·3 Å; c, 25 Å; β, 94° The chemical analysis of ganophyllite from the Harstig mine, Sweden, is: SiO2, 39·67 %; Al2O3, 7·95; Fe2O3, 0·90; MnO, 35·15; CaO, 1·11; MgO, 0·20; PbO, 0·20; K2O, 2·70; Na2O, 2·18; Li2O, trace; H2O, 9·79; total, 99·85. The chemical analysis of bannisterite from Franklin Furnace, New Jersey, is: SiO2 46·20 %; Al2O3, 4·74; MnO, 23·02; FeO, 6·40; ZnO, 4·67; CaO, 1·52; MgO, 1·99; Na2O, 0·29; K2O, 1·21; H2O, 9·74; total, 99·78.

Both ganophyllite and bannisterite show a structural resemblance to stilpnome-lane from Deer Isle, Maine, in projection on selected zones. All three have a micaceous cleavage parallel to {001} in the orientations here taken. Stilpnomelane is triclinic, pseudotrigonal, and pseudomonoclinic. In the triclinic cell, a = b, 22·05 Å ± 0·06 Å; c, 17·70 ±0·06; α, 124° 49′; β, 95° 58′; γ, 120° 00′ (angles ± 5′). In the trigonal subcell, a′, 3·2 Å; c′, 36·4. Small distorted trigonal subcells for ganophyllite have a′, 3·38 Å; c′ 37·7, and for bannisterite have a′, 3·264 and c′, 37 Å.

Mineralogical Magazine; September 1968 v. 36; no. 283; p. 893-913; DOI: 10.1180/minmag.1968.283.036.01
© 1968, The Mineralogical Society
Mineralogical Society (www.minersoc.org)