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Letovicite
A valid IMA mineral species - grandfathered
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About Letovicite
Letovice, Czech Republic
Formula:
(NH4)3H(SO4)2
Colour:
Colourless, white; colourless in transmitted light
Hardness:
1 - 2
Specific Gravity:
1.83
Crystal System:
Triclinic
Name:
After the type locality, Letovice (Lettowitz), Moravia, Czech Republic.
This species was described and named based on an anthropogenic origin (burning coal mine dumps) but has since been identified in nature.
Unique Identifiers
Mindat ID:
2382
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:2382:1
IMA Classification of Letovicite
Approved, 'Grandfathered' (first described prior to 1959)
IMA Formula:
(N3-H4)3H(S6+O4)2
First published:
1932
Classification of Letovicite
7.AD.20
7 : SULFATES (selenates, tellurates, chromates, molybdates, wolframates)
A : Sulfates (selenates, etc.) without additional anions, without H2O
D : With only large cations
7 : SULFATES (selenates, tellurates, chromates, molybdates, wolframates)
A : Sulfates (selenates, etc.) without additional anions, without H2O
D : With only large cations
28.1.3.1
28 : ANHYDROUS ACID AND NORMAL SULFATES
1 : Anhydrous Acid Sulfates
28 : ANHYDROUS ACID AND NORMAL SULFATES
1 : Anhydrous Acid Sulfates
25.1.9
25 : Sulphates
1 : Sulphates of the alkali metals and ammonium
25 : Sulphates
1 : Sulphates of the alkali metals and ammonium
Mineral Symbols
As of 2021 there are now IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.
| Symbol | Source | Reference for Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Let | IMA–CNMNC | Warr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43 |
Physical Properties of Letovicite
Transparency:
Transparent
Colour:
Colourless, white; colourless in transmitted light
Streak:
White
Hardness:
1 - 2 on Mohs scale
Cleavage:
Distinct/Good
Distinct, on {001}.
Distinct, on {001}.
Fracture:
Irregular/Uneven
Density:
1.83 g/cm3 (Measured) 1.82 g/cm3 (Calculated)
Optical Data of Letovicite
Type:
Biaxial (-)
RI values:
nα = 1.501 nβ = 1.516 nγ = 1.525
2V:
Measured: 75° , Calculated: 74°
Max. Birefringence:
δ = 0.024
Based on recorded range of RI values above.
Based on recorded range of RI values above.
Interference Colours:
The colours simulate birefringence patterns seen in thin section under crossed polars. They do not take into account mineral colouration or opacity.
Michel-Levy Bar The default colours simulate the birefringence range for a 30 µm thin-section thickness. Adjust the slider to simulate a different thickness.
Grain Simulation You can rotate the grain simulation to show how this range might look as you rotated a sample under crossed polars. Each grain retains its interference colour (retardation) while its brightness falls to black at extinction and reaches a maximum between extinction positions.
The colours simulate birefringence patterns seen in thin section under crossed polars. They do not take into account mineral colouration or opacity.
Michel-Levy Bar The default colours simulate the birefringence range for a 30 µm thin-section thickness. Adjust the slider to simulate a different thickness.
Grain Simulation You can rotate the grain simulation to show how this range might look as you rotated a sample under crossed polars. Each grain retains its interference colour (retardation) while its brightness falls to black at extinction and reaches a maximum between extinction positions.
Surface Relief:
Low (negative)
Relative to Canada balsam mounting medium (n ≈ 1.537).
Relative to Canada balsam mounting medium (n ≈ 1.537).
This shows the grain boundary and Becke line effect under plane-polarised
light, based on the contrast between this mineral's average refractive
index and the mounting medium. It does not take into account mineral
colouration.
In focus
Interference Figure:
This shows the idealized biaxial acute bisectrix (Bxa) interference figure
- the conoscopic view for a grain cut perpendicular to the acute bisectrix, using
this mineral's 2V. The two small white dots mark the melatopes - the points
where the two optic axes emerge - and are shown only when they fall within the
field of view. The coloured bands are isochromatics, and the dark bands are
isogyres.
Rotate the stage: at 0°/90° the isogyres form a cross through the melatopes; at 45° they pull apart into curved hyperbolas. That splitting on rotation - absent in a uniaxial figure - is the standard diagnostic test for telling biaxial minerals from uniaxial ones. If 2V is large, the melatopes may fall outside the field of view, as they often do at the microscope too.
Rotate the stage: at 0°/90° the isogyres form a cross through the melatopes; at 45° they pull apart into curved hyperbolas. That splitting on rotation - absent in a uniaxial figure - is the standard diagnostic test for telling biaxial minerals from uniaxial ones. If 2V is large, the melatopes may fall outside the field of view, as they often do at the microscope too.
Dispersion:
relatively strong
Optical Extinction:
Z = b; X ∧ c = 78°.
Chemistry of Letovicite
Mindat Formula:
(NH4)3H(SO4)2
Element Weights:
Elements listed:
Crystallography of Letovicite
Crystal System:
Triclinic
Cell Parameters:
a = 5.87(1) Å, b = 10.17(3) Å, c = 8.27(1) Å
α = 101.1(4)°, β = 111.1(1)°, γ = 89.9(2)°
α = 101.1(4)°, β = 111.1(1)°, γ = 89.9(2)°
Ratio:
a:b:c = 0.577 : 1 : 0.813
Unit Cell V:
450.75 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:
2
Morphology:
Tiny pseudo-hexagonal plates on {001}. Granular massive.
Twinning:
Lamellar, common.
Comment:
Point Group: 1 or 1; Space Group: P1 or P1.
Crystal Structure
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Unit Cell | Unit Cell Packed
2x2x2 | 3x3x3 | 4x4x4
Unit Cell | Unit Cell Packed
2x2x2 | 3x3x3 | 4x4x4
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Data courtesy of the American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database. Click on an AMCSD ID to view structure
| ID | Species | Reference | Link | Year | Locality | Pressure (GPa) | Temp (K) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0014022 | Letovicite | Friese K, Aroyo M I, Schwalowsky I, Adiwidjaja G, Bismayer U (2002) The disordered high-temperature structure of (NH4)3H(SO4)2 and its relationship to the room-temperature phase Journal of Solid State Chemistry 165 136-147 | 2002 | synthetic | 0 | 293 | |
| 0009806 | Letovicite | Leclaire A, Ledesert M, Monier J, Daoud A, Damak M (1985) Structure du disulfate acide de triammonium. Une redetermination. Relations des chaines de liaisons hydrogene avec la morphologie et la conductivite eletrique _cod_database_code 1001784 Acta Crystallographica B41 209-213 |  | 1985 | 0 | 293 |
CIF Raw Data - click here to close
X-Ray Powder Diffraction
Powder Diffraction Data:
| d-spacing | Intensity |
|---|---|
| 4.95 Å | (100) |
| 4.98 Å | (85) |
| 3.77 Å | (80) |
| 3.39 Å | (75) |
| 2.932 Å | (50) |
| 3.36 Å | (45) |
| 4.65 Å | (35) |
Geological Environment
Paragenetic Mode(s):
| Paragenetic Mode | Earliest Age (Ga) |
|---|---|
| Stage 3b: Earth’s earliest hydrosphere | >4.45 |
| 14 : Hot springs, geysers, and other subaerial geothermal minerals | |
| Stage 10a: Neoproterozoic oxygenation/terrestrial biosphere | <0.6 |
| 50 : Coal and/or oil shale minerals | <0.36 |
| Stage 10b: Anthropogenic minerals | <10 Ka |
| 54 : Coal and other mine fire minerals (see also #51 and #56) |
Type Occurrence of Letovicite
General Appearance of Type Material:
Corroded tabular crystals.
Place of Conservation of Type Material:
Moravian Museum, Brno, Czech Republic, A6110.
Geological Setting of Type Material:
Burning coal mine waste heaps.
Associated Minerals at Type Locality:
Other Language Names for Letovicite
Common Associates
Associations Based on Photo Data:
| 2 photos of Letovicite associated with Salammoniac | NH4Cl |
| 1 photo of Letovicite associated with Mascagnite | (NH4)2SO4 |
Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping
| 7.AD. | Bubnovaite | K2Na8Ca(SO4)6 |
| 7.AD. | Dobrovolskyite | Na4Ca(SO4)3 |
| 7.AD. | Calciolangbeinite | K2Ca2(SO4)3 |
| 7.AD. | Murphyite | Pb(Te6+O4) |
| 7.AD. | Cuprodobrovolskyite | Na4Cu(SO4)3 |
| 7.AD. | Kristjánite | KNa2H(SO4)2 |
| 7.AD.05 | Mascagnite | (NH4)2SO4 |
| 7.AD.05 | Arcanite | K2SO4 |
| 7.AD.10 | Mercallite | KHSO4 |
| 7.AD.15 | Misenite | K8H6(SO4)7 |
| 7.AD.25 | Thénardite | Na2SO4 |
| 7.AD.25 | Glauberite | Na2Ca(SO4)2 |
| 7.AD.30 | Metathénardite | Na2SO4 |
| 7.AD.30 | Anhydrite | CaSO4 |
| 7.AD.35 | Baryte | BaSO4 |
| 7.AD.35 | Celestine | SrSO4 |
| 7.AD.35 | Olsacherite | Pb2(Se6+O4)(SO4) |
| 7.AD.35 | Anglesite | PbSO4 |
| 7.AD.40 | Kalistrontite | K2Sr(SO4)2 |
| 7.AD.40 | Palmierite | K2Pb(SO4)2 |
| 7.AD.45 | Ivsite | Na3H(SO4)2 |
| 7.AD.55 | Markhininite | TlBi(SO4)2 |
Other Information
Notes:
Readily soluble in water. Volatile.
Health Risks:
No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.
Internet Links for Letovicite
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-2382.html
Please feel free to link to this page.
Please feel free to link to this page.
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References for Letovicite
Reference List:
Sekanina, J. (1932) Letovicit, ein neues Mineral und seine Begleiter. Zeitschrift für Kristallographie, 83 (1-6). 117-122 doi:10.1524/zkri.1932.83.1.117
Davis, B. L., Johnson, L. R. (1984) The true unit cell of ammonium hydrogen sulfate, (NH4)3H(SO4)2. Journal of Applied Crystallography, 17 (5) 331-333 doi:10.1107/s0021889884011596
Minge, J., Waplak, S. (1984) Successive Phase Transitions in (NH4)3H(SO4)2 and (ND4)3D(SO4)2 Crystals Studied by EPR of the VO2+ Ion and SeO3− Radical. physica status solidi (b), 123 (1). 27-36 doi:10.1002/pssb.2221230103
Dunn, Pete J., Ferraiolo, James A., Fleischer, Michael, Gobel, Volker, Grice, Joel D., Langley, Richard H., Shigley, James E., Vanko, David A., Zilczer, Janet A. (1985) New mineral names. American Mineralogist, 70 (11-12) 1329-1335 p.1334
Leclaire, A., Ledésert, M., Monier, J. C., Daoud, A., Damak, M. (1985) Structure du disulfate acide de triammonium. Une redétermination. Relations des chaînes de liaisons hydrogène avec la morphologie et la conductivité électrique. Acta Crystallographica Section B Structural Science, 41 (4) 209-213 doi:10.1107/s0108768185002002
Davis, B. L., Johnson, L. R. (1986) The true unit cell of ammonium hydrogen sulfate, (NH4)3H(SO4)2. Errata. Journal of Applied Crystallography, 19 (4) 274 doi:10.1107/s0021889886089434
Sinitsyn, V (1995) Pressure effect on phase transitions and protonic conductivity in Rb3H(SeO4)2 and (NH4)3H(SO4)2. Solid State Ionics, 77. 118-121 doi:10.1016/0167-2738(94)00229-l
Schwalowsky, L.; Bismayer, U.; Lippmann, Th. (1996) The improper ferroelastic phase transition of letovicite, (NH4)3H(SO4)2: An optical birefringence, X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopic study. Phase Transitions, 59 (1-3). 61-76 doi:10.1080/01411599608220036
Smirnov, L. S., Baranov, A. I., Shuvalov, L. A., Bobrowicz-Sarga, L., Natkaniec, I., Waplak, S. (2001) Low-temperature phase transitions and dynamics of ammonium in (NH4)3H(SO4)2 and [(NH4)1−x Rbx]3H(SO4)2 crystals. Physics of the Solid State, 43. 117-126 doi:10.1134/1.1340197
Friese, K., Aroyo, M.I., Schwalowsky, L., Adiwidjaja, G., Bismayer, U. (2002) The Disordered High-Temperature Structure of (NH4)3H(SO4)2 and Its Relationship to the Room-Temperature Phase. Journal of Solid State Chemistry, 165. 136-147 doi:10.1006/jssc.2002.9516
Localities for Letovicite
Showing 25 localities.
symbol to view information about a locality.
The Locality List
- This locality has map coordinates listed.
- This locality has estimated coordinates.
ⓘ - Click for references and further information on this occurrence.
? - Indicates mineral may be doubtful at this locality.
- Good crystals or important locality for species.
- World class for species or very significant.
(TL) - Type Locality for a valid mineral species.
(FRL) - First Recorded Locality for everything else (eg varieties).
All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.
Austria | |
| Meixner (1954) |
Czech Republic | |
| Žáček et al. (1995) |
| Zacek et al. (2019) |
|
Kladno mine, Libušin, Kladno District, Central Bohemian Region, Czech Republic