An accurate determination of the cell dimensions of bultfonteinite, Ca4Si2O10H6F2

Abstract

Bultfonteinite from Bultfontein mine, Kimberley, South Africa, is a hydrated fluorine-containing calcium silicate, of approximate composition Ca4Si2O10H6F2. It was first described in 1932 by Parry, Williams, and Wright,1 who gave an account of its morphology, optical properties, composition, and chemical relationships. It is triclinic but markedly pseudo-orthorhombic. The present work consists primarily of a determination of the unit-cell dimensions, involving a more accurate evaluation of the interaxial angles than the earlier one; this is followed by some tentative suggestions about the structure.