Bobshannonite, Na2KBa(Mn,Na)8(Nb,Ti)4(Si2O7)4O4(OH)4(O,F)2, a new TS-block mineral from Mont Saint-Hilaire, Québec, Canada: Description and crystal structure
Authors: Sokolova E. , Cámara F. , Abdu Y.A. , Hawthorne F.C. , Horváth L. , Pfenninger-Horváth E. 
Published: February 2016

Bobshannonite, Na2KBa(Mn,Na)8(Nb,Ti)4(Si2O7)4O4(OH)4(O,F)2, is a new TS-block mineral from Mont Saint-Hilaire, Québec, Canada. It occurs as blocky crystals 0.5–1 mm across,perched on sérandite and albite. Other associated minerals are epididymite, catapleiite, aegirine, kupletskite, rhodochrosite and rhabdophane-(Ce). Bobshannonite occurs as vitreous to frosty, transparent to translucent very pale brown to orange brown crystals, has a very pale brown streak, hackly fracture and does not fluoresce under cathode or ultraviolet light. Cleavage is {001} very good, no parting was observed, Mohs hardness is ∼4, it is brittle andDcalc.= 3.787 g/cm3. Crystals are twinned extensively and do not extinguish in cross-polarized light. Bobshannonite is triclinic,C1,a= 10.839(6),b= 13.912(8),c= 20.98(1) Å, α = 89.99(1), β = 95.05(2), γ = 89.998(9)°, V = 3152(5) Å3. The six strongest reflections in the powder X-ray diffraction data [d(Å),I, (hkl)] are: 2.873, 100, (241, 241, 044, 044, 241, 241); 3.477, 60, (006); 3.193, 59, (224, 224); 2.648, 40, (402, 243, 243); 2.608, 35, (008, 226, 226); 1.776, 30, (249). Chemical analysis by electron microprobe gave Ta2O50.52, Nb2O519.69,TiO25.50, SiO226.31, Al2O30.06, BaO 7.92, ZnO 1.02, FeO 0.89, MnO 26.34, MgO 0.06, Rb2O 0.42, K2O 2.38, Na2O 4.05, F 0.70, H2Ocalc.1.96, O = –0.29, total 97.53 wt.%, where the H2O content was calculated from the crystal-structure analysis. The empirical formula on the basis of 38 anions is Na1.89(K0.93Rb0.08)Σ1.01Ba0.95(Mn6.85Na0.52Zn0.23Fe0.232+Mg0.03Al0.02)Σ7.88(Nb2.73Ti1.27Ta0.04)Σ4.04(Si8.07O28)O9.32H4.01F0.68,Z= 4. The crystal structure was refined toR1= 2.55% on the basis of 7277 unique reflections [F> 4σ(F)] and can be described as a combination of a TS (Titanium Silicate) block and an I (Intermediate) block. The TS block consists ofHOH sheets (H – heteropolyhedral, O – octahedral). The topology of the TS block is as in Group II of the Ti disilicates: Ti + Nb = 2 a.p.f.u. per (Si2O7)2[as defined by Sokolova (2006)]. In the O sheet, ten[6]MOsitesare occupied mainly by Mn, less Na and minor Zn, Fe2+, Mg and Al, with <MO–ϕ> = 2.223 Å. In the H sheet, four[6]MHsites are occupied by Nb and Ti (Nb > Ti), with <MH–ϕ> = 1.975 Å,and eight[4]Sisites are occupied by Si, with <Si–O> = 1.625 Å. The MHoctahedra and Si2O7groups constitute the H sheet. The TS blocks link via common vertices of MHoctahedra. In the I block, Ba and Kare ordered at theAP(1) andAP(2) sites with Ba:K = 1:1 and the twoBPsites are occupied by Na. The ideal composition of the I block is Na2KBa a.p.f.u. Bobshannonite, perraultite, surkhobite and jinshajiangite are topologically identical Group-II TS-block minerals. Bobshannonite is the Nb-analogue of perraultite. The mineral is named bobshannonite after Dr. Robert (Bob) D. Shannon (b. 1935), in recognition of his major contributions to the field of crystal chemistry in particular and mineralogy in general through his development of accurate and comprehensive ionic radii and his work on dielectric properties of minerals.