Verneite, Na2Ca3Al2F14, a New Aluminum Fluoride Mineral from Icelandic and Vesuvius Fumaroles

Verneite, Na2Ca3Al2F14, is a new mineral first discovered in fumarolic samples from both Hekla, Iceland and Vesuvius, Italy. Additional occurrences are so far from Eldfell and Fimmvorduhals, both on Iceland. Verneite is cubic, I2(1)3, a = 10.264(1) angstrom, V = 1081.4(3) angstrom(3), Z = 4, and corresponds to the known synthetic compound. The empirical formula is Na2.01Ca2.82Al2.17F14.02(scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectrometer from an unpolished sample). It appears in crystals up to 20 mu m in diameter, with 110, 100, and 111 as the main forms. In the crystal structure of its synthetic analogue, Na is coordinated by 7 F atoms in the form of a capped octahedron, Ca with 8 F atoms in the form of a bisdisphenoid, and Al with 6 F atoms in the form of an octahedron. The crystal structure of Na2Ca3Al2F14 contains sinuous chains of Ca coordination polyhedra interlacing with similarly sinuous chains of Na coordination polyhedra and forming together with them layers parallel to 100. The intersecting layers parallel to three equivalent crystallographic planes form a three-dimensional mesh with Al coordinations imbedded in its holes. The characteristics of Ca coordinations in fluorides, as well as their relations to other ternary Na-Ca-Al fluorides are discussed. Verneite is named after Jules Verne.