X-ray Laboratory, Wuhan Geologic College; Geology Team 654, Hunan Geology Bureau; and Geology Laboratory, Hunan Geology Bureau (1975): A new lithium-bearing mineral in China-Balipholite, BaMg2LiAl3[Si2O6]2(OH)8. Scientia Geologica Sinica 1975(1), 100 (in Chinese with English abstract).

Classification of BalipholiteHide

Strunz-mindat (2026):

9.DB.05

9 : SILICATES (Germanates)
D : Inosilicates
B : Inosilicates with 2-periodic single chains, Si₂O₆; Pyroxene-related minerals

Dana 8th ed.:

65.1.5.4

65 : INOSILICATES Single-Width,Unbranched Chains,(W=1)
1 : Single-Width Unbranched Chains, W=1 with chains P=2

Hey's CIM Ref.:

16.12.11

16 : Silicates Containing Aluminum and other Metals
12 : Aluminosilicates of Sr, Ba and Zn

Mineral SymbolsHide

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
Blp	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 BalipholiteHide

Lustre:

Silky

Transparency:

Transparent, Translucent

Colour:

Pale yellowish-white

Hardness:

5 - 5½ on Mohs scale

Cleavage:

Perfect
Perfect on {010}, distinct on {100} and {110}.

Density:

3.32 - 3.35 g/cm³ (Measured) 3.32 g/cm³ (Calculated)

Optical Data of BalipholiteHide

Type:

Biaxial (-)

RI values:

n_α = 1.581 n_β = 1.5958 n_γ = 1.6008

2V:

Measured: 68° to 72°, Calculated: 58°

Max. Birefringence:

δ = 0.020
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.

Thickness: 30 µm Order divisions

Rotation:

Surface Relief:

Moderate (positive)
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.

Focus:

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.

Thickness: 30 µm

Stage rotation: 0°

Dispersion:

r < v moderate

Chemistry of BalipholiteHide

Mindat Formula:

BaLiMg₂Al₃(Si₂O₆)₂(OH)₄

Element Weights:

Element	% weight
O	39.616 %
Ba	21.252 %
Si	17.385 %
Al	12.527 %
Mg	7.523 %
Li	1.074 %
H	0.624 %

Calculated from ideal end-member formula.

Elements listed:

Al, Ba, H, Li, Mg, O, Si - search for minerals with similar chemistry

Common Impurities:

Ti,Fe,Mn,Be,Ca,Na,K,P

Crystallography of BalipholiteHide

Crystal System:

Orthorhombic

Class (H-M):

mmm(2/m2/m2/m) - Dipyramidal

Space Group:

Ccca

Setting:

Ccca

Cell Parameters:

a = 13.6 Å, b = 20.24 Å, c = 5.16 Å

Ratio:

a:b:c = 0.672 : 1 : 0.255

Unit Cell V:

1,420.36 Å³ (Calculated from Unit Cell)

Crystal StructureHide

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Unit Cell | Unit Cell Packed
2x2x2 | 3x3x3 | 4x4x4

View
CIF File Best | x | y | z | a | b | c

Rotation
Stop | Start

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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)
0015443	Balipholite	Peng Z, Ma Z, Han S (1987) The refinement of crystal structure of balipholite Scientia Sinica B30 779-784		1987	Hunan Province, China	0	293

CIF Raw Data - click here to close

data_global
_chemical_name_mineral 'Balipholite'
loop_
_publ_author_name
'Peng Z'
'Ma Z'
'Han S'
_journal_name_full 'Scientia Sinica'
_journal_volume B30 
_journal_year 1987
_journal_page_first 779
_journal_page_last 784
_publ_section_title
;
 The refinement of crystal structure of balipholite
;
_database_code_amcsd 0015443
_chemical_compound_source 'Hunan Province, China'
_chemical_formula_sum 'Ba Mg2 Li Al3 Si4 O16 H4 F4'
_cell_length_a 13.587
_cell_length_b 20.164
_cell_length_c 5.144
_cell_angle_alpha 90
_cell_angle_beta 90
_cell_angle_gamma 90
_cell_volume 1409.293
_exptl_crystal_density_diffrn      3.404
_symmetry_space_group_name_H-M 'C c c a'
loop_
_space_group_symop_operation_xyz
  'x,y,z'
  '1/2+x,1/2+y,z'
  'x,-y,1/2+z'
  '1/2+x,1/2-y,1/2+z'
  '-x,y,1/2-z'
  '1/2-x,1/2+y,1/2-z'
  '-x,1/2+y,1/2+z'
  '1/2-x,+y,1/2+z'
  'x,1/2-y,1/2-z'
  '1/2+x,-y,1/2-z'
  'x,1/2+y,-z'
  '1/2+x,+y,-z'
  '-x,1/2-y,z'
  '1/2-x,-y,z'
  '-x,-y,-z'
  '1/2-x,1/2-y,-z'
loop_
_atom_site_label
_atom_site_fract_x
_atom_site_fract_y
_atom_site_fract_z
_atom_site_occupancy
_atom_site_U_iso_or_equiv
Ba   0.00000   0.75000   0.25000   1.00000 ?
Mg   0.00000   0.53860   0.25000   1.00000 ?
Li   0.00000   0.11540   0.25000   0.50000 ?
Al   0.00000   0.11540   0.25000   0.50000 ?
Al   0.19250   0.25000   0.25000   1.00000 ?
Si   0.19240   0.62040   0.08380   1.00000 ?
O2   0.20350   0.69980   0.07220   1.00000 ?
O3   0.25360   0.91110   0.17360   1.00000 ?
O4   0.07850   0.60270   0.09750   1.00000 ?
O5   0.06950   0.46800   0.06790   1.00000 ?
H   0.12200   0.46800   0.09400   1.00000  -0.00148
F   0.09720   0.30750   0.13290   1.00000 ?
loop_
_atom_site_aniso_label
_atom_site_aniso_U_11
_atom_site_aniso_U_22
_atom_site_aniso_U_33
_atom_site_aniso_U_12
_atom_site_aniso_U_13
_atom_site_aniso_U_23
Ba 0.01309 0.02678 0.00952 0.00000 0.00000 0.00000
Mg 0.00281 0.00412 -0.00188 0.00000 0.00000 0.00000
Li 0.01496 0.01442 0.00965 0.00000 0.00425 0.00000
Al 0.01496 0.01442 0.00965 0.00000 0.00425 0.00000
Al 0.00842 0.00618 0.00147 0.00000 0.00000 0.00053
Si 0.00468 0.00412 0.00040 0.00000 0.00035 0.00000
O2 0.01029 0.00412 0.00509 0.00000 -0.00035 0.00053
O3 0.01029 0.00824 0.00094 0.00000 0.00283 -0.00053
O4 0.00561 0.01030 0.00241 0.00000 0.00106 0.00000
O5 0.00561 0.00824 0.00349 0.00139 -0.00142 -0.00053
F 0.01496 0.01442 0.00416 -0.00139 -0.00319 -0.00105

X-Ray Powder DiffractionHide

Powder Diffraction Data:

d-spacing	Intensity
10.12 Å	(100)
3.39 Å	(91)
4.05 Å	(78)
2.605 Å	(31)
2.390 Å	(28)

Locality:

Xianghualing Mine, Xianghualing Sn-polymetallic ore field, Linwu Co., Chenzhou, Hunan, China

Reference:

Geological EnvironmentHide

Paragenetic Mode(s):

Paragenetic Mode	Earliest Age (Ga)
High-? alteration and/or metamorphism
32 : Ba/Mn/Pb/Zn deposits, including metamorphic deposits

Type Occurrence of BalipholiteHide

Type Locality:

ⓘ Xianghualing Mine, Xianghualing Sn-polymetallic ore field, Linwu Co., Chenzhou, Hunan, China

General Appearance of Type Material:

Crystals needle-like and fibrous.

Place of Conservation of Type Material:

National Museum for Geology, Beijing, China, number M07544.

Geological Setting of Type Material:

In a miarolitic cavity.

Associated Minerals at Type Locality:

Quartz

'Zinnwaldite'

Reference:

Other Language Names for BalipholiteHide

Dutch:Balipholiet

German:Balipholit

Russian:Балифолит

Spanish:Balipholita

Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping Hide

9.DB.05	Potassiccarpholite	K(Mn²⁺,Li)₂Al₄Si₄O₁₂(OH,F)₈	Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m) : Ccca
9.DB.05	Carpholite	Mn²⁺Al₂(Si₂O₆)(OH)₄	Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m) : Ccca
9.DB.05	Vanadiocarpholite	Mn²⁺V³⁺Al(Si₂O₆)(OH)₄	Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m) : Ccca
9.DB.05	Magnesiocarpholite	MgAl₂Si₂O₆(OH)₄	Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m) : Ccca
9.DB.05	Ferrocarpholite	Fe²⁺Al₂Si₂O₆(OH)₄	Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m) : Ccca
9.DB.10	Lorenzenite	Na₂Ti₂(Si₂O₆)O₃	Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m) : Pbcn
9.DB.15	Punkaruaivite	LiTi₂(HSi₄O₁₂)(OH)₂ · H₂O	Mon. 2/m : B2/b
9.DB.15	Lintisite	LiNa₃Ti₂(Si₂O₆)₂O₂ · 2H₂O	Mon. 2/m : B2/b
9.DB.17	Eliseevite	LiNa_1.5Ti₂(H_1.5Si₄O₁₂)O₂ · 2H₂O	Mon. 2/m : B2/b
9.DB.20	Kukisvumite	Na₆ZnTi₄(Si₈O₂₄)O₄ · 4H₂O	Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m) : Pccn
9.DB.20	Manganokukisvumite	Na₆MnTi₄(Si₈O₂₄)O₄ · 4H₂O	Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m) : Pccn
9.DB.25	Vinogradovite	Na₄Ti₄(Si₂O₆)₂[(Si,Al)₄O₁₀]O₄ · (H₂O,Na,K)₃	Mon. 2/m : B2/b
9.DB.25	Paravinogradovite	Na_1-2(Ti,Fe³⁺)₄(Si₂O₆)₂(AlSi₃O₁₀)(OH)₄ · H₂O	Tric. 1 : P1
9.DB.30	Nchwaningite	Mn²⁺₂(SiO₃)(OH)₂ · H₂O	Orth. mm2 : Pca2₁
9.DB.40	Shattuckite	Cu₅(Si₂O₆)₂(OH)₂	Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m)
9.DB.40	'UM2005-31-SiO:CuH'	Cu₁₁(SiO₄)(OH)₁₈ · 9H₂O (?)
9.DB.45	Aerinite	(Ca_5.1Na_0.5)(Fe³⁺,Al,Fe²⁺,Mg)₄(Al,Mg)₆[HSi₁₂O₃₆(OH)₁₂][(CO₃)_1.2(H₂O)₁₂]	Trig. 3m : P3c1
9.DB.50	Capranicaite	KCaNaAl₄B₄Si₂O₁₈	Mon. 2/m : P2₁/m

Other InformationHide

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 BalipholiteHide

mindat.org URL:

https://www.mindat.org/min-495.html
Please feel free to link to this page.

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External Links:

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Raman and XRD data at RRUFF project

References and PDF downloads at RRUFF project

American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database

Handbook of Mineralogy page PDF

Mineral Dealers:

Buy from D. Joyce minerals

References for BalipholiteHide

Reference List:

Fleischer, Michael, Chao, George Y., Mandarino, Joseph A. (1976) New Mineral Names. American Mineralogist, 61 (3-4) 338-341

X-ray Laboratory, Wuhan Geologic College, Geology Laboratory, Hunan Geology Bureau, Geology Team 654, Hunan Geology Bureau (1977) Balipholite BaMg2LiAl3[Si2O6]2(OH, F)8 and its crystal structure. Scientia Geologica Sinica, 1977(1), 65-82.

Peng, Z., Ma, Z., Han, S. (1987) The refinement of the crystal structure of balipholite. Scientia Sinica, Series B, 30, 779-784.

(2001) Balipholite. Handbook of Mineralogy. Mineralogical Society of America

Basso, R., Carbone, C. (2010) Relationships between crystal data and crystal chemistry of carpholite-group minerals. Periodico di Mineralogia, 79, 91-98.

Localities for BalipholiteHide

Showing 1 localities.

This map shows a selection of localities that have latitude and longitude coordinates recorded. Click on the

symbol to view information about a locality. The

symbol next to localities in the list can be used to jump to that position on the map.

Hide all sections | Show all sections

Locality ListHide

- 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). ~~Struck out~~ - Mineral was erroneously reported from this locality. Faded * - Never found at this locality but inferred to have existed at some point in the past (e.g. from pseudomorphs).

All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.

China (TL)

Hunan

Chenzhou

Linwu Co.

Xianghualing Sn-polymetallic ore field

ⓘ Xianghualing Mine (TL)

X-ray Laboratory +3 other references

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Balipholite

About BalipholiteHide

Unique IdentifiersHide

IMA Classification of BalipholiteHide