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Bassanite is a calcium sulfate mineral with formula CaSO4·1/2H2O or 2CaSO4·H2O. In other words it has half a water molecule per CaSO4 unit, hence its synonym calcium sulfate hemihydrate.
| Bassanite | |
|---|---|
 White radial-acicular bassanite crystals from Kimba, Eyre Peninsula, South Australia | |
| General | |
| Category | Sulfate mineral |
| Formula (repeating unit) | CaSO4·1/2H2O |
| IMA symbol | Bss[1] |
| Strunz classification | 7.CD.45 |
| Crystal system | Monoclinic |
| Space group | C2 (No. 5) |
| Unit cell | a = 12.0317 Å, b = 6.9269 Å, c = 12.6712 Å, β = 90.27°; Z = 12 |
| Identification | |
| Color | White |
| Crystal habit | Microscopic acicular crystals in parallel aggregates, pseudohexagonal |
| Twinning | Twin plane {101} |
| Luster | Earthy |
| Streak | White |
| Diaphaneity | Semitransparent |
| Specific gravity | 2.69–2.76 |
| Optical properties | Biaxial (+) |
| Refractive index | nα = 1.550–1.559, nβ = 1.560, nγ = 1.577–1.584 |
| 2V angle | 10–15° |
| Alters to | Dehydrates on heating to anhydrite |
| References | [2][3][4] |
Bassanite was first described in 1910 for an occurrence on Mount Vesuvius. It was named for Italian paleontologist Francesco Bassani (1853–1916).[2]
At Vesuvius it occurs as alterations from gypsum within leucite tephrite and as fumarole deposits. It occurs in dry lake beds in California and Australia. It also occurs interlayered with gypsum in caves.[3]
H. Schmidt and coinvestigators reported in 2011 that under dry conditions, the structure is monoclinic with space group C2, but at 75% humidity, the structure is trigonal with space group P3221. This reflects the incorporation of additional water of hydration, such that the trigonal form has the formula CaSO4·0.625H2O.[5]
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