Leucite Structure

Steven Dutch, Professor Emeritus, Natural and Applied Sciences, University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

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Leucite is a feldspathoid, with a composition like potassium feldspar (KAlSi₂O₆) but with less silica. It has an almost perfectly cubic unit cell, but is actually tetragonal. The nearly cubic unit cell allows leucite to crystallize in pseudo-isometric crystal forms. Aluminum occupies one third of the tetrahedra.

Above, a view down the c-axis, showing the fourfold screw axes.

Above, a view normal to the c-axis.

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Created 22 April 2013, Last Update