The crystal structure of schairerite from Searles Lake, California, has been determined employing X-ray diffraction data collected on a single-crystal diffractometer. The crystal structure was refined by least-squares methods employing isotropic thermal parameters to a final R index of 0·07 for 2536 independent observed reflections. The cell content is 3[Na21(SO4)7F6Cl]. The space group is P31m with a 12·197 A and c 19·259 Å. Schairerite exhibits a marked sub-cell (a 7·042 Å, the same c axis and P3m1 symmetry), which may be related to the unit cell of sulphohalite when described in a hexagonal lattice.

The crystal structure of schairerite may be considered as consisting of seven sheets of Na+ ions perpendicular to the c axis. These sheets are connected to each other .building up a three-dimensional framework. The Na+ ions in these sheets are arranged in an array built up of hexagons and triangles. Sulphur atoms lie in the sheets at the centres of each hexagon, the halogen atoms lying between the sheets midway between the centres of two triangles. A comparison with sulphohalite shows that the close lattice analogies may be related to a similar atomic arrangement. Apart from the differences in chemical formula (F:C1 ratio 1:1 in sulphohalite), the main difference in the structural framework consists of the unequal number of Na+ sheets (six in sulphohalite) and in the SO42− tetrahedra orientation.