Kalinite

Kalinite
Kalinite from the Virgin Valley District, Nevada, USA. Specimen size 5.4 cm
General
CategorySulfate minerals
Formula
(repeating unit)
KAl(SO4)2·11H2O
IMA symbolKli[1]
Strunz classification7.CC.15
Dana classification29.5.4.2
Crystal systemMonoclinic
Crystal classPrismatic (2/m)
(same H-M symbol)
Space groupC2/c
Unit cella = 19.92(16), b = 9.27(3)
c = 8.304(13) Å
β = 98.79(19)°; Z = 4
Identification
Formula mass456.37 g/mol
ColorWhite to pale blue
Crystal habitFibrous
FractureConchoidal
Mohs scale hardness2 to 2.5
LusterVitreous
StreakWhite
DiaphaneityTransparent
Specific gravity1.75 (observed) 2.0 (calculated)
Optical propertiesBiaxial (−)
Refractive indexnα = 1.429 to 1.430, nβ = 1.452, nγ = 1.456 to 1.458
BirefringenceNone
2V angle52° (measured), 82° (calculated)
SolubilitySoluble in water
Other characteristicsNot fluorescent, barely detectable radioactivity
References[2][3][4][5]

Kalinite is a mineral composed of hydrated potassium aluminium sulfate (a type of alum). It is a fibrous monoclinic alum, distinct from isometric potassium alum,[6] named in 1868. Its name comes from kalium (derived from Arabic: القَلْيَه al-qalyah "plant ashes", which is the Latin name for potassium, hence its chemical symbol, "K".

A proposal to remove recognition of kalinite as a mineral species was submitted to the International Mineralogical Association;[5] however, kalinite is still on the list of approved minerals.[7] Many older samples, however, have been found to be potassium alum.[3]

  1. ^ Warr, L.N. (2021). "IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols". Mineralogical Magazine. 85 (3): 291–320. Bibcode:2021MinM...85..291W. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43. S2CID 235729616.
  2. ^ Gaines et al (1997) Dana’s New Mineralogy, Wiley
  3. ^ a b Kalinite data in the Handbook of Mineralogy
  4. ^ Kalinite on Webmin
  5. ^ a b Kalinite on Mindat
  6. ^ American Mineralogist (1923) 8:15
  7. ^ "IMA Mineral List with Database of Mineral Properties".