Mineralogy Database

Arcanite Mineral Data

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General Arcanite Information

Help on Chemical  Formula: Chemical Formula: K2SO4
Help on Composition: Composition: Molecular Weight = 174.26 gm
   Potassium  44.87 %  K    54.05 % K2O
   Sulfur     18.40 %  S    45.95 % SO3
   Oxygen     36.73 %  O
             ______        ______ 
             100.00 %      100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE
Help on Empirical Formula: Empirical Formula: K2(SO4)
Help on Environment: Environment: In a pine railroad tie.
Help on IMA Status: IMA Status: Valid Species (Pre-IMA) Prehistoric
Help on Locality: Locality: Santa Ana mine, Trabaco Canyon, Orange County, California. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.
Help on Name Origin: Name Origin: Named from the Latin arcanum duplicatum, for double secret, a medieval alchemical name.
Help on Name Pronunciation: Name Pronunciation: Arcanite Say ARCANITE
Help on Synonym: Synonym: Ammonian arcanite
  ICSD 2827
  PDF 5-613
  Taylorite
 

Arcanite Image

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  Arcanite

Comments: Opaque olive-green mottled-colored arcanite.
Location: Tunnel #1, Santa Ana Tin Mine, Orange County, California, USA. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

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  Arcanite

Comments: SEM image of a sub-spherical aggregate of arcanite.
Location: Ghar al Hibashi Harrat Nawasif/Al Buqum, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Scale: See Image.
© Saudi Geological Survey

Arcanite Crystallography

Help on Axial Ratios: Axial Ratios: a:b:c =0.5731:1:0.7422
Help on Cell Dimensions: Cell Dimensions: a = 5.76, b = 10.05, c = 7.46, Z = 4; V = 431.84 Den(Calc)= 2.68
Help on Crystal System: Crystal System: Orthorhombic - Dipyramidal H-M Symbol (2/m 2/m 2/m) Space Group: Pmcn
Help on X Ray Diffraction: X Ray Diffraction: By Intensity(I/Io): 2.903(1), 3.001(0.71), 2.886(0.53),
 

Physical Properties of Arcanite

Help on Cleavage: Cleavage: {010} Good, {001} Good
Help on Color: Color: Colorless, Yellow, White.
Help on Density: Density: 2.663
Help on Diaphaneity: Diaphaneity: Transparent
Help on Hardness: Hardness: 2 - Gypsum
Help on Luster: Luster: Vitreous (Glassy)
Help on Streak: Streak: white
 

Optical Properties of Arcanite

Help on Gladstone-Dale: Gladstone-Dale: CI meas= 0.007 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.013 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1848,KPDmeas= 0.1859,KC= 0.1873
Ncalc = 1.5
Help on Optical Data: Optical Data: Biaxial (+), a=1.4935, b=1.4947, g=1.4973, bire=0.0038, 2V(Calc)=70, 2V(Meas)=67.
 

Calculated Properties of Arcanite

Help on Electron Density: Electron Density: Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.63 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Arcanite =2.66 gm/cc.
Help on Fermion Index: Fermion Index: Fermion Index = 0.001610221
Boson Index = 0.998389779
Help on Photoelectric: Photoelectric: PEArcanite = 5.60 barns/electron
U=PEArcanite x relectron= 14.73 barns/cc.
Help on Radioactivity: Radioactivity:

GRapi = 639.08 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Arcanite per GRapi unit =1,564.75 (PPM)

Estimated Radioactivity from Arcanite - mild
Specimen
Size
Weight/Volume
(Sphere)
*
Calculated
Activity
Bequerols
(Bq)
Calculated
Activity
Curies (Ci)
Estimated
Activity
GR(api)
Estimated
Exposure
(mRem**)/hr
If Held in Hand
For One Hour
1000 gm / 8.95 cm 13,597 3.67E-07 639.08 0.21
100 gm / 4.15 cm 1,360 3.67E-08 63.91 0.02
10 gm / 1.93 cm 136 3.67E-09 6.39 0.00
1 gm / 8.95 mm 14 3.67E-10 0.64 0.00
0.1 gm / 4.15 mm 1 3.67E-11 0.06 0.00
0.01 gm / 1.93 mm 0 3.67E-12 0.01 0.00
0.001 gm / 0.90 mm 0 3.67E-13 0.00 0.00

Weight of pure Arcanite in grams (gm) and Calculated Diameter of a Sphere with a Density of 2.66 gm/cc.*
Goverment Estimate of Average Annual Exposure ( 360 mRem) **
Note: 10 microsieverts/hr = 1 mRem/hr **
Max Permissable Adult Dose 50,000 mRem/yr (hands), 15,000 mRem/yr (eyes)
Lethal Dose LD(50) Exposure 400,000 to 500,000 mRem
 

Arcanite Classification

Help on  Dana Class: Dana Class: 28.02.01.02 (28)Anhydrous Acid and Sulfates
  (28.02)(A+)2 XO4
  (28.02.01)Dana Group
 
28.02.01.01 Mascagnite (NH4)2SO4 P nma 2/m 2/m 2/m
 
28.02.01.02 Arcanite K2SO4 Pmcn 2/m 2/m 2/m
Help on  Strunz Class: Strunz Class: 07.AD.05 07 - SULFATES (SELENATES, TELLURATES)
  07.A - Sulfates (selenates, etc.) without Additional Anions, without H2O
  07.AD -With only large cations
 
07.AD.05 Arcanite K2SO4 Pmcn 2/m 2/m 2/m
 
07.AD.05 Mascagnite (NH4)2SO4 P nma 2/m 2/m 2/m
 

Other Arcanite Information

Help on References: References: NAME( AntBidBlaNic5) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990)
Help on See Also: See Also: Links to other databases for Arcanite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Athena
3 - EUROmin Project
4 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
5 - GeoScienceWorld
6 - Google Images
7 - Google Scholar
8 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
9 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
10 - MinDAT
11 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
12 - Online Mineral Museum
13 - QUT Mineral Atlas
14 - Ruff.Info
15 - WWW-MINCRYST

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Print or Cut-and-Paste your Arcanite Specimen Label here :

Arcanite

K2SO4
Dana No: 28.02.01.02 Strunz No: 07.AD.05
Locality:

 

Notes:

 

 
   
 


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