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Carnallite Mineral Data

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General Carnallite Information

Help on Chemical Formula: Chemical Formula: KMgCl3•6(H2O)
Help on Composition: Composition: Molecular Weight = 277.85 gm
   Potassium  14.07 %  K    16.95 % K2O
   Magnesium   8.75 %  Mg   14.51 % MgO
   Hydrogen    4.35 %  H    38.90 % H2O
   Chlorine   38.28 %  Cl   38.28 % Cl
                -   %   Cl   -8.64 % -O=Cl2   
   Oxygen     34.55 %  O
             ______        ______ 
             100.00 %      100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE
Help on Empirical Formula: Empirical Formula: KMgCl3•6(H2O)
Help on Environment: Environment: Marine evaporites.
Help on IMA Status: IMA Status: Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1856
Help on Locality: Locality: Stassfurt, Province of Saxony, Germany. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.
Help on Name Origin: Name Origin: Named after the German mining engineer, R. von Carnall (1804-1874).
Help on Synonym: Synonym: Almeraite - mixture of carnallite and halite.
  ICSD 64691
  PDF 24-869
 

Carnallite Image

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  Rinneite   Carnallite

Comments: Orange to light brown rinneite with colorless carnallite.
Location: Merkers, Bad Salzungen, Rhön, Thuringia, Germany. Scale: Picture size 4 mm.
© Thomas Witzke / Abraxas-Verlag
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  Carnallite

Comments: Clear crystalline massive carnallite.
Location: Stassfurt, Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species
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  Rokuhnite   Carnallite

Comments: Reddish brown rokuhnite, with carnallite (deliquescent).
Location: Salzdetfurth Mine, Hildesheim, near Hanover, Niedersachsen, Germany. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Carnallite Crystallography
Help on Axial Ratios: Axial Ratios: a:b:c =0.5956:1:1.4056
Help on Cell Dimensions: Cell Dimensions: a = 9.56, b = 16.05, c = 22.56, Z = 12; V = 3,461.56 Den(Calc)= 1.60
Help on Crystal System: Crystal System: Orthorhombic - Dipyramidal H-M Symbol (2/m 2/m 2/m) Space Group: Pcna
Help on X Ray Diffraction: X Ray Diffraction: By Intensity(I/Io): 3.3(1), 2.92(0.7), 4.65(0.5),
Help on Forms: Forms:

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Help on Above

Forms: ( 1 0 1) ( 1 1 1) ( 1 1 0) ( 1 0 0) ( 0 0 1)

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Physical Properties of Carnallite

Help on Cleavage: Cleavage: None
Help on Color: Color: Blue, Colorless, Yellow, White, Red.
Help on Density: Density: 1.6
Help on Diaphaneity: Diaphaneity: Transparent to translucent
Help on Fracture: Fracture: Conchoidal - Fractures developed in brittle materials characterized by smoothly curving surfaces, (e.g. quartz).
Help on Habit: Habit: Fibrous - Crystals made up of fibers.
Help on Habit: Habit: Massive - Granular - Common texture observed in granite and other igneous rock.
Help on Habit: Habit: Pseudo Hexagonal - Crystals show a hexagonal outline.
Help on Hardness: Hardness: 2.5 - Finger Nail
Help on Luminescence: Luminescence: Non-fluorescent.
Help on Luster: Luster: Greasy (Oily)
Help on Streak: Streak: white
 

Optical Properties of Carnallite

Help on Optical Data: Optical Data: Biaxial (+), a=1.467, b=1.4755, g=1.494, bire=0.0270, 2V(Calc)=70, 2V(Meas)=70. Dispersion none.
 

Calculated Properties of Carnallite

Help on Electron Density: Electron Density: Bulk Density (Electron Density)=1.64 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Carnallite =1.60 gm/cc.
Help on Fermion Index: Fermion Index: Fermion Index = 0.0089366811
Boson Index = 0.9910633189
Help on Photoelectric: Photoelectric: PECarnallite = 4.07 barns/electron
U=PECarnallite x relectron= 6.66 barns/cc.
Help on Radioactivity: Radioactivity:

GRapi = 207.54 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Carnallite per GRapi unit = 0.48 (%)

Estimated Radioactivity from Carnallite - barely detectable

 

Carnallite Classification
Help on Dana Class: Dana Class: 11.01.02.01 (11)Halide Complexes; Alumino-fluorides
  (11.01)where (A)m B (X)3
  (11.01.02)Dana Group
 
11.01.02.01 Carnallite KMgCl3•6(H2O) Pcna 2/m 2/m 2/m
Help on Strunz Class: Strunz Class: 03.BA.10 03 - HALIDES
  03.B - Simple Halides, with H2O
  03.BA -M:X = 1:1 and 2:3
 
03.BA.10 Carnallite KMgCl3•6(H2O) Pcna 2/m 2/m 2/m
 

Other Carnallite Information
Help on References: References: NAME( Duda&Rejl90) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Mason68)
Help on See Also: See Also: Links to other databases for Carnallite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery
3 - Athena
4 - EUROmin Project
5 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
6 - GeoScienceWorld
7 - Google Images
8 - Google Scholar
9 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
10 - MinDAT
11 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
12 - Online Mineral Museum
13 - QUT Mineral Atlas
14 - Ruff.Info
15 - WWW-MINCRYST

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Carnallite

KMgCl3•6(H2O)
Dana No: 11.01.02.01 Strunz No: 03.BA.10
Locality:

 

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