Kainite Mineral Data

General Kainite Information

Chemical Formula:

MgSO4•KCl•3(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 248.97 gm

Potassium 15.70 % K 18.92 % K₂O

Magnesium 9.76 % Mg 16.19 % MgO

Hydrogen 2.43 % H 21.71 % H₂O

Sulfur 12.88 % S 32.16 % SO₃

Chlorine 14.24 % Cl 14.24 % Cl

- % Cl -3.21 % -O=Cl₂

Oxygen 44.98 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Mg(SO₄)KCl•3(H₂O)

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1865

Locality:

Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

From the Greek kainos, meaning "contemporary."

Name Pronunciation:

Kainite

Synonym:

ICSD 26003

PDF 25-660

Kainite Image

Images:

Kainite Szaibelyite

Comments: pale violet granular kainite intermixed with white ascharite (szaibelyite).
Location: Havesa, Empelde, Hannover, Niedersachsen, Germany. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Kainite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =1.215:1:0.5871

Cell Dimensions:

a = 19.72, b = 16.23, c = 9.53, Z = 16; beta = 94.92° V = 3,038.89 Den(Calc)= 2.18

Crystal System:

Monoclinic - Prismatic H-M Symbol (2/m) Space Group: C 2/m

$Help on X Ray Diffraction:$ X Ray Diffraction:

By Intensity(I/I_o): 7.372(1), 3.08(0.86), 7.771(0.83),

Forms:

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Forms: ( 0 1 0) ( 4 2 1) ( 4 2 1) ( 1 0 0) ( 0 0 1)

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Physical Properties of Kainite

Cleavage:

{001} Good

Color:

Blue, Colorless, Violet, Gray, Gray blue.

Density:

2.1

Diaphaneity:

Transparent to Translucent

Fracture:

Conchoidal - Fractures developed in brittle materials characterized by smoothly curving surfaces, (e.g. quartz).

Habit:

Encrustations - Forms crust-like aggregates on matrix.

Habit:

Massive - Granular - Common texture observed in granite and other igneous rock.

Hardness:

3 - Calcite

Luster:

Vitreous - Greasy

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Kainite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.019 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.055 (Good) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2317,KPDmeas= 0.2405,KC= 0.2452
Ncalc = 1.51 - 1.53

Optical Data:

Biaxial (-), a=1.494, b=1.505, g=1.516, bire=0.0220, 2V(Calc)=88, 2V(Meas)=90.

Calculated Properties of Kainite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.13 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Kainite =2.10 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.01
Boson Index = 0.99

Photoelectric:

PE_Kainite= 3.49 barns/electron
U=PE_Kainite x r_electron= 7.41 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 229.33 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Kainite per GRapi unit = 0.44 (%)

Estimated Radioactivity from Kainite - barely detectable

Kainite Classification

Dana Class:

31.07.01.01 (31)Hydrated Sulfates Containing Hydroxyl or Halogen

(31.07)where (A+ B++)2 (XO4) Zqï¿½x(H2O)

(31.07.01)Dana Group

31.07.01.01 Kainite MgSO4•KCl•3(H2O) C 2/m 2/m

Strunz Class:

07.DF.10 07 - SULFATES (SELENATES, TELLURATES)

07.D - Sulfates (selenates, etc.) with additional anions, with H2O

07.DF -With large and medium-sized cations

07.DF.10 Kainite MgSO4•KCl•3(H2O) C 2/m 2/m

Other Kainite Information

References:

NAME( Duda&Rejl90) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Ford32)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Kainite :
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 Kainite Specimen Label here :

Kainite

MgSO4•KCl•3(H2O)
Dana No: 31.07.01.01 Strunz No: 07.DF.10
Locality:

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