Secondary mineral derived from colemanite and priceite veins in altered basalt.
IMA Status:
Approved IMA 1965
Locality:
Mott open cut, head of 20 Mule Team Canyon, Death Valley, Inyo Co., California. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.
Name Origin:
Named for James Franklin McAllister (1911-2000), geologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, California, USA, who collected the originally described material.
Brittle - Generally displayed by glasses and most non-metallic minerals.
Hardness:
2.5 - Finger Nail
Luster:
Vitreous (Glassy)
Streak:
white
Optical Properties of Mcallisterite
Gladstone-Dale:
CI meas= -0.002 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC) CI calc= 0 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2575,KPDmeas= 0.2579,KC= 0.2574 Ncalc = 1.48
Optical Data:
Uniaxial (-), e=1.459, w=1.504, bire=0.0450.
Calculated Properties of Mcallisterite
Electron Density:
Bulk Density (Electron Density)=1.92 gm/cc note: Specific Gravity of Mcallisterite =1.87 gm/cc.
Fermion Index:
Fermion Index = 0.04 Boson Index = 0.96
Photoelectric:
PEMcallisterite = 0.45 barns/electron U=PEMcallisterite x rElectron Density= 0.86 barns/cc.
Radioactivity:
GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units) Mcallisterite is Not Radioactive
Mcallisterite Classification
Dana Class:
26.06.02.01(26)Hydrated Borates Containing Hydroxyl or Halogen
Chemical Formula: 
