Tincalconite Mineral Data

General Tincalconite Information

Chemical Formula:

Na6[B4O5(OH)4]3•8(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 855.86 gm

Sodium 16.12 % Na 21.73 % Na₂O

Boron 15.16 % B 48.81 % B₂O₃

Hydrogen 3.30 % H 29.47 % H₂O

Oxygen 65.43 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Na₆B₁₂O₁₅(OH)₁₂•8(H₂O)

Environment:

Dehydration of borax or other Na borates.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1878

Locality:

Searles Lake, San Bernardino Co., California. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for tincal (borax) and konos "powder" in allusion to the minerals composition and appearance.

Name Pronunciation:

Tincalconite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

ICSD 66529

PDF 7-277

Tincalconite Image

Images:

Tincalconite

Comments: Pristine white tincalconite pseudomorph after a single borax crystal.
Location: Boron, Kramer District, Kern Co., California, USA. Scale: 30x14x5 mm.
© John Betts - Fine Minerals

Tincalconite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:c = 1:1.90364

Cell Dimensions:

a = 11.1402, c = 21.207, Z = 3; V = 2,279.27 Den(Calc)= 1.87

Crystal System:

Trigonal - Trapezohedral H-M Symbol (3 2) Space Group: R 32

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 2.92(1), 4.38(0.9), 3.44(0.55),

Physical Properties of Tincalconite

Color:

White.

Density:

1.88

Diaphaneity:

Opaque

Habit:

Cryptocrystalline - Occurs as crystals too small to distinguish with the naked eye.

Hardness:

2 - Gypsum

Luminescence:

Fluorescent, Short UV=white, Long UV=white.

Luster:

Earthy (Dull)

Magnetism:

Nonmagnetic

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Tincalconite

Dichroism (w):

none.

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.004 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.009 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2487,KPDmeas= 0.2473,KC= 0.2464
Ncalc = 1.46

Optical Data:

Uniaxial (+), w=1.46, e=1.47, bire=0.0100.

Calculated Properties of Tincalconite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=1.91 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Tincalconite =1.88 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.03
Boson Index = 0.97

Photoelectric:

PE_Tincalconite= 0.51 barns/electron
U=PE_Tincalconite x rElectron Density= 0.98 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Tincalconite is Not Radioactive

Tincalconite Classification

Dana Class:

26.04.02.01 (26)Hydrated Borates Containing Hydroxyl or Halogen

(26.04)Dana Type

(26.04.02)Dana Group

26.04.02.01 Tincalconite Na6[B4O5(OH)4]3•8(H2O) R 32 3 2

Strunz Class:

06.DA.15 06 - BORATES

06.D - Tetraborates

06.DA -Neso-tetraborates

06.DA.15 Tincalconite Na6[B4O5(OH)4]3•8(H2O) R 32 3 2

Other Tincalconite Information

References:

NAME( MinRec) PHYS. PROP.(Collectors Book of Fluorescent Minerals) OPTIC PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Tincalconite :
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 - Glendale Community College
8 - Google Images
9 - Google Scholar
10 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
11 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
12 - MinDAT
13 - Mineral and Gemstone Kingdom
14 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
15 - Online Mineral Museum
16 - QUT Mineral Atlas
17 - Ruff.Info
18 - WWW-MINCRYST

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

Tincalconite

Na6[B4O5(OH)4]3•8(H2O)
Dana No: 26.04.02.01 Strunz No: 06.DA.15
Locality:

Notes:

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