Volkovskite Mineral Data

General Volkovskite Information

Chemical Formula:

KCa4[B5O8(OH)4][B(OH)3]Cl•4(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 618.83 gm

Potassium 6.32 % K 7.61 % K₂O

Calcium 25.91 % Ca 36.25 % CaO

Boron 10.48 % B 33.75 % B₂O₃

Hydrogen 2.44 % H 21.83 % H₂O

Chlorine 5.73 % Cl 5.73 % Cl

- % Cl -1.29 % -O=Cl₂

Oxygen 49.12 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 103.88 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

KCa₄B₆O₈(OH)₇Cl•4(H₂O)

Environment:

Found in water-insoluble residues from salt domes and potash deposits.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1966

Locality:

Inder borate deposit, Kazakhstan. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for A.I. Volkovskaya, petrographer, who first noted the mineral.

Synonym:

ICSD 39637

PDF 18-1460

Volkovskite Image

Images:

Volkovskite

Comments: Transparent colorless platy volkovskite cleavage.
Location: Nepskoye Deposit, Irkutsk Distict, Siberia, Russia. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Volkovskite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.2748:1:0.2724

Cell Dimensions:

a = 6.58, b = 23.937, c = 6.521, Z = 2; alpha = 90.4°, beta = 119.09°, gamma = 95.67° V = 893.12 Den(Calc)= 2.30

Crystal System:

Triclinic - Pedial H-M Symbol (1) Space Group: P1

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 3.26(1), 7.91(0.9), 11.89(0.7),

Physical Properties of Volkovskite

Cleavage:

{010} Perfect, {001} Good

Color:

Colorless, Light orange, Pink.

Density:

2.27 - 2.34, Average = 2.3

Diaphaneity:

Transparent

Fracture:

Brittle - Splintery - Brittle fracture leaving splintery fragments.

Hardness:

2.5 - Finger Nail

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Volkovskite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.06 (Fair) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.062 (Fair) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.24,KPDmeas= 0.2406,KC= 0.2559
Ncalc = 1.58 - 1.6

Optical Data:

Biaxial (+), a=1.523-1.536, b=1.53-1.539, g=1.596-1.603, bire=0.0670-0.0730, 2V(Calc)=26-38, 2V(Meas)=24-37.

Calculated Properties of Volkovskite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.33 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Volkovskite =2.31 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.02
Boson Index = 0.98

Photoelectric:

PE_Volkovskite= 4.28 barns/electron
U=PE_Volkovskite x r_electron= 9.99 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 92.20 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Volkovskite per GRapi unit = 1.08 (%)

Estimated Radioactivity from Volkovskite - barely detectable

Volkovskite Classification

Dana Class:

26.05.16.01 (26)Hydrated Borates Containing Hydroxyl or Halogen

(26.05)Dana Type

(26.05.16)Dana Group

26.05.16.01 Volkovskite KCa4[B5O8(OH)4][B(OH)3]Cl•4(H2O) P1 1

Strunz Class:

06.EC.20 06 - BORATES

06.E - Pentaborates

06.EC -Phyllo-pentaborates

06.EC.20 Volkovskite KCa4[B5O8(OH)4][B(OH)3]Cl•4(H2O) P1 1

Other Volkovskite Information

References:

NAME( AntBidBlaNic5) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Volkovskite :
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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Volkovskite

KCa4[B5O8(OH)4][B(OH)3]Cl•4(H2O)
Dana No: 26.05.16.01 Strunz No: 06.EC.20
Locality:

Notes:

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