Alunite Mineral Data + Say ALUNITE

Dan Weinrich Fine Minerals
[Fine Minerals] [What's New] [Mineral Galleries] [My Collection] [Mineral Auctions]
Dan Weinrich Fine Minerals
Full-time professional mineral dealer with over 31 years experience in mineral collecting
And 15 years selling mineral specimens on the internet and at major mineral shows

General Alunite Information
Help on Chemical Formula: Chemical Formula: KAl3(SO4)2(OH)6
Help on Composition: Composition: Molecular Weight = 414.21 gm
   Potassium   9.44 %  K    11.37 % K2O
   Aluminum   19.54 %  Al   36.92 % Al2O3
   Hydrogen    1.46 %  H    13.05 % H2O
   Sulfur     15.48 %  S    38.66 % SO3
   Oxygen     54.08 %  O
             ______        ______ 
             100.00 %      100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE
Help on Empirical Formula: Empirical Formula: KAl3(SO4)2(OH)6
Help on Environment: Environment: Rock forming mineral where acid, often ore-bearing, solutions have altered orthoclase feldspar-rich rocks.
Help on IMA Status: IMA Status: Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1824
Help on Locality: Locality: Marysvale, Utah. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.
Help on Name Origin: Name Origin: From the Latin alunit, meaning "alum."
Help on Synonym: Synonym: Aluminilite
  ICSD 12106
  PDF 13-136
 

Alunite Image

Click Here for Larger Alunite Image in a New Browser Window Images:
Click Here for Larger Alunite Image

Alunite

Comments: Octahedral clear to tan tinted crystals of alunite.
Location: Marysvale, Piute County, Utah, USA. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Alunite Crystallography
Help on Axial Ratios: Axial Ratios: a:c = 1:2.49354
Help on Cell Dimensions: Cell Dimensions: a = 6.97, c = 17.38, Z = 4; V = 731.22 Den(Calc)= 3.76
Help on Crystal System: Crystal System: TrigonalSpace Group: R 3m, R 3m
Help on X Ray Diffraction: X Ray Diffraction: By Intensity(I/Io): 2.89(1), 2.99(1), 2.293(0.8),
Help on Forms: Forms:

Mouse
Dbl Clk - Start-Stop Rotation
RMB - Cycle Display Modes
Drag1 - Manipulate Crystal
Drag2 - Resize
Keyboard
S - Stereo
I - Indicies
<space> - Start-Stop Rotation
F - Fit to Screen
M - Menu
Help on Above

Forms: [ 0 1 2] [ 0 0 1]

Warning: this large pop-up is very compute intensive and may not work well with some computers.
Click Here for Large Alunite Structure Window Crystal Structure:

Mouse
drag1 - LMB Manipulate Structure
drag2 - RMB Resize/Rotate
Keyboard
S - Stereo Pair on/off
H - Help Screen
I - Data Info
A - Atoms On/Off
P - Polyhedra On/Off
B - Bonds On/Off
 Help on Above


Hendricks S B , American Mineralogist , 22 (1937) p.773-784, The crystal structures of alunite and the jarosites

View Additional jPOWD Structure files for Alunite
[1]
 

Physical Properties of Alunite

Help on Cleavage: Cleavage: [0001] Good
Help on Color: Color: White, Gray, Yellowish gray, Reddish gray, Yellowish white.
Help on Density: Density: 2.59 - 2.9, Average = 2.74
Help on Diaphaniety: Diaphaniety: Transparent to translucent
Help on Fracture: Fracture: Uneven - Flat surfaces (not cleavage) fractured in an uneven pattern.
Help on Habit: Habit: Earthy - Dull, clay-like texture with no visible crystalline affinities, (e.g. howlite).
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 Hardness: Hardness: 3.5-4 - Copper Penny-Fluorite
Help on Luminescence: Luminescence: None.
Help on Luster: Luster: Vitreous - Pearly
Help on Streak: Streak: white
 

Optical Properties of Alunite

Help on Gladstone-Dale: Gladstone-Dale: CI meas= -0.002 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.268 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1548,KPDmeas= 0.212,KC= 0.2115
Help on Optical Data: Optical Data: Uniaxial (+), w=1.572, e=1.592, bire=0.0200.
 

Calculated Properties of Alunite

Help on Electron Density: Electron Density:

relectron=2.76 gm/cc
note: rAlunite =2.75 gm/cc.
Help on Fermion Index Fermion Index Fermion Index = 0.00143
Boson Index = 0.99857
Help on Photoelectric: Photoelectric:

PEAlunite = 2.47 barns/electron
U=PEAlunite x relectron= 6.80 barns/cc.
Help on Radioactivity: Radioactivity:

GRapi = 136.78 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)

Estimated Radioactivity from Alunite - barely detectable

 

Alunite Classification
Help on Dana Class: Dana Class: 30.2.4.1 (30)Anhydrous Sulfates Containing Hydroxyl or Halogen
  (30.2)where (A B)2 XO4 Zq
  (30.2.4)Alunite Group (Alunite Subgroup)
 
30.2.4.1 Alunite KAl3(SO4)2(OH)6 R 3m, R 3m Trig
 
30.2.4.2 Natroalunite NaAl3(SO4)2(OH)6 R 3m 3 2/m
 
30.2.4.3 Schlossmacherite (H3O,Ca)Al3(AsO4,SO4)2(OH)6 R 3m 3 2/m
 
30.2.4.4 Osarizawaite PbCuAl2(SO4)2(OH)6 R 3m 3m
 
30.2.4.5 Minamiite (Na,Ca,K)Al3(SO4)2(OH)6 R 3m 3 2/m
 
30.2.4.6 Ammonioalunite (NH4)Al3(SO4)2(OH)6 R 3m 3 2/m
 
30.2.4.7 Walthierite Ba0.5Al3(SO4)2(OH)6 R 3m 3 2/m
 
30.2.4.8 Huangite Ca0.5Al3(SO4)2(OH)6 R 3m 3 2/m
Help on Strunz Class: Strunz Class: VI/B.11-20 VI - Sulfates,Chromates,Molybdates and Tungstates
  VI/B - Waterfree sulfates [SO4]2- with unfamiliar anions. mostly big cations
  VI/B.11 - Alunite group, Natroalunite - Jarosite - Beaverite
 
VI/B.11-10 Natroalunite NaAl3(SO4)2(OH)6 R 3m 3 2/m
 
VI/B.11-20 Alunite KAl3(SO4)2(OH)6 R 3m, R 3m Trig
 
VI/B.11-30 Ammonioalunite (NH4)Al3(SO4)2(OH)6 R 3m 3 2/m
 
VI/B.11-40 Minamiite (Na,Ca,K)Al3(SO4)2(OH)6 R 3m 3 2/m
 
VI/B.11-43 Huangite Ca0.5Al3(SO4)2(OH)6 R 3m 3 2/m
 
VI/B.11-45 Walthierite Ba0.5Al3(SO4)2(OH)6 R 3m 3 2/m
 
VI/B.11-50 Natrojarosite NaFe3(SO4)2(OH)6 R 3m 3m
 
VI/B.11-60 Jarosite KFe3(SO4)2(OH)6 R 3 3
 
VI/B.11-65 Dorallcharite (Tl,K)Fe3(SO4)2(OH)6 R 3m 3 2/m
 
VI/B.11-70 Ammoniojarosite (NH4)Fe3(SO4)2(OH)6 R 3m 3m
 
VI/B.11-80 Hydronium-jarosite (H3O)Fe3(SO4)2(OH)6 R 3m 3m
 
VI/B.11-90 Argentojarosite AgFe3(SO4)2(OH)6 R 3m 3m
 
VI/B.11-100 Plumbojarosite PbFe6(SO4)4(OH)12 R 3m 3 2/m
 
VI/B.11-110 Osarizawaite PbCuAl2(SO4)2(OH)6 R 3m 3m
 
VI/B.11-120 Beaverite PbCu(Fe,Al)2(SO4)2(OH)6 R 3m 3m
 

Other Alunite 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 Alunite :
1 -Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database 2 - Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery 3 - Applied Mineralogy 4 -Athena 5 - Crocoite.com Mineral Locations 6 - EUROmin Project 7 -Google Images 8 -Google Scholar 9 -Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA) 10 -MinDAT 11 -MinMax(Deutsch) 12 -MinMax(English) 13 -Mineralienatlas (Deutsch) 14 - Minerals of Wisconsin 15 - Philatelic Mineralogy 16 -QUT Mineral Atlas 17 - WWW-MINCRYST 18 -École des Mines de Paris

Search for Alunite using:

Google
 
Web webmineral.com
[ALTAVISTA] [AOL] [About.com] [All-The-Web] [HotBot] [Ixquick] [LookSmart] [MAMMA] [MSN.COM] [Netscape] [Teoma] [Wikipedia] [YAHOO]

Visit our Advertisers for Alunite :
AA Mineral Specimens
B and L Minerals
Dan Weinrich Fine Minerals
Dan Weinrich Auctions
e-Rocks Auctions
Excalibur Minerals
Exceptional Minerals
Fabre Minerals
Greenside Minerals
John Betts Fine Minerals
Masons Minerals
Minernet.it
Mineral News
Mineral of the Month Club
MineralsWeb Fine Minerals
Rockshop.cz Kalat Fine Minerals
T G Fine Minerals
Wrights Rock Shop

Translate Alunite Mineral Data :

Ask about Alunite here :
Ask-A-Mineralogist from the Mineralogical Society of America
Mindat.org's Discussion Groups
Original Rockhounds Discussion Group
Rockhounds Discussion Group on Yahoo Groups
Mineral Discussion Forum from Fabre Minerals - also available in Español

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

Alunite

KAl3(SO4)2(OH)6
Dana No: 30.2.4.1 Strunz No: VI/B.11-20
Locality:

 

Notes:

 
 
   
 
Go To Webmineral Home Crystallography X-Ray D-Spacing Table Chemical Composition
Dana Classification Strunz Classification Table of Mineral Properties Alphabetical Listing of Minerals
Search Webmineral Photo Gallery of Mineral Images Help Files Links