Kainite

Kainite is a rarely occurring mineral from the mineral class of sulfates. It crystallizes in the monoclinic crystal system with the chemical composition KMg [Cl | SO 4 ] • 3H2O and developed predominantly granular to massive aggregates, in rare cases, tabular crystals, which can be either colorless or yellowish white by foreign admixtures, gray to gray-blue or purple.

Special Features

Kainite is water soluble and precipitates when re- crystallization from schoenite.

Etymology and history

Kainite was in the " Herzoglich Anhaltisches Salzwerk Leopoldshall " discovered in 1865 ( at Staßfurt ) from Mount jury Beautiful. Was described by Carl Friedrich Jacob Zincken kainite, the " ( so far) unknown " named because with kainite the first connection is found that contains the anion mineral after the Greek word καινος [ kainos ] sulfate and chloride.

Classification

In the old ( 8th edition ) and the new classification of minerals ( 9th Edition ) by Strunz heard of kainite to the Department of " water -containing sulfates with foreign anions ." The new Strunz'sche Mineral classification is here, however, still continue and the mineral is now in the subdivision of " sulfates ( selenates, etc.) with additional anions, with H2O and with large and medium-sized cations " sorted.

The classification of minerals according to Dana assigns the kainite in the department of " Hydrated Sulfates Containing hydroxyl or halogen where ( A B2 ) 2 ( XO4 ) Zq · x (H2O) " (Translated: Hydrous sulfates contained hydroxy or halogen and the general chemical composition a [ ...]).

Education and Locations

Kainite is a typical secondary mineral that forms through metamorphosis in marine potassium carbonate deposits. Rarely it is also produced by Resublimation from volcanic vapors. Accompanying minerals include anhydrite, carnallite, halite and Kieserit.

The mineral was found, among other things the following locations: at Bad Ischl in Upper Austria; Hesse, Lower Saxony, Saxony -Anhalt and Thuringia; Sicily; in the Greater Poland Voivodeship; Povolzhsky region in Russia; Ivanovo - Frankivsk in Ukraine, as well as New Mexico and Utah in the United States.

Crystal structure

Kainite crystallizes in the monoclinic crystal system, space group C2 / m with lattice parameters a = 19.72 Å; b = 16.23 Å; c = 9.53 Å and β = 94.92 °; and 16 formula units per unit cell.

Use

Kainite was recovered in Leopoldshall in large quantities and, fertilizer salts processed into potash salts, etc.. Sometimes it is also used as de-icing.