Alunite Mineral Data http://webmineral.com/data/Alunite.shtml#.

WzSKkooxXIU

Search Webmineral :

Home Crystal jmol jPOWD Chem X Ray Dana Strunz Properties A to Z Images Share News Help About
Advertisment

[Minerals for Sale] [New Minerals] [Diamond Crystals] [Gem Minerals] [My Best Minerals]
Classic minerals, out-of-print books & magazines, plus informative articles for collectors

General Alunite Information

Chemical Formula: KAl3(SO4)2(OH)6

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
Empirical Formula: KAl3(SO4)2(OH)6
Environment: Rock forming mineral where acid, often ore-bearing, solutions have altered orthoclase
feldspar-rich rocks.
IMA Status: Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1824
Locality: Marysvale, Utah. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.
Name Origin: From the Latin alunit, meaning "alum."
Name Pronunciation: Alunite
Synonym: Aluminilite

1 of 7 6/28/2018, 2:28 PM
Alunite Mineral Data http://webmineral.com/data/Alunite.shtml#.WzSKkooxXIU

ICSD 12106
PDF 13-136

Alunite Image

Images:
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

Axial Ratios: a:c = 1:2.49354

Cell Dimensions: a = 6.97, c = 17.38, Z = 4; V = 731.22 Den(Calc)= 3.76
Crystal System: TrigonalSpace Group: R 3m, R 3m
X Ray Diffraction: By Intensity(I/Io): 2.89(1), 2.99(1), 2.293(0.8),
Forms:
Mouse
Dbl Clk - Start-Stop Rotation Forms: ( 0 1 2) ( 0 0 1)
RMB - Cycle Display Modes
Drag1 - Manipulate Crystal
Drag2 - Resize
Keyboard
S - Stereo Warning: this large pop-up is very compute intensive and may not work well with some
I - Indicies
<space> - Start-Stop Rotation computers.
F - Fit to Screen
M - Menu
Help on Above

Crystal Structure:
Mouse
drag1 - LMB Manipulate Structure
Hendricks S B , American Mineralogist , 22 (1937) p.773-784, The crystal structures of alunite and the
drag2 - RMB Resize/Rotate jarosites
Keyboard
S - Stereo Pair on/off

2 of 7 6/28/2018, 2:28 PM
Alunite Mineral Data http://webmineral.com/data/Alunite.shtml#.WzSKkooxXIU

H - Help Screen
I - Data Info
A - Atoms On/Off
P - Polyhedra On/Off
B - Bonds On/Off View Additional jPOWD Structure files for Alunite
Help on Above [1]

Physical Properties of Alunite

Cleavage: {0001} Good

Color: White, Gray, Yellowish gray, Reddish gray, Yellowish white.
Density: 2.59 - 2.9, Average = 2.74
Diaphaneity: Transparent to translucent
Fracture: Uneven - Flat surfaces (not cleavage) fractured in an uneven pattern.
Habit: Earthy - Dull, clay-like texture with no visible crystalline affinities, (e.g. howlite).
Habit: Fibrous - Crystals made up of fibers.
Habit: Massive - Granular - Common texture observed in granite and other igneous rock.
Hardness: 3.5-4 - Copper Penny-Fluorite
Luminescence: Non-fluorescent.
Luster: Vitreous - Pearly
Streak: white

Optical Properties of Alunite

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
Ncalc = 1.55 - 1.8
Optical Data: Uniaxial (+), w=1.572, e=1.592, bire=0.0200.

Calculated Properties of Alunite

Electron Density: Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.76 gm/cc

note: Specific Gravity of Alunite =2.75 gm/cc.

3 of 7 6/28/2018, 2:28 PM
Alunite Mineral Data http://webmineral.com/data/Alunite.shtml#.WzSKkooxXIU

Fermion Index: Fermion Index = 0.0014342941

Boson Index = 0.9985657059
Photoelectric: PEAlunite = 2.47 barns/electron
U=PEAlunite x relectron= 6.80 barns/cc.
Radioactivity:
GRapi = 136.78 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Alunite per GRapi unit = 0.73 (%)

Estimated Radioactivity from Alunite - barely detectable

Alunite Classification

Dana Class: 30.02.04.01 (30)Anhydrous Sulfates Containing Hydroxyl or Halogen

(30.02)where (A B)2 XO4 Zq
(30.02.04)Alunite Group (Alunite Subgroup)
30.02.04.01 Alunite KAl3(SO4)2(OH)6 R 3m, R 3m Trig
30.02.04.02 Natroalunite NaAl3(SO4)2(OH)6 R 3m 3 2/m
30.02.04.03 Schlossmacherite (H3O,Ca)Al3(AsO4,SO4)2(OH)6 R 3m 3 2/m
30.02.04.04 Osarizawaite PbCuAl2(SO4)2(OH)6 R 3m 3m
30.02.04.05 Minamiite (Na,Ca,K)Al3(SO4)2(OH)6 R 3m 3 2/m
30.02.04.06 Ammonioalunite (NH4)Al3(SO4)2(OH)6 R 3m 3 2/m
30.02.04.07 Walthierite Ba0.5Al3(SO4)2(OH)6 R 3m 3 2/m
30.02.04.08 Huangite Ca0.5Al3(SO4)2(OH)6 R 3m 3 2/m
Strunz Class: 07.BC.10 07 - SULFATES (SELENATES, TELLURATES)
07.B - Sulfates (selenates, etc.) with Additional Anions, without H2O
07.BC -With medium-sized and large cations
07.BC.10 Alunite KAl3(SO4)2(OH)6 R 3m, R 3m Trig
07.BC.10 Ammonioalunite (NH4)Al3(SO4)2(OH)6 R 3m 3 2/m
07.BC.10 Ammoniojarosite (NH4)Fe3(SO4)2(OH)6 R 3m 3m
07.BC.10 Beaverite PbCu(Fe,Al)2(SO4)2(OH)6 R 3m 3m
07.BC.10 Argentojarosite AgFe3(SO4)2(OH)6 R 3m 3m
07.BC.10 Huangite Ca0.5Al3(SO4)2(OH)6 R 3m 3 2/m
07.BC.10 Dorallcharite (Tl,K)Fe3(SO4)2(OH)6 R 3m 3 2/m
07.BC.10 Jarosite KFe3(SO4)2(OH)6 R 3 3
07.BC.10 Hydroniumjarosite (H3O)Fe3(SO4)2(OH)6 R 3m 3m

4 of 7 6/28/2018, 2:28 PM
Alunite Mineral Data http://webmineral.com/data/Alunite.shtml#.WzSKkooxXIU

07.BC.10 Minamiite (Na,Ca,K)Al3(SO4)2(OH)6 R 3m 3 2/m

07.BC.10 Natrojarosite NaFe3(SO4)2(OH)6 R 3m 3m
07.BC.10 Natroalunite NaAl3(SO4)2(OH)6 R 3m 3 2/m
07.BC.10 Osarizawaite PbCuAl2(SO4)2(OH)6 R 3m 3m
07.BC.10 Plumbojarosite PbFe6(SO4)4(OH)12 R 3m 3 2/m
07.BC.10 Schlossmacherite (H3O,Ca)Al3(AsO4,SO4)2(OH)6 R 3m 3 2/m
07.BC.10 Walthierite Ba0.5Al3(SO4)2(OH)6 R 3m 3 2/m

Other Alunite Information

References: NAME( Duda&Rejl90) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC

PROP.(Mason68)
See Also: Links to other databases for Alunite :
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 - Google Images
8 - Google Scholar
9 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
10 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
11 - MinDAT
12 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
13 - Online Mineral Museum
14 - Philatelic Mineralogy
15 - QUT Mineral Atlas
16 - Ruff.Info
17 - WWW-MINCRYST

Search for Alunite using:

5 of 7 6/28/2018, 2:28 PM
Alunite Mineral Data http://webmineral.com/data/Alunite.shtml#.WzSKkooxXIU

Web webmineral.com
[AOL] [Bing] [Dog Pile] [GeoScienceWorld] [HotBot] [Ixquick] [Lycos] [MAMMA] [Scirus]
[Teoma] [WebCrawler] [Wikipedia] [YAHOO]

Visit our Advertisers for Alunite :

Dakota Matrix Minerals Google Search for Alunite

John Betts Fine Minerals Search for Alunite
McDougall Minerals Google Search for Alunite
Rock and Mineral Shows Google Search for Alunite
Weinrich Minerals, Inc. Google Search for Alunite

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: 30.02.04.01 Strunz No: 07.BC.10
Locality:

Notes:

6 of 7 6/28/2018, 2:28 PM
Alunite Mineral Data http://webmineral.com/data/Alunite.shtml#.WzSKkooxXIU

7 of 7 6/28/2018, 2:28 PM