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Halite

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Wieliczka Mine, Wieliczka, Małopolskie, Poland
© R. Lang 2006

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Formula:
NaCl
System:IsometricColour:Colourless, whitish, ...
Lustre:VitreousHardness:2½
Name:From the Greek άλς, sea, for halites, later modified by J.D. Dana to halite.


Halite Group

Natural Salt. Occurs both as evaporite deposits in saline lakes and water courses, or as bedded sedimentary deposits, or as salt domes.

Classification of Halite

IMA status:Valid - first described prior to 1959 (pre-IMA) - "Grandfathered"
Strunz 8th edition ID:3/A.02-30
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:3.AA.20

3 : HALIDES
A : Simple halides, without H2O
A : M:X = 1:1, 2:3, 3:5, etc.
Dana 8th edition ID:9.1.1.1

9 : NORMAL HALIDES
1 : AX
Hey's CIM Ref.:8.1.3

8 : Halides - Fluorides, Chlorides, Bromides and Iodides; also Fluoborates and Fluosilicates
1 : Halides of the alkali metals and ammonium
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Occurrences of Halite

Geological Setting:Sedimentary evaporite deposits

Physical Properties of Halite

Lustre:Vitreous
Diaphaneity (Transparency):Transparent, Translucent
Colour:Colourless, whitish, yellow, red, purple or blue
Streak:White
Hardness (Mohs):2½
Tenacity:Brittle
Cleavage:Perfect
On {001}
Fracture:Conchoidal
Density (measured):2.168 g/cm3
Density (calculated):2.165 g/cm3

Crystallography of Halite

Crystal System:Isometric
Class (H-M):m3m (4/m 3 2/m) - Hexoctahedral
Space Group:Fm3m {F4/m 3 2/m}
Cell Parameters:a = 5.6404(1) Å
Unit Cell Volume:V 179.44 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:4
Morphology:Normally cubic, rarely octahedral. Crystal faces often cavernous and stepped (hopper crystals). Massive. Coarsely granular to compact; columnar, stalactitic or capillary forms rare.
Twinning:On {111} (artificial crystals).
Crystal Atlas:
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Halite no.1 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)

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Structure
  Reference
Wyckoff R W G (1963) Second edition. Interscience Publishers, New York, New York rocksalt structure. Crystal Structures 1:85-237.

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More Crystal Structures
Click here to view more crystal structures at the American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database

Optical Data of Halite

Type:Isotropic
RI values: n = 1.5443
Maximum Birefringence:δ = 0.000 - Isotropic minerals have no birefringence
Surface Relief:Low
Dispersion:Moderately strong
Pleochroism:Weak
Comments:The pleochroism id sometimes developed in coloured material after being subjected to pressure.
Comments:Weakly anisotropic due to stress.

Chemical Properties of Halite

Formula:
NaCl
Essential elements:Cl, Na
All elements listed in formula:Cl, Na
Common Impurities:I,Br,Fe,O

Relationship of Halite to other Species

Common Associates:
SylvitePolyhaliteKieseriteKainiteGypsum
ClayCarnalliteAnhydrite
Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):

- +
3.AA.05Marshite
CuI
3.AA.05Miersite
(Ag,Cu)I
3.AA.05Nantokite
CuCl
3.AA.05UM1999-11:I:CuS
Cu(I,S)
3.AA.10Iodargyrite
AgI
3.AA.10Tocornalite
(Ag,Hg)I
3.AA.15Bromargyrite
AgBr
3.AA.15Chlorargyrite
AgCl
3.AA.20Carobbiite
KF
3.AA.20Griceite
LiF
3.AA.20Sylvite
KCl
3.AA.20Villiaumite
NaF
3.AA.25Salammoniac
NH
 
4
Cl
3.AA.25UM1998-03-Cl:Tl
TlCl
3.AA.25Lafossaite
Tl(Cl,Br)
3.AA.30Calomel
(Hg
+
2
)Cl
 
2
3.AA.30Kuzminite
(Hg
+
2
)(Br,Cl)
 
2
3.AA.30Moschelite
(Hg
+
2
)I
 
2
3.AA.35Neighborite
NaMgF
 
3
3.AA.40Chlorocalcite
KCaCl
 
3
3.AA.45Kolarite
PbTeCl
 
2
3.AA.50Radhakrishnaite
PbTe
 
3
(Cl,S)
 
2
3.AA.55Challacolloite
KPb
 
2
Cl
 
5
3.AA.60Hephaistosite
TlPb
 
2
Cl
 
5
Related Minerals - Hey's Index Grouping:

- +
8.1.1Griceite
LiF
8.1.2Villiaumite
NaF
8.1.4Hydrohalite
NaCl · 2H
 
2
O
8.1.5Carobbiite
KF
8.1.6Sylvite
KCl
8.1.7Salammoniac
NH
 
4
Cl

Other Names for Halite

Synonyms:
β-HaliteCommon SaltHalitesMartinsite (of Karsten)Muriate of Soda
NatrikaliteRock SaltSaltSaltspar
Other Languages:
Basque:Halita
Catalan:Halita
Czech:Halit
Dutch:Haliet
Estonian:Haliit
French:Halite
Chlorure de sodium
Sal Mare
Sel gemme
Soude muriatée
German:Halit
Alit
Bergsalz
b-Halit
Knistersalz
Kochsalz
Steinsalz
Hebrew:הליט
Italian:Halite
Alite
Salgemma
Japanese:岩塩
Lithuanian:Halitas
Low Saxon:Halit
Norwegian (Bokmål):Halitt
Polish:Halit
Portuguese:Halita
Romanian:Sare gemă
Russian:Галит
Simplified Chinese:石盐
Slovak:Halit
Spanish:Halita
Alita
Sal gema
Sal marina
Telugu:రాతి ఉప్పు
Traditional Chinese:石鹽
Ukrainian:Галіт
Varieties:
Huantajayite

Other Information

Fluorescence in UV light:Red (SW UV)[Searles Lake, CA]. Orange (SW) [Poland]
Thermal Behaviour:Melts at 804°.
Special Storage/
Display Requirements from:
Salar del Hombre Muerto, Antofagasta de la Sierra Department, Catamarca, ArgentinaYes, specimens must be preserved from wet air, and storaged in closed boxes.
Health Warning:Licking or ingesting raw halite in the "wild" could cause health problems due to unidentified admixed substances (such as alkaline compounds).
Industrial Uses:Edible salt, chlorine production

References for Halite

Reference List:

- +
Karsten (1845), Journal für praktische Chemie, Leipzig: 36: 127 (as Martinsite).

Adam, M. (1869) Tableau minéralogique, Paris (as Natrikalite).

Dana (1868), System of Mineralogy, 5th. ed.: 112.

Exner (1873), Härte an Krystallflächen, Wien.

Raimondi (1876), in: Domeyko, Min. Chili, 5th. Appendix (as Huantajayite).

Cesàro (1888), Société géologique de Belgique, Liége, Memoir: 15: 204.

Brauns (1889), Neues Jahrbuch für Mineralogie, Geologie und Paleontologie, Heidelberg, Stuttgart: 1: 113.

Bragg (1914), Royal Society of London, Proceedings: 9A: 468.

Straumanis and Ievins (1914) Zeitschrift für Physik, Brunswick, Berlin: 109: 468.

Tertsch (1932), Zeitschrift für Kristallographie, Mineralogie und Petrographie, Leipzig: 81: 264.

Paniche (1933), Periodico de Mineralogia-Roma: 4: 25 (as β-halite).

Murzaev (1941), Ac.sc. Leningrad Comptes rendus (Doklady): 33: 306 (as Saltspar).

Palache, Charles, Harry Berman & Clifford Frondel (1951), The System of Mineralogy of James Dwight Dana and Edward Salisbury Dana Yale University 1837-1892, Seventh edition, Volume II: 4-7.

Panichi U. – (1933) Sul dimorfismo del salgemma e della silvite. Periodico di Mineralogia – Roma pp. 25-33.

Hunt, G.R., J.W. Salisbury, and C.J. Lenhoff (1972), Visible and near-infrared spectra of minerals and rocks: V. Halides, phosphates, arsenates, vanadates and borates. Modern Geology, v. 3, p. 121-132.

Basso R., Della Giusta A., Isetti G. (1977) - Anomalie ottiche in cristalli di salgemma. Periodico di mineralogia – Roma, pp. 91-98.

Janz, G.J. (1980) Molten-salts data as reference-standards for density, surface-tension viscosity and electrical conductance - KNO3 and NaCl. Journal of Physical and Chemical Reference Data: 9: 791-829.

Internet Links for Halite

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    Updated Mineral Entry: TyroliteFrom Jolyon & Katya Ralph, 18th Jun 2013 07:03:58