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Mcallisterite

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Furnace Creek District (Furnace Creek Borate District), Inyo Co., California, USA
© Knut Eldjarn

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Formula:
Mg
 
2
[B
 
6
O
 
7
(OH)
 
6
]
 
2
 · 9H
 
2
O
System:TrigonalColour:colourless, white
Hardness:2½
Name:
For James Franklin McAllister (1911-2000) USGS Geologist who first collected the material.
This page provides mineralogical data about Mcallisterite.

Classification of Mcallisterite

IMA status:Approved 1963
Strunz 8th edition ID:5/H.17-20
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:6.FA.10

6 : BORATES
F : Hexaborates
A : Neso-hexaborates
Dana 8th edition ID:26.6.2.1

26 : HYDRATED BORATES CONTAINING HYDROXYL OR HALOGEN
6 : Hexaborates
Hey's CIM Ref.:9.2.14

9 : Borates
2 : Borates of Be and Mg
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Type Occurrence of Mcallisterite

Type Locality:Mott prospect (Mott Colemanite prospect; Mott open cut), Twenty Mule Team Canyon, Furnace Creek District (Furnace Creek Borate District), Death Valley National Park, Inyo Co., California, USA
Place of Conservation of Type Material:Smithsonian
Year of Discovery:1963
Geological Setting of type material:Veins in basalt. Alteration of colemannite and priceite

Physical Properties of Mcallisterite

Diaphaneity (Transparency):Transparent
Colour:colourless, white
Streak:white
Hardness (Mohs):2½
Tenacity:Brittle
Cleavage:Distinct/Good
on {0001} and {0112}
Density (measured):1.867(5) g/cm3
Density (calculated):1.866 g/cm3

Crystallography of Mcallisterite

Crystal System:Trigonal
Class (H-M):3m (3 2/m) - Hexagonal Scalenohedral
Space Group:R3c {R3 2/c}
Space Group Setting:R3c
Cell Parameters:a = 11.546(1) Å, c = 35.562(5) Å
Ratio:a:c = 1 : 3.08
Unit Cell Volume:V 4,105.63 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:6
Morphology:Rhombohedral crystals to 12 mm, efforescences

Optical Data of Mcallisterite

Type:Uniaxial (-)
RI values: nω = 1.504 nε = 1.459
Maximum Birefringence:δ = 0.045

Chart shows birefringence interference colour range (at 30µm thickness) and does not take into account mineral colouration.
Surface Relief:Moderate

Chemical Properties of Mcallisterite

Formula:
Mg
 
2
[B
 
6
O
 
7
(OH)
 
6
]
 
2
 · 9H
 
2
O
Essential elements:B, H, Mg, O
All elements listed in formula:B, H, Mg, O

Relationship of Mcallisterite to other Species

Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):

- +
6.FA.05Aksaite
Mg[B
 
6
O
 
7
(OH)
 
6
] · 2H
 
2
O
6.FA.15Admontite
Mg[B
 
6
O
 
7
(OH)
 
6
] · 4H
 
2
O
6.FA.20Rivadavite
Na
 
6
Mg[B
 
6
O
 
7
(OH)
 
6
]
 
4
 · 10H
 
2
O
6.FA.25Teruggite
Ca
 
4
Mg[AsO
 
4
|B
 
6
O
 
7
(OH)
 
6
]
 
2
 · 12H
 
2
O
Related Minerals - Hey's Index Grouping:

- +
9.2.1Hambergite
Be
 
2
(BO
 
3
)(OH)
9.2.2Suanite
Mg
 
2
[B
 
2
O
 
5
]
9.2.3Kotoite
Mg
 
3
[BO
 
3
]
 
2
9.2.4Szaibélyite
Mg
 
2
[(OH)(B
 
2
O
 
4
(OH))]
9.2.5Preobrazhenskite
Mg
 
3
B
 
11
O
 
15
(OH)
 
9
9.2.6Aksaite
Mg[B
 
6
O
 
7
(OH)
 
6
] · 2H
 
2
O
9.2.7Wightmanite
Mg
 
5
(BO
 
3
)O(OH)
 
5
 · 2H
 
2
O
9.2.8Pinnoite
Mg[B
 
2
O(OH)
 
6
]
9.2.9Kurnakovite
Mg(H
 
4
B
 
3
O
 
7
)(OH) · 5H
 
2
O
9.2.10Halurgite
Mg
 
2
[B
 
4
O
 
7
]
 
2
 · 5H
 
2
O
9.2.11Inderite
Mg(H
 
4
B
 
3
O
 
7
)(OH) · 5H
 
2
O
9.2.12Hungchaoite
Mg(B
 
4
O
 
7
) · 9H
 
2
O
9.2.13Admontite
Mg[B
 
6
O
 
7
(OH)
 
6
] · 4H
 
2
O
9.2.15Rivadavite
Na
 
6
Mg[B
 
6
O
 
7
(OH)
 
6
]
 
4
 · 10H
 
2
O
9.2.16Kaliborite
KMg
 
2
H[B
 
6
O
 
8
(OH)
 
5
]
 
2
(H
 
2
O)
 
4
9.2.17Iquiqueite
K
 
3
Na
 
4
Mg(CrO
 
4
)B
 
24
O
 
39
(OH) · 12H
 
2
O

Other Names for Mcallisterite

Synonyms:
IMA1963-012
Other Languages:
German:Mcallisterit
Russian:Макэлистерит
Spanish:Mcallisterita

Other Information

Fluorescence in UV light:Pale yellow
Other Information:Slowly soluble in water.
Health Warning:No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.

References for Mcallisterite

Reference List:

- +
Schaller, Waldemar Theodore, Angelina Calomeris Vlisidis & Mary Emma Mrose (1964), Macallisterite, 2MgO.6B2O36.15H2O, a new hydrous magnesium borate mineral from the Death Valley region, Inyo County, California (abstract): Geol. Soc. Amer. Program, Miami, Florida Meeting: 173, Nov, 1964.

American Mineralogist (1965): 50: 629-640.

American Mineralogist (1967): 52: 1776.

Dal Negro, A. (1969), The crystal structure of mcallisterite, Mg2[B6O7(OH)6]2•9H20 (abstract): Mineralogical Abstracts (1972): 23: 172.

Grew, E.S., and Anovitz, L.M. (1996) BORON: Mineralogy, Petrology and Geochemistry, second edition, as revised (2002).

Internet Links for Mcallisterite

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  • Raman and XRD data at RRUFF project
  • American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database
  • Mcallisterite details from Handbook of Mineralogy (PDF)
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    • Localities for Mcallisterite

    The map shows a selection of localities that have latitude and longitude coordinates recorded. Click on the symbol to view information about a locality. The symbol next to localities in the list can be used to jump to that position on the map.
    Hide Locality List
    (TL) indicates type locality. ? indicates mineral may be doubtful at this locality. All other localities listed without reference should be considered as uncertain and unproven until references can be found.
    Argentina
     
    • Salta
      • Salar Del Hombre Muerto
    		Amer. Mineral., 1967, 52, 326.; Am Min 58:308-313
    China
     
    • Qinghai Province
      • Haixi Autonomous Prefecture
        • Da Qaidam (Dachaidan) Co.
    		Garrett, D.E. (1998): Borates: Handbook of deposits, processing, properties, and use. Academic Press (San Diego, London), 491 pp.
    Kazakhstan
     
    • Atyrau Province (Atyrau Oblysy; Atyrau Oblast')
      • Atyrau (Gur'yev)
    		Anatoly Kasatkin data
    USA
     
    • California
      • Inyo Co.
        • Death Valley National Park
          • Death Valley
    		Econ Geol (1996) 91:622-635
          • Furnace Creek District (Furnace Creek Borate District)
            • Black Mts
              • Ryan
    		Am Min 64:3-4 pp 369-375; American Mineralogist: 55: 349-357; Erd, R.C., J.F. McAllister, and G.D. Eberlein (1979) New data on hungchaoite, the second world occurrence, Death Valley region, California. American Mineralogist: 64: 369-375.
              • Twenty Mule Team Canyon
                • Monte Blanco
    		American Mineralogist (1979): 64(3-4): 369-375.; Erd, R.C., J.F. McAllister, and G.D. Eberlein (1979) New data on hungchaoite, the second world occurrence, Death Valley region, California. American Mineralogist: 64: 369-375.
    Am Min 64:3-4 pp 369-375; Erd, R.C., J.F. McAllister, and G.D. Eberlein (1979) New data on hungchaoite, the second world occurrence, Death Valley region, California. American Mineralogist: 64: 369-375.
            • Twenty Mule Team Canyon
    		Schaller, Waldemar Theodore, et al (1965), American Mineralogist: 65: 629-640; Pemberton, H. Earl (1983), Minerals of California; Van Nostrand Reinholt Press: 240.
    • New Jersey
      • Sussex Co.
        • Franklin Mining District
          • Ogdensburg
            • Sterling Hill
    		Dunn(1995):Pt5:641.
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