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Sassolite

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Anna Mine, Alsdorf, Aachen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
© Thomas Witzke

Show Sassolite Photos (3)
Formula:
H
 
3
BO
 
3
System:TriclinicColour:White to grey, ...
Lustre:PearlyHardness:1
Name:Named after its discovery locality, Sasso, Tuscany, Italy.
This page provides mineralogical data about Sassolite.

Classification of Sassolite

IMA status:Valid - first described prior to 1959 (pre-IMA) - "Grandfathered"
Strunz 8th edition ID:4/F.01-10
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:6.AA.05

6 : BORATES
A : Monoborates
A : BO3, without additional anions; 1(D).
Dana 8th edition ID:24.3.1.1

24 : ANHYDROUS BORATES
3 : AmBn[XO3]p
Hey's CIM Ref.:9.1.1

9 : Borates
1 : Borates of the alkalis and boric acid
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Type Occurrence of Sassolite

Type Locality:Sasso Pisano, Castelnuovo Val di Cecina, Pisa Province, Tuscany, Italy
Year of Discovery:1800

Physical Properties of Sassolite

Lustre:Pearly
Diaphaneity (Transparency):Transparent
Colour:White to grey, occasionally colourless, yellow or brown.
Streak:White
Hardness (Mohs):1
Cleavage:Perfect
{001} micaceous
Density (measured):1.46 - 1.5 g/cm3
Density (calculated):1.48 g/cm3

Crystallography of Sassolite

Crystal System:Triclinic
Class (H-M):1 - Pinacoidal
Space Group:P1
Cell Parameters:a = 7.02Å, b = 7.06Å, c = 6.59Å
α = 103.65°, β = 101.11°, γ = 59.98°
Ratio:a:b:c = 0.994 : 1 : 0.933
Unit Cell Volume:V 273.72 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Morphology:Tabular crystals {001}, pseudohexagonal in development; rarely needle-lke [001]. Usually small scales; grouped in stalactitic forms at times. Coatings.
Twinning:Common on twin axis [001].
X-Ray Powder Diffraction:
Image Loading

Radiation - Copper Kα
Data Set:
Horizontal Axis: ° to ° Vertical Axis: % Source Data: Filtered Data: Peaks:
Data courtesy of RRUFF project at University of Arizona, used with permission.

Optical Data of Sassolite

Type:Biaxial (-)
RI values: nα = 1.340 nβ = 1.456 nγ = 1.459
2V:Measured: 5° , Calculated: 16°
Maximum Birefringence:δ = 0.119

Chart shows birefringence interference colour range (at 30µm thickness) and does not take into account mineral colouration.
Surface Relief:Moderate
Dispersion:none

Chemical Properties of Sassolite

Formula:
H
 
3
BO
 
3
Essential elements:B, H, O
All elements listed in formula:B, H, O
Analyical Data:Boric acid.
Relationship of Sassolite to other Species
Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):

- + 
6.AA.15Nordenskiöldine
CaSn
4+
 
[BO
 
3
]
 
2
6.AA.15Tusionite
Mn
2+
 
Sn
4+
 
[BO
 
3
]
 
2
6.AA.35Jimboite
(Mn
2+
 
,Mg)
 
3
[BO
 
3
]
 
2
6.AA.35Kotoite
Mg
 
3
[BO
 
3
]
 
2
6.AA.40Takedaite
Ca
 
3
[BO
 
3
]
 
2
Related Minerals - Hey's Index Grouping:

- + 
9.1.2Metaborite
HBO
 
2
9.1.3Diomignite
Li
 
2
[B
 
4
O
 
7
]
9.1.4Biringuccite
Na
 
2
B
 
5
O
 
8
(OH)·H
 
2
O
9.1.5Nasinite
Na
 
4
B
 
10
O
 
17
·5H
 
2
O
9.1.6Kernite
Na
 
2
[B
 
4
O
 
6
(OH)
 
2
] · 3H
 
2
O
9.1.7Ezcurrite
Na
 
4
B
 
10
O
 
17
·7H
 
2
O
9.1.8Tincalconite
Na
 
2
[B
 
4
O
 
7
] · 5H
 
2
O
9.1.9Borax
Na
 
2
[B
 
4
O
 
7
] · 10H
 
2
O
9.1.10Ameghinite
Na(H
 
4
B
 
3
O
 
7
)
9.1.11Sborgite
Na[B
 
5
O
 
6
(OH)
 
4
] · 3H
 
2
O
9.1.12Aristarainite
Na
 
2
MgB
 
12
O
 
20
·8H
 
2
O
9.1.13Santite
K[B
 
5
O
 
6
(OH)
 
4
] · 2H
 
2
O
9.1.14Larderellite
(NH
 
4
)B
 
5
O
 
6
(OH)
 
4
9.1.15Ammonioborite
(NH
 
4
)
 
2
[B
 
5
O
 
6
(OH)
 
4
]
 
2
 · H
 
2
O
9.1.16Rhodizite
(K,Cs)Al
 
4
Be
 
4
(B,Be)
 
12
O
 
28
Other Names for Sassolite
Synonyms:
Boric AcidNative Boracic AcidNative Sedative SaltSal sedativum
Other Languages:
Catalan:Sassolita
Dutch:Sassoliet
French:Acide boracique
Acide borique
German:Sassolin
Borsäure
Sassolit
Italian:Sassolite
Acido borico
Sale sedativo naturale
Latin:Acidum boracis
Polish:Sassolin
Russian:Сассолин
Spanish:Sassolita
Other Information
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 Sassolite
Reference List:Hofer, U.F. (1778): Memorie sopra il sale sedativo naturale di Toscana e del borace che da quello si compone. Firenze.

Mascagni, P. (1779): Dei lagoni del Senese e del Volterrano. Commentari. Siena.



Karsten, D.L.G. (1808): Mineralogische Tabellen mit Rücksicht auf die neuesten Entdeckungen ausgearbeitet und mit erläuternden Anmerkungen versehen. H. A. Rottmann, Ed., Berlin, 105 pp. [sassolite at page 40].



Haushofer (1884), Zeitschrift für Kristallographie, Mineralogie und Petrographie, Leipzig: 9: 77.



Zachariasen (1934), Zeitschrift für Kristallographie, Mineralogie und Petrographie, Leipzig: 88: 150.



Palache, Charles, Harry Berman & Clifford Frondel (1944), The System of Mineralogy of James Dwight Dana and Edward Salisbury Dana Yale University 1837-1892, Volume I: Elements, Sulfides, Sulfosalts, Oxides. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York. 7th edition, revised and enlarged: 662-663.  



Zachariasen, W.H. (1954): The precise structure of orthoboric acid. Acta Crystallographica, 7, 305-310.

Smith, R.L. (1958): Some new occurrences of sassolite in the United States. American Mineralogist, 43, 1204-1205.

Grew, E.S. and Anovitz, L. M. (eds) (2002): Boron: Mineralogy, Petrology, and Geochemistry. Reviews in Mineralogy, 33.


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    Localities for Sassolite
    
	






    


    

    
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    (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.

    Australia
     
    

    • South Australia
    

      • Eyre peninsula
    

        • Middleback Range
    

          • Iron Knob
    
    		Australian Jour.Min. v.6, no. 1
    Germany
     
    

    • North Rhine-Westphalia
    

      • Aachen
    

        • Alsdorf
    
    		Sindern, S., Warnsloh, J. M., Witzke, T., Havenith, V., Neef, R. & Etoundi, Y. (2005): Mineralogy and geochemistry of vents formed on the burning coal mining waste dump Anna I, Alsdorf, Germany. Eur. J. Mineral. 17, Beih. 1, 130. 
    India
     
    

    • Jammu and Kashmir
    
    		No reference listed
    Italy
     
    

    • Campania
    

      • Naples Province
    

        • Somma-Vesuvius Complex
    
    		Russo, M., 2006: I minerali di formazione fumarolica della grande eruzione vesuviana del 1906
    




Russo, M., Punzo, I. (2004): I minerali del Somma-Vesuvio, AMI
    

    • Sicily
    

      • Messina Province
    

        • Lipari
    

          • Eolie Islands (Aeolian Islands)
    

            • Vulcano Island
    
    		HOLLAND, 1813. GARAVELLI A., LAVIANO R., VURRO F. (1997): Sublimate deposition from hydrothermal fluids at the Fossa Crater - Vulcano, Italy. - European Journal of Mineralogy - 9, 2, 423-432.
    






              • Porto Levante
    
    		HOLLAND, 1813. 
    

    • Tuscany
    

      • Pisa Province
    

        • Castelnuovo Val di Cecina
    
    		American Mineralogist (1957) 42, 56 
    



        • Pomarance
    
    		Palache, C., Berman, H., & Frondel, C. (1951), The System of Mineralogy of James Dwight Dana and Edward Salisbury Dana, Yale University 1837-1892, Volume II: 366; S. Merlino, F. Sartori: Can. Mineral. 27:159-165 (1970)
    Japan
     
    

    • Nansei Archipelago
    

      • Kagoshima Prefecture
    
    		fumarolic
    Russia
     
    

    • Far-Eastern Region
    

      • Kamchatka Oblast'
    
    		[Der Aufschluss 1995:4 p163-180]
    


[Der Aufschluss 1995:4 p.163-180]
    USA
     
    

    • California
    

      • Inyo Co.
    

        • Death Valley
    

          • 20 Mule Team Canyon
    
    		AmMin (1965) 50:629-640
    




          • Furnace Creek District
    

            • Black Mts
    

    





Am Min 64:3-4 pp 369-375
    




          • Ryan
    

    


      • Kern Co.
    

        • Kramer District
    

          • Boron
    

    



Cal Div of Mines & Geology "Mineral Information Service" V. 22 N. 10 Oct 1969
    


      • Lake Co.
    

        • Clear Lake Oaks
    

          • Clear Lake
    

    


      • Sonoma Co.
    
    		No reference listed
    

    • Nevada
    

      • Washoe Co.
    

        • Steamboat Springs District
    
    		NBMG Spec. Pub. 31 Minerals of Nevada
    

    


    

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