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Tunellite

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Boron Pit, Baker mine, U.S. Borax Mine (Pacific West Coast Borax Mine; Pacific Coast Borax Co. Mine; Boron Mine; U.S. Borax and Chemical Corp. Mine; Kramer Mine; Baker Mine), Kramer Borate deposit, Boron, Kramer District, Kern Co., California, USA
© O. Dziallas

Show Tunellite Photos (17)
Formula:
SrB
 
6
O
 
9
(OH)
 
2
·3H
 
2
O
System:MonoclinicColour:Colourless, grayish white
Hardness:2½
Name:Named after George Tunell (1900-1996), professor of geochemistry, University of California. President of the Mineralogical Society of America (1950).
This page provides mineralogical data about Tunellite.

Classification of Tunellite

IMA status:Approved
Strunz 8th edition ID:5/K.06-20
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:6.FC.05

6 : BORATES
F : Hexaborates
C : Phyllo-hexaborates
Dana 8th edition ID:26.6.6.2

26 : HYDRATED BORATES CONTAINING HYDROXYL OR HALOGEN
6 : Hexaborates
Hey's CIM Ref.:9.3.31

9 : Borates
3 : Borates of Ca and Sr
mindat.org URL:http://www.mindat.org/min-4050.html
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Type Occurrence of Tunellite

Type Locality:U.S. Borax Mine (Pacific West Coast Borax Mine; Pacific Coast Borax Co. Mine; Boron Mine; U.S. Borax and Chemical Corp. Mine; Kramer Mine; Baker Mine), Kramer Borate deposit, Boron, Kramer District, Kern Co., California, USA
Place of Conservation of Type Material:Smithsonian 123928
Year of Discovery:1961

Occurrences of Tunellite

Geological Setting:Secondary mineral in borate deposits

Physical Properties of Tunellite

Lustre:Sub-Vitreous, Pearly
Diaphaneity (Transparency):Transparent
Comment:Pearly on cleavages
Colour:Colourless, grayish white
Hardness (Mohs):2½
Tenacity:Flexible
Cleavage:Perfect
Perfect on {100}
Distinct on {001}
Density (measured):2.40(1) g/cm3
Density (calculated):2.391 g/cm3

Crystallography of Tunellite

Crystal System:Monoclinic
Class (H-M):2/m - Prismatic
Space Group:P21/b {P1 1 21/b} {P21/c} {P1 21/c 1} {P21/a}
Cell Parameters:a = 14.415(3) Å, b = 8.213(1) Å, c = 9.951(2) Å
β = 114.05°
Ratio:a:b:c = 1.755 : 1 : 1.212
Unit Cell Volume:V 1,075.83 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:4
Morphology:Crystals to 10cm elongated on [001], compact fine grained nodules.
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 Tunellite

Type:Biaxial (+)
RI values: nα = 1.519 nβ = 1.534 nγ = 1.569
2V:Calculated: 68°
Maximum Birefringence:δ = 0.050

Chart shows birefringence interference colour range (at 30µm thickness) and does not take into account mineral colouration.
Surface Relief:Low
Dispersion:r > v weak

Chemical Properties of Tunellite

Formula:
SrB
 
6
O
 
9
(OH)
 
2
·3H
 
2
O
Essential elements:B, H, O, Sr
All elements listed in formula:B, H, O, Sr

Relationship of Tunellite to other Species

Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):

- +
6.FC.05Nobleite
CaB
 
6
O
 
9
(OH)
 
2
·3H
 
2
O
6.FC.10Strontioborite
SrB
 
8
O
 
11
(OH)
 
4
6.FC.15Ginorite
Ca
 
2
B
 
14
O
 
23
·8H
 
2
O
6.FC.15Strontioginorite
(Sr,Ca)
 
2
B
 
14
O
 
23
·8H
 
2
O
6.FC.20Fabianite
CaB
 
3
O
 
5
OH
Related Minerals - Hey's Index Grouping:

- +
9.3.1Calciborite
Ca[B
 
2
O
 
4
]
9.3.2Sibirskite
Ca
 
2
[(OH)(B
 
2
O
 
4
(OH))]
9.3.3Fabianite
CaB
 
3
O
 
5
OH
9.3.4Uralborite
Ca
 
2
[B
 
3
O
 
3
(OH)
 
5
·OB(OH)
 
3
]
9.3.5Vimsite
CaB
 
2
O
 
2
(OH)
 
4
9.3.6Olshanskyite
Ca
 
3
[OH|{B(OH)
 
4
}
 
2
]
 
2
9.3.7Frolovite
Ca[B(OH)
 
4
]
 
2
9.3.8Korzhinskite
CaB
 
2
O
 
4
·H
 
2
O
9.3.9Tyretskite
Ca
 
2
B
 
5
O
 
9
OH·H
 
2
O
9.3.10Nifontovite
CaB
 
2
O
 
4
·2.3H
 
2
O
9.3.12Inyoite
Ca(H
 
4
B
 
3
O
 
7
)(OH) · 4H
 
2
O
9.3.13Gowerite
Ca[B
 
5
O
 
8
(OH)][B(OH)
 
3
]·3H
 
2
O
9.3.14Colemanite
Ca[B
 
3
O
 
4
(OH)
 
3
] · H
 
2
O
9.3.15Pentahydroborite
CaB
 
2
O(OH)
 
6
 · 2H
 
2
O
9.3.16Hexahydroborite
Ca[B(OH)
 
4
]
 
2
 · 6H
 
2
O
9.3.17Meyerhofferite
Ca
 
2
(H
 
3
B
 
3
O
 
7
)
 
2
 · 4H
 
2
O
9.3.18Priceite
Ca
 
2
B
 
5
O
 
7
(OH)
 
5
·H
 
2
O
9.3.19Ginorite
Ca
 
2
B
 
14
O
 
23
·8H
 
2
O
9.3.20Probertite
NaCaB
 
5
O
 
7
(OH)
 
4
·3H
 
2
O
9.3.21Ulexite
NaCa[B
 
5
O
 
6
(OH)
 
6
] · 5H
 
2
O
9.3.22Hydroboracite
CaMg[B
 
3
O
 
4
(OH)
 
3
]
 
2
 · 3H
 
2
O
9.3.23Inderborite
CaMg(H
 
3
B
 
3
O
 
7
)
 
2
 · 8H
 
2
O
9.3.24Wardsmithite
Ca
 
5
Mg[B
 
4
O
 
7
]
 
6
 · 30H
 
2
O
9.3.25Henmilite
Ca
 
2
Cu(OH)
 
4
|[B(OH)
 
4
]
 
2
9.3.26Strontioborite
SrB
 
8
O
 
11
(OH)
 
4
9.3.27Veatchite
Sr
 
2
B
 
11
O
 
16
(OH)
 
5
·H
 
2
O
9.3.28Veatchite-A
Sr
 
2
B
 
11
O
 
16
(OH)
 
5
·H
 
2
O
9.3.29 P-Veatchite
9.3.30 Balavinskite
Sr
 
2
B
 
6
O
 
11
·4H
 
2
O
9.3.32Strontioginorite
(Sr,Ca)
 
2
B
 
14
O
 
23
·8H
 
2
O

Other Names for Tunellite

Other Languages:
German:Tunellit
Russian:Танелит
Spanish:Tunellita

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 Tunellite

Reference List:U.S. Geological Survey, Professional Paper 424-C (1961): 294-297.

American Mineralogist (1962): 47: 416.

Canadian Mineralogist (1994): 32: 895-902.

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

Internet Links for Tunellite

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  • Raman and XRD data at RRUFF project
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  • Tunellite details from Handbook of Mineralogy (PDF)
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    Localities for Tunellite

    Hide Locality List
    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.
    (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.
    Turkey
     
    • Aegean Region
      • Kütahya Province
        • Emet
    		American Mineralogist; April 1979; v. 64; no. 3-4; p. 362-366
    • Central Anatolia Region
      • Eskisehir Province
    		Lapis 17(1), 12 (1992)
      • Yozgat Province
    		Baysal, O. (1972) : A mineralogical study and genesis of Sarıkaya (Kırka) borate deposits. Hacettepe University, Ankara.
    • Marmara Region
      • Balikesir Province
        • Bigadiç
    		CAHIT HELVACI & RICARDO N. ALONSO (2000) Borate Deposits of Turkey and Argentina; A Summary and Geological Comparison. Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences, Vol. 9, 2000, pp. 1-27
    USA
     
    • California
      • Inyo Co.
    		USGS
    Collected it in the mine-Rock Currier
      • Kern Co.
        • Kramer District
    		www.mineralsocal.org
    Cal Div of Mines & Geology "Mineral Information Service" V. 22 N. 10 Oct 1969
              • Baker mine
    		Am Min (1964) 49:1549-1568
    U.S.Geol.Surv.,Prof.Pap.(1961) 424-C, 294-297
    Have collected them in the mine-Rock Currier
    Mineral and/or Locality
    Google
     
    www.mindat.org Web
    Copyright © Jolyon Ralph and Ida Chau 1993-2009. Site Map. Locality, mineral & photograph data are the copyright of the individuals who submitted them.Further information contact the Site hosted & developed by Jolyon Ralph. Mindat.org is an online information resource dedicated to providing free mineralogical information to all. Mindat relies on the contributions of hundreds of members and supporters. If you would like to add information to improve the quality of our database, then click here to register. Current server date and time: 3rd Nov 2009 17:46:02