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Tunellite

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Big Photo

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

Show Tunellite Photos (24)



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
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Type Occurrence of Tunellite

Type Locality:U.S. Borax Mine (Pacific West Coast Borax; Pacific Coast Borax Co.; Boron Mine; U.S. Borax and Chemical Corp.; 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:
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
(HB
 
2
O
 
5
)(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
[B(OH)
 
4
]
 
4
(OH)
 
2
9.3.7Frolovite
Ca[B(OH)
 
4
]
 
2
9.3.8Korzhinskite
Ca(B
 
2
O
 
4
) · H
 
2
O
9.3.9Tyretskite
Ca
 
2
B
 
5
O
 
9
OH · H
 
2
O
9.3.10Nifontovite
Ca(B
 
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[B(OH)
 
4
]
 
2
(OH)
 
4
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
Simplified Chinese:四水锶硼石
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
  • American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database
  • Tunellite details from Handbook of Mineralogy (PDF)
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    • Specimens:The following Tunellite specimens are currently listed for sale on minfind.com.
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    • Localities for Tunellite

    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.
    Turkey
     
    • Aegean Region
      • Kütahya Province
        • Emet
          • Doğanlar village
    		J. García-Veigas, L. Rosell, X. Alcobé, I. Subias, F. Ortí, I. Gündogan and C. Helvaci (2010) Fontarnauite, a New Sulphate-Borate Mineral from the Emet Borate District (Turkey). Macla 13, 97-98.
          • Emet Borate deposit
    		American Mineralogist; April 1979; v. 64; no. 3-4; p. 362-366
    • Central Anatolia Region
      • Eskişehir 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.
        • Death Valley National Park
    		USGS
    Collected it in the mine-Rock Currier
          • Furnace Creek District (Furnace Creek Borate District)
    		Erd, R.C., V. Morgan & J.R. Clark (1961), Tunellite, a new hydrous strontium borate from the Kramer borate district, California: USGS PP 424-C, article No. 255: C294-C297; Murdoch, Joseph & Robert W. Webb (1966), Minerals of California, Centennial Volume (1866-1966): California Division Mines & Geology Bulletin 189: 375.
          • Ryan area
    		Erd, R.C., V. Morgan & J.R. Clark (1961), Tunellite, a new hydrous strontium borate from the Kramer borate district, California: USGS PP 424-C, article No. 255: C294-C297; McAllister, James Franklin (1970) Geology of the Furnace Creek borate area, Death Valley, Inyo County, California. California Division of Mines and Geology Map Sheet 14, 9 pp.: 8; Minette, J.W. and Wilber, D.P. (1973) Hydroboracite from the Thompson mine, Deathe Valley. Mineralogical Record: 4: 21-23.
      • Kern Co.
        • Kramer District
    		www.mineralsocal.org
    Cal Div of Mines & Geology "Mineral Information Service" V. 22 N. 10 Oct 1969
              • Baker Mine
    		Erd, R.C., V. Morgan & J.R. Clark (1961), Tunellite, a new hydrous strontium borate from the Kramer borate district, California: USGS PP 424-C, article No. 255: C294-C297; Clark, Joan R. (1963), Boron-oxygen polyion in the crystal structure of tunellite: Science: 141: 1178; Clark, Joan R. (1964), The crystal structure of tunellite, SrB6O9(OH)2-3H2O: American Mineralogist: 49: 1549-1568.
    U.S.Geol.Surv.,Prof.Pap.(1961) 424-C, 294-297
    Morgan, V. and Erd, R.C. (1969) Minerals of the Kramer borate district, California California Division of Mines and Geology Mineral Information Service: 22: 152; Pemberton, H. Earl (1983), Minerals of California; Van Nostrand Reinholt Press: 241, 255.
      • San Bernardino Co.
        • East Kramer District
          • Kramer
    		Morgan, V. and Erd, R.C. (1969) Minerals of the Kramer borate district, California California Division of Mines and Geology Mineral Information Service: 22: 169; Pemberton, H. Earl (1983), Minerals of California; Van Nostrand Reinholt Press: 255.
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