Scacchi A (1874) Contribuzioni mineralogiche per servire alla storia dell’ incendio Vesuviano del Mese di Aprile, 1872. Part 2. Atti della Reale Accademia delle Scienze Fisiche e Matematiche di Napoli, Serie II 6, 1-69

Classification of ChloraluminiteHide

Strunz-mindat (2024):

3.BC.05

3 : HALIDES
B : Simple halides, with H₂O
C : M:X = 1:3

Dana 8th ed.:

9.3.3.1

9 : NORMAL HALIDES
3 : AX₃

Hey's CIM Ref.:

8.6.2

8 : Halides - Fluorides, Chlorides, Bromides and Iodides; also Fluoborates and Fluosilicates
6 : Halides of Al

Mineral SymbolsHide

As of 2021 there are now IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.

Symbol	Source	Reference
Cla	IMA–CNMNC	Warr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43

Physical Properties of ChloraluminiteHide

Transparency:

Transparent

Colour:

Colourless to white; yellowish; colourless in transmitted light.

Streak:

White

Comment:

Soft

Density:

1.644 g/cm³ (Measured) 1.666 g/cm³ (Calculated)

Comment:

Measured on synthetic

Optical Data of ChloraluminiteHide

Type:

Uniaxial (-)

RI values:

n_ω = 1.560 n_ε = 1.507

Max Birefringence:

δ = 0.053

Image shows birefringence interference colour range (at 30µm thickness)
and does not take into account mineral colouration.

Surface Relief:

Low

Chemistry of ChloraluminiteHide

Mindat Formula:

AlCl₃ · 6H₂O

Elements listed:

Al, Cl, H, O - search for minerals with similar chemistry

Crystallography of ChloraluminiteHide

Crystal System:

Trigonal

Class (H-M):

3m (3 2/m) - Hexagonal Scalenohedral

Space Group:

R3c

Setting:

R3c

Cell Parameters:

a = 11.83 Å, c = 11.91 Å

Ratio:

a:c = 1 : 1.007

Unit Cell V:

1,443.48 Å³ (Calculated from Unit Cell)

Morphology:

Occurs in crystalline crusts and stalactites. Rhombohedral (natural crystals); prismatic [0001] (artificial crystals).

Crystal StructureHide

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Data courtesy of the American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database. Click on an AMCSD ID to view structure

ID	Species	Reference	Year	Locality	Temp (K)
0009341	Chloraluminite	Buchanan D R, Harris P M (1968) A neutron and X-ray diffraction investigation of aluminium chloride hexahydrate Acta Crystallographica B24 954-960	1968	synthetic	293
0009342	Chloraluminite	Buchanan D R, Harris P M (1968) A neutron and X-ray diffraction investigation of aluminium chloride hexahydrate Acta Crystallographica B24 954-960	1968	synthetic	293
0017919	Chloraluminite	Andress K, Carpenter C (1934) Kristallhydrate. II.Die Struktur von Chromchlorid- und Aluminiumchloridhexahydrat _cod_database_code 1011008 Zeitschrift fur Kristallographie 87 446-463	1934		293

CIF Raw Data - click here to close

data_global
_chemical_name_mineral 'Chloraluminite'
loop_
_publ_author_name
'Buchanan D R'
'Harris P M'
_journal_name_full 'Acta Crystallographica, Section B'
_journal_volume 24 
_journal_year 1968
_journal_page_first 954
_journal_page_last 960
_publ_section_title
;
 A neutron and X-ray diffraction investigation of aluminium chloride hexahydrate
 Sample: single crystal X-ray diffraction data
;
_database_code_amcsd 0009341
_chemical_compound_source 'Synthetic'
_chemical_formula_sum 'Al Cl3 O6 H12'
_cell_length_a 11.827
_cell_length_b 11.827
_cell_length_c 11.895
_cell_angle_alpha 90
_cell_angle_beta 90
_cell_angle_gamma 120
_cell_volume 1440.935
_exptl_crystal_density_diffrn      1.669
_symmetry_space_group_name_H-M 'R -3 c'
loop_
_space_group_symop_operation_xyz
  'x,y,z'
  '2/3+x,1/3+y,1/3+z'
  '1/3+x,2/3+y,2/3+z'
  'x,x-y,1/2+z'
  '2/3+x,1/3+x-y,5/6+z'
  '1/3+x,2/3+x-y,1/6+z'
  'y,x,1/2-z'
  '2/3+y,1/3+x,5/6-z'
  '1/3+y,2/3+x,1/6-z'
  '-x+y,y,1/2+z'
  '2/3-x+y,1/3+y,5/6+z'
  '1/3-x+y,2/3+y,1/6+z'
  '-x,-x+y,1/2-z'
  '2/3-x,1/3-x+y,5/6-z'
  '1/3-x,2/3-x+y,1/6-z'
  '-y,-x,1/2+z'
  '2/3-y,1/3-x,5/6+z'
  '1/3-y,2/3-x,1/6+z'
  'x-y,-y,1/2-z'
  '2/3+x-y,1/3-y,5/6-z'
  '1/3+x-y,2/3-y,1/6-z'
  'y,-x+y,-z'
  '2/3+y,1/3-x+y,1/3-z'
  '1/3+y,2/3-x+y,2/3-z'
  '-x+y,-x,z'
  '2/3-x+y,1/3-x,1/3+z'
  '1/3-x+y,2/3-x,2/3+z'
  '-x,-y,-z'
  '2/3-x,1/3-y,1/3-z'
  '1/3-x,2/3-y,2/3-z'
  '-y,x-y,z'
  '2/3-y,1/3+x-y,1/3+z'
  '1/3-y,2/3+x-y,2/3+z'
  'x-y,x,-z'
  '2/3+x-y,1/3+x,1/3-z'
  '1/3+x-y,2/3+x,2/3-z'
loop_
_atom_site_label
_atom_site_fract_x
_atom_site_fract_y
_atom_site_fract_z
_atom_site_U_iso_or_equiv
Al   0.00000   0.00000   0.00000   0.01089
Cl   0.26840   0.00000   0.25000   0.02090
O   0.10700   0.14550   0.09060   0.02014
H   0.07000   0.18800   0.14500 ?
H*   0.20300   0.19700   0.08400 ?
loop_
_atom_site_aniso_label
_atom_site_aniso_U_11
_atom_site_aniso_U_22
_atom_site_aniso_U_33
_atom_site_aniso_U_12
_atom_site_aniso_U_13
_atom_site_aniso_U_23
Al 0.01807 0.01807 0.01219 0.00904 0.00000 0.00000
Cl 0.02445 0.02817 0.01864 0.01408 -0.00247 -0.00494
O 0.02020 0.02232 0.02150 0.00744 0.00000 -0.00679

X-Ray Powder DiffractionHide

Powder Diffraction Data:

d-spacing	Intensity
3.297 Å	(100)
3.246 Å	(55)
2.308 Å	(50)
3.89 Å	(40)
2.764 Å	(40)
3.68 Å	(35)
5.95 Å	(25)

Comments:

Synthetic

Geological EnvironmentHide

Paragenetic Mode(s):

Paragenetic Mode	Earliest Age (Ga)
Stage 7: Great Oxidation Event	<2.4
45b : [Other oxidized fumarolic minerals]

Type Occurrence of ChloraluminiteHide

Type Locality:

ⓘ Mount Vesuvius, Somma-Vesuvius Complex, Naples, Campania, Italy

General Appearance of Type Material:

crusts

Place of Conservation of Type Material:

Natural History Museum, Paris, France, 107480.

Geological Setting of Type Material:

As crusts around acidic fumaroles.

Associated Minerals at Type Locality:

Molysite

Chloromagnesite

Reference:

Synonyms of ChloraluminiteHide

Chloralluminite

Other Language Names for ChloraluminiteHide

German:Chloralluminit
Chloraluminit

Italian:Chloralluminio

Russian:Хлоралюминит

Spanish:Cloraluminita

Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping Hide

3.BC.10

Hydromolysite

FeCl₃ · 6H₂O

Other InformationHide

Thermal Behaviour:

Decomposes at a low tempeature.

Notes:

Deliquescent. Very soluble in water.

Health Risks:

No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.

Internet Links for ChloraluminiteHide

mindat.org URL:

https://www.mindat.org/min-1012.html
Please feel free to link to this page.

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External Links:

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Raman and XRD data at RRUFF project

References and PDF downloads at RRUFF project

American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database

Handbook of Mineralogy page PDF

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References for ChloraluminiteHide

Reference List:

Scacchi, A. (1874) Contribuzioni mineralogiche per servire alla storia dell’ incendio Vesuviano del Mese di Aprile, 1872. Part 2. Atti della Reale Accademia delle Scienze Fisiche e Matematiche di Napoli, Serie II 6, 1-69

vom Rath, G. (1877) Mineralogische Beiträge. 2. Ueber einige durch vulkanische Dampfe gebildete Mineralien des Vesuv und die Parallelverwachsung der neugebildeten Krystalle (Augit, Hornblende, Biotit) auf alteren Augiten. Verhandlungen Des Naturhistorischen Vereins Der Rheinlande: 34: 131-196 (152).

Dana, Edward Salisbury (1892) A System of Mineralogy (6th ed.)

Gill, In: Dennis (1895) Zeitschrift für anorganische und allgemeine Chemie, Hamburg, Leipzig: 9: 340.

Lacroix, A. (1907) Les minéraux des fumerolles de l'éruption du Vésuve en avril 1906. Bulletin de la Société française de Minéralogie: 30(6): 219-266 (254).

Takahashi, et al (1928) Journal of the Geological Society of Tokyo: 35: 439.

Andress, K.R., Carpenter, C. (1934) Die Struktur von Chromchlorid- und Aluminiumchloridhexahydrat. Zeitschrift für Kristallographie - Crystalline Materials,: 87: 446-463.

Palache, Charles, Berman, Harry, Frondel, Clifford (1951) The System of Mineralogy (7th ed.) Vol. 2 - Halides, Nitrates, Borates, Carbonates, Sulfates, Phosphates, Arsenates, Tungstates, Molybdates, Ect. John Wiley and Sons, New York.p.51

Buchanan, D.R., Harris, P.M. (1968) A neutron and X-ray diffraction investigation of aluminium chloride hexahydrate. Acta Crystallographica, B24, 953-960.

El Saffar, Z.M., Mulcahy, W. (1971) The water molecules in AlCl3·6H2O. Acta Crystallographica, B27, 1069-1070.

(2023) Chloraluminite. Handbook of Mineralogy. Mineralogical Society of America

Localities for ChloraluminiteHide

This 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.

Locality ListHide

- This locality has map coordinates listed.

- This locality has estimated coordinates. ⓘ - Click for references and further information on this occurrence. ? - Indicates mineral may be doubtful at this locality.

- Good crystals or important locality for species.

- World class for species or very significant. (TL) - Type Locality for a valid mineral species. (FRL) - First Recorded Locality for everything else (eg varieties). ~~Struck out~~ - Mineral was erroneously reported from this locality. Faded * - Never found at this locality but inferred to have existed at some point in the past (e.g. from pseudomorphs).

All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.


Antarctica
Western Antarctica Antarctic Peninsula South Shetland Islands ⓘ Deception Island	Viramonte et al. (1974)

El Salvador
Sonsonate Department ⓘ Izalco Volcano	Stoiber et al. (1974)

France
Grand Est Bas-Rhin Molsheim Saint-Nabor ⓘ Saint-Nabor quarries	Wittern et al. (Cologne)

Guatemala
Quetzaltenango Department El Palmar ⓘ Santiaguito Dome (Santiaguito Volcano)	Stoiber et al. (1974)

Italy (TL)
Campania Naples Somma-Vesuvius Complex ⓘ Mount Vesuvius (TL)	Palache et al. (1951)
ⓘ Vesuvius fumaroles	Pelloux (1927) +2 other references
Sicily Metropolitan City of Messina Eolie Islands (Aeolian Islands) Lipari Vulcano Island ⓘ La Fossa crater	Steffen Möckel analysis

Nicaragua
León Department ⓘ Cerro Negro volcano	Stoiber et al. (1974)

Poland
Silesian Voivodeship Wodzisław County Radlin ⓘ Marcel mine heap ?	Łukasz Kruszewski (2012)

Russia
Sakhalin Oblast Kuril Islands (Kurile Islands) Severo-Kurilsky District Atlasov Island Alaid volcano ⓘ Olimpiyskiy Fissure	Vergasova et al. (1977) +1 other reference

Chloraluminite

About ChloraluminiteHide

Unique IdentifiersHide

IMA Classification of ChloraluminiteHide