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Meyerhofferite

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Mount Blanco Mine (Mount Blanco deposit; Mount Blanco adit), Mount Blanco, Furnace Creek District, Black Mts, Death Valley, Inyo Co., California, USA
© John Sobolewski

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Formula:
Ca
 
2
(H
 
3
B
 
3
O
 
7
)
 
2
 · 4H
 
2
O
System:TriclinicColour:Colourless, white
Hardness:2
Name:For German chemist, Wilhelm Meyerhoffer (1864-1906), collaborator with J.H. van't Hoff on the composition and origin of saline minerals, and who synthesized the compound.


Occurs principally as an alteration product of Inyoite.

Classification of Meyerhofferite

IMA status:Valid - first described prior to 1959 (pre-IMA) - "Grandfathered"
Strunz 8th edition ID:5/H.06-40
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:6.CA.30

6 : BORATES
C : Triborates
A : Neso-triborates
Dana 8th edition ID:26.3.2.1

26 : HYDRATED BORATES CONTAINING HYDROXYL OR HALOGEN
3 : Triborates
Hey's CIM Ref.:9.3.17

9 : Borates
3 : Borates of Ca and Sr
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Type Occurrence of Meyerhofferite

Type Locality:Mount Blanco Mine (Mount Blanco deposit; Mount Blanco adit), Mount Blanco, Furnace Creek District, Black Mts, Death Valley, Inyo Co., California, USA
Year of Discovery:1914

Physical Properties of Meyerhofferite

Lustre:Vitreous, Silky
Diaphaneity (Transparency):Transparent, Translucent
Colour:Colourless, white
Hardness (Mohs):2
Cleavage:Perfect
On {010} perfect; {100} and {110} in traces.
Density (measured):2.12 g/cm3
Density (calculated):2.116 g/cm3

Crystallography of Meyerhofferite

Crystal System:Triclinic
Class (H-M):1 - Pinacoidal
Space Group:P1
Cell Parameters:a = 6.6Å, b = 8.33Å, c = 6.48Å
α = 91°, β = 101.31°, γ = 86.55°
Ratio:a:b:c = 0.792 : 1 : 0.778
Unit Cell Volume:V 348.70 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Morphology:Crystals elongated [001] and usually flattened (100). Fibrous. As pseudomorphs after Inyoite.
Crystal Atlas:
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Meyerhofferite no.1 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)

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Optical Data of Meyerhofferite

Type:Biaxial (-)
RI values: nα = 1.500 nβ = 1.535 nγ = 1.560
2V:Measured: 78° , Calculated: 78°
Maximum Birefringence:δ = 0.060

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

Chemical Properties of Meyerhofferite

Formula:
Ca
 
2
(H
 
3
B
 
3
O
 
7
)
 
2
 · 4H
 
2
O
Essential elements:B, Ca, H, O
All elements listed in formula:B, Ca, H, O

Relationship of Meyerhofferite to other Species

Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):

- +
6.CA.10Ameghinite
Na(H
 
4
B
 
3
O
 
7
)
6.CA.15Inderite
Mg(H
 
4
B
 
3
O
 
7
)(OH) · 5H
 
2
O
6.CA.20Kurnakovite
Mg(H
 
4
B
 
3
O
 
7
)(OH) · 5H
 
2
O
6.CA.25Inderborite
CaMg(H
 
3
B
 
3
O
 
7
)
 
2
 · 8H
 
2
O
6.CA.35Inyoite
Ca(H
 
4
B
 
3
O
 
7
)(OH) · 4H
 
2
O
6.CA.40Solongoite
Ca
 
2
(H
 
3
B
 
3
O
 
7
)(OH)Cl
6.CA.45Peprossiite-(Ce)
(Ce,La)(Al
 
3
O)
 
2/3
B
 
4
O
 
10
6.CA.50Nifontovite
CaB
 
2
O
 
4
·2.3H
 
2
O
6.CA.55Olshanskyite
Ca
 
3
[OH|{B(OH)
 
4
}
 
2
]
 
2
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
9.3.18Priceite
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
9.3.31Tunellite
SrB
 
6
O
 
9
(OH)
 
2
·3H
 
2
O
9.3.32Strontioginorite
(Sr,Ca)
 
2
B
 
14
O
 
23
·8H
 
2
O

Other Names for Meyerhofferite

Other Languages:
German:Meyerhofferit
Russian:Мейергофферит
Spanish:Meyerhofferita

Other Information

Other Information:Readily soluble in acids.
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 Meyerhofferite

Reference List:Schaller, W.T. (1914) Journal of the Washington Academy of Science: 4: 355.

Schaller, W.T. (1916), Inyoite and meyerhofferite, two new calcium borates, USGS Bull. 610: 35-55.

Palache, Charles (1938), Crystallography of meyerhofferite: American Mineralogist: 23: 644-648.

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. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, 7th edition, revised and enlarged: 356-358.

Christ, C.L. & J.R. Clark (1956), The structure of meyerhofferite 2CaO • 3B2O•7H2O, aP1 crystal, determined by the direct method of Hauptman and Karle: Acta Crystallographica: 9: 830.

Zeitschrift für Kristallographie (1960): 114: 321, 343-354.

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

Internet Links for Meyerhofferite

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    Localities for Meyerhofferite

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