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Aksaite

A valid IMA mineral species

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Photos of Aksaite (3)

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Aksaite

Chelkar salt dome, Aksai Valley, Shalkar District, Aktobe Region, Kazakhstan

Aksaite, etc.

Chelkar salt dome, Aksai Valley, Shalkar District, Aktobe Region, Kazakhstan

Aksaite, etc.

Chelkar salt dome, Aksai Valley, Shalkar District, Aktobe Region, Kazakhstan

Aksaite

Chelkar salt dome, Aksai Valley, Shalkar District, Aktobe Region, Kazakhstan

Aksaite, etc.

Chelkar salt dome, Aksai Valley, Shalkar District, Aktobe Region, Kazakhstan

Aksaite, etc.

Chelkar salt dome, Aksai Valley, Shalkar District, Aktobe Region, Kazakhstan

Aksaite

Chelkar salt dome, Aksai Valley, Shalkar District, Aktobe Region, Kazakhstan

Aksaite, etc.

Chelkar salt dome, Aksai Valley, Shalkar District, Aktobe Region, Kazakhstan

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About AksaiteHide

Formula:

Mg[B₆O₇(OH)₆] · 2H₂O

Colour:

Colorless, white to pale gray

Hardness:

2½

Specific Gravity:

2.066

Crystal System:

Orthorhombic

Name:

Named after its discovery locality in Kazakhstan.

Type Locality:

ⓘ Chelkar salt dome, Aksai Valley, Shalkar District, Aktobe Region, Kazakhstan

This page provides mineralogical data about Aksaite.

Unique IdentifiersHide

Mindat ID:

Long-form identifier:

mindat:1:1:73:0

GUID
(UUID V4):

95f9ad38-90c4-414a-ade0-51428a460d50

IMA Classification of AksaiteHide

IMA status:

Approved

IMA Formula:

MgB₆O₇(OH)₆ · 2H₂O

First published:

1962

Type description reference:

Blazko, L.N., Kondrat’eva, V.V., Yarzhemskii, Y.Y. (1962) Aksaite, a new hydrous magnesium borate. Zapiski Vsesoyuznogo Mineralogicheskogo Obshchestva: 91(4): 447-454.

Classification of AksaiteHide

Strunz-mindat (2024):

6.FA.05

6 : BORATES
F : Hexaborates
A : Neso-hexaborates

Dana 8th ed.:

26.6.4.1

26 : HYDRATED BORATES CONTAINING HYDROXYL OR HALOGEN
6 : Hexaborates

Hey's CIM Ref.:

9.2.6

9 : Borates
2 : Borates of Be and Mg

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
Aks	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 AksaiteHide

Transparency:

Transparent, Translucent

Colour:

Colorless, white to pale gray

Streak:

White

Hardness:

2½ on Mohs scale

Cleavage:

Distinct/Good
Probable on {100} and {010} .

Density:

2.066 g/cm³ (Measured) 1.972 g/cm³ (Calculated)

Optical Data of AksaiteHide

Type:

Biaxial (-)

RI values:

n_α = 1.473(1) n_β = 1.508(1) n_γ = 1.528(1)

2V:

Measured: 88° , Calculated: 78°

Max Birefringence:

δ = 0.055

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

Surface Relief:

Low

Dispersion:

none

Chemistry of AksaiteHide

Mindat Formula:

Mg[B₆O₇(OH)₆] · 2H₂O

Elements listed:

B, H, Mg, O - search for minerals with similar chemistry

Crystallography of AksaiteHide

Crystal System:

Orthorhombic

Class (H-M):

mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) - Dipyramidal

Space Group:

Pbca

Cell Parameters:

a = 12.54 Å, b = 24.35 Å, c = 7.48 Å

Ratio:

a:b:c = 0.515 : 1 : 0.307

Unit Cell V:

2,284.01 Å³ (Calculated from Unit Cell)

Morphology:

Crystals are elongated along [001] and flattened {100} , with {100} , {010} , {021} and rarely {001} , to 1.5 cm; prism faces are striated parallel to [100] .

Comment:

On synthetic material.

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	Link	Year	Locality	Pressure (GPa)	Temp (K)
0000260	Aksaite	Dal Negro A, Ungaretti L, Sabelli C (1971) The crystal structure of aksaite American Mineralogist 56 1553-1566		1971		0	293

CIF Raw Data - click here to close

data_global
_chemical_name_mineral 'Aksaite'
loop_
_publ_author_name
'Dal Negro A'
'Ungaretti L'
'Sabelli C'
_journal_name_full 'American Mineralogist'
_journal_volume 56 
_journal_year 1971
_journal_page_first 1553
_journal_page_last 1566
_publ_section_title
;
 The crystal structure of aksaite
;
_database_code_amcsd 0000260
_chemical_formula_sum 'Mg B6 O15 H9'
_cell_length_a 12.540
_cell_length_b 24.327
_cell_length_c 7.480
_cell_angle_alpha 90
_cell_angle_beta 90
_cell_angle_gamma 90
_cell_volume 2281.853
_exptl_crystal_density_diffrn      1.969
_symmetry_space_group_name_H-M 'P b c a'
loop_
_space_group_symop_operation_xyz
  'x,y,z'
  'x,1/2-y,1/2+z'
  '-x,1/2+y,1/2-z'
  '1/2-x,1/2+y,z'
  '1/2+x,1/2-y,-z'
  '1/2+x,y,1/2-z'
  '1/2-x,-y,1/2+z'
  '-x,-y,-z'
loop_
_atom_site_label
_atom_site_fract_x
_atom_site_fract_y
_atom_site_fract_z
_atom_site_U_iso_or_equiv
Mg   0.43160   0.12790   0.05420   0.00849
B1   0.65920   0.36730   0.39020   0.01039
B2   0.50150   0.33580   0.18760   0.01089
B3   0.53030   0.43870   0.25060   0.01001
B4   0.65770   0.27610   0.24500   0.01077
B5   0.45530   0.40530  -0.03180   0.01051
B6   0.71300   0.46350   0.34340   0.01039
O1   0.71410   0.31810   0.33300   0.01178
O-H2   0.59670   0.35860   0.55290   0.01368
O3   0.57670   0.38140   0.24910   0.00811
O4   0.73380   0.41250   0.40200   0.01203
O5   0.55930   0.28420   0.18210   0.01203
O-H6   0.41430   0.33310   0.31330   0.01267
O7   0.46690   0.35090   0.00810   0.01317
O8   0.47430   0.44650   0.08350   0.01165
O-H9   0.46060   0.44380   0.40740   0.01355
O10   0.61780   0.47770   0.26590   0.01355
O-H11   0.69770   0.22440   0.24420   0.02254
O-H12   0.42730   0.41780  -0.20810   0.01292
O-H13   0.78780   0.50480   0.35260   0.02102
O-H14   0.26590   0.11270   0.05410   0.02432
Wat15   0.41400   0.19960   0.20650   0.01216

X-Ray Powder DiffractionHide

Powder Diffraction Data:

d-spacing	Intensity
6.36 Å	(100)
4.68 Å	(90)
3.54 Å	(90)
3.19 Å	(90)
6.00 Å	(80)
2.78 Å	(80)
3.09 Å	(70)

Comments:

Chelkar salt dome, Kazakhstan. Data from the type description.

Geological EnvironmentHide

Paragenetic Mode(s):

Paragenetic Mode	Earliest Age (Ga)
Near-surface Processes
25 : Evaporites (prebiotic)

Type Occurrence of AksaiteHide

Type Locality:

ⓘ Chelkar salt dome, Aksai Valley, Shalkar District, Aktobe Region, Kazakhstan

General Appearance of Type Material:

Elongated crystals up to 7 mm.

Place of Conservation of Type Material:

National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C., USA, 160056.

Geological Setting of Type Material:

In fine-grained halite in a salt dome.

Associated Minerals at Type Locality:

Strontioborite	Preobrazhenskite	Metaborite	Kieserite	Halurgite
Halite	Ginorite	Boracite	Anhydrite

Reference:

Blazko, L.N., Kondrat’eva, V.V., Yarzhemskii, Y.Y. (1962) Aksaite, a new hydrous magnesium borate. Zapiski Vsesoyuznogo Mineralogicheskogo Obshchestva: 91(4): 447-454.

Download:

https://rruff.info/rruff_1.0/uploads/ZVMO91N4_447.pdf

Other Language Names for AksaiteHide

German:Aksait

Russian:Аксаит

Spanish:Aksaita

Common AssociatesHide

Associated Minerals Based on Photo Data:

2 photos of Aksaite associated with Halite

NaCl

Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping Hide

6.FA.10	Mcallisterite	Mg₂[B₆O₇(OH)₆]₂ · 9H₂O	Trig. 3m (3 2/m) : R3c
6.FA.15	Admontite	MgB₆O₁₀ · 7H₂O	Mon. 2/m : P2₁/b
6.FA.20	Rivadavite	Na₆Mg[B₆O₇(OH)₆]₄ · 10H₂O	Mon. 2/m : P2₁/m
6.FA.25	Teruggite	Ca₄Mg[AsO₄]₂[B₆O₇(OH)₆]₂ · 12H₂O	Mon. 2/m : P2₁/b

Other InformationHide

IR Spectrum:

Chelkar salt dome material [cm^-1]: 3620, 3560w, 3410sh, 3350, 3310sh, 3215, 3120, 2490w, 1656, 1482, 1431s, 1388s, 1365s, 1344s, 1248s, 1198, 1158, 1121s, 1045, 1028, 1005sh, 957, 902, 856, 816, 735, 690, 637w, 600sh, 532w, 457w.

Notes:

Insoluble in water, readily soluble in HCl.

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 AksaiteHide

mindat.org URL:

https://www.mindat.org/min-73.html
Please feel free to link to this page.

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External Links:

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Look for Aksaite on Wikipedia

Look for Aksaite on Mineralien Atlas

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 AksaiteHide

Reference List:

Blazko, L.N., Kondrat’eva, V.V., Yarzhemskii, Y.Y. (1962) Aksaite, a new hydrous magnesium borate. Zapiski Vsesoyuznogo Mineralogicheskogo Obshchestva: 91(4): 447-454.

Fleischer, M. (1963) New mineral names. American Mineralogist: 48: 209-217.

Clark, J.R., Erd, R.C. (1963) The probable chemical formula of aksaite, a new hydrated magnesium borate. American Mineralogist: 48: 930-935.

Dal Negro, A., Ungaretti, L., Sabelli, C. (1971) The crystal structure of aksaite. American Mineralogist, 56 (9-10) 1553-1566

Chukanov, Nikita V. (2014) Infrared spectra of mineral species Vol. 1 - Springer Geochemistry/Mineralogy. Springer Netherlands. doi:10.1007/978-94-007-7128-4

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

Localities for AksaiteHide

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.

Kazakhstan (TL)

Aktobe Region

Shalkar District

Aksai Valley

ⓘ Chelkar salt dome (TL)

Blazko et al. (1962) +3 other references

Aksaite

About AksaiteHide

Unique IdentifiersHide

IMA Classification of AksaiteHide

Classification of AksaiteHide

Mineral SymbolsHide

Physical Properties of AksaiteHide

Optical Data of AksaiteHide

Chemistry of AksaiteHide

Crystallography of AksaiteHide

Crystal StructureHide

X-Ray Powder DiffractionHide

Geological EnvironmentHide

Type Occurrence of AksaiteHide

Other Language Names for AksaiteHide

Common AssociatesHide

Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat GroupingHide

Other InformationHide

Internet Links for AksaiteHide

References for AksaiteHide

Localities for AksaiteHide

Locality ListHide

Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping Hide