Sep 5 2013
Fluoborite having a hexagonal crystal system was first described in 1926 from the Huerta del Vinagre mine, Spain. It was named for its essential components fluorine and boron.
Properties of Fluoborite
The following are the key properties of Fluoborite:
- Cell Data
- Space Group: P63/m
- a = 8.8612(12)
- c = 3.1021(6)
- Z = 3.
- Crystal Data
- Hexagonal
- Point Group: 6/m
- As acicular to prismatic crystals with pyramidal terminations, which may be poorly formed, to 2 cm; in fan-like or stellate aggregates.
- X-ray Powder Pattern: 2.424 (s), 4.462 (ms), 2.143 (ms), 2.129 (ms), 7.72 (m), 2.575 (m), 1.815 (m).
- Chemical Composition
| Elements |
Content |
| MgO |
65.08 |
| F |
23.30 |
| B2O3 |
18.24 |
| -O = (F, Cl)2 |
9.81 |
| H2O |
3.40 |
| FeO |
0.16 |
| CaO |
0.10 |
| SiO2 |
0.04 |
| Cl |
0.03 |
| TiO2 |
0.02 |
| Cr2O3 |
0.02 |
| Al2O3 |
0.01 |
| Total |
100.59 |
- Optical Properties
- Optical Class: Uniaxial (–)
- ω = 1.510–1.530 (smaller values for F-rich compositions)
- ε = 1.486–1.507.
- Estimated Properties
| Electron density |
Bulk density (electron density) = 2.83 g/cm3
note: Specific gravity of Fluoborite = 2.88 g/cm3 |
| Photoelectric |
PEFluoborite = 1.06 barns/electron
U = PEFluoborite x ρElectron density = 2.99 barns/cm3 |
| Fermion index |
Fermion index = 0.05
Boson index = 0.95 |
| Radioactivity |
Fluoborite is not radioactive.
|
How to Identify Fluoborite
Fluoborite is a transparent, non-magnetic mineral having indistinct cleavage, vitreous luster and a white streak. This mineral is either colorless or occurs in colors of violet and white. It has fluorescent characteristic, and occurs as needle-like, prismatic or stellate crystals. Flouborite has a density of 2.89 g/cm3 and relative hardness of 3.5.
Global Distribution
Fluoborite is distributed in the following places:
- Tallgruvan, east of Kallmora, Norberg, Sweden
- Edenville and Amity, Orange Co., New York
- Sterling Hill, Ogdensburg, New Jersey
- Limecrest quarry, Sparta
- Edison quarry, Rudeville, Sussex Co.
- Blind Mountain, Bristol district, Lincoln Co., Nevada
- Crestmore quarry, Riverside Co., California
- Cardiff mine and several roadcuts in the vicinity of Wilberforce, Ontario, Canada
- Broadford, Skye, Inverness-shire, Scotland
- St. Dizier tin deposit, 20 km northwest of Zeehan, Tasmania, Australia
- Hol Kol Au–Cu mine, about 75 km southeast of Pyongyang, Suan Co., North Korea
- Palabora mine,Transvaal, South Africa.
Occurrence of Fluoborite and Useful Mineral Association
Fluoborite occurs as a rare hydrothermal mineral in skarns developed in metamorphosed boron-rich magnesian rocks. This mineral is closely associated with minerals like rhodochrosite, zincite, pyrochroite, hydrozincite, fluorite, willemite, mooreite, calcite, magnetite, chondrodite and ludwigite.
References