Heck with the Prices, is the Boron Borax-Group a Zeolite Based element with a part of a Silica Subclass, LOL; The Haber Process won't work on Silicas here also. ROFLMAO:
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BORAX
Chemistry: Na2B4O7 -10H2O, Hydrated sodium borate.
Class: Carbonates
Subclass: Borates
Uses: an ore of boron and as a source of borax (a cleaning agent and useful industrial chemical)
Specimens
Borax is a complex borate mineral that is found in playa lakes and other evaporite deposits. The basic structure of borax contains chains of interlocking BO2(OH) triangles and BO3(OH) tetrahedrons bonded to chains of sodium and water octahedrons. Most old mineral specimens of borax are chalky white due to a chemical reaction from dehydration. They have actually altered (at least on their surface) to the mineral tincalconite, Na2 B4O7-5H2O, with the loss of water. This kind of alteration from one mineral to another leaves the original shape of the crystal. Minerologists refer to this as a pseudomorph, or "fake shape", because the tincalconite has the crystal shape of the predecessing borax.
Borax is directly deposited in arid regions from the evaporation of water in intermittent lakes called playas. The playas form only during rainy seasons due to runoff from adjacent mountains. The runoff is rich in the element boron and is highly concentrated by evaporation in the arid climate. Eventually the concentration is so great that crystals of borax and other boron minerals form.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
Color is white to clear.
Luster is vitreous.
Transparency crystals are transparent to translucent.
Crystal System is monoclinic; 2/m
Crystal Habits include the blocky to prismatic crystals with a nearly square cross section. Also massive and as crusts.
Cleavage is perfect in one direction.
Fracture is conchoidal.
Hardness is 2 - 2.5
Specific Gravity is approximately 1.7 (very light)
Streak is white.
Associated Minerals are calcite, halite, hanksite, colemanite, ulexite and other borates.
Other Characteristics: a sweet alkaline taste, alters to chalky white tincalconite with dehydration.
Notable Occurrences include Trona, Boron, Death Valley and other California localities; Andes Mountains; Turkey and Tibet.
Best Field Indicators are crystal habit, color, associations, locality, density and hardness
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The Zeolite Group of Minerals
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Physical Properties
Keys to identifying minerals
The zeolites are a popular group of minerals for collectors and an important group of minerals for industrial and other purposes. They combine rarity, beauty, complexity and unique crystal habits. Typically forming in the cavities, or vesicles, of volcanic rocks, zeolites are the result of very low grade metamorphism. Some form from just subtle amounts of heat and pressure and can just barely be called metamorphic while others are found in obviously metamorphic regimes. Zeolite crystals have been grown on board the space shuttle and are undergoing extensive research into their formation and unique properties.
The zeolites are framework silicates consisting of interlocking tetrahedrons of SiO4 and AlO4. In order to be a zeolite the ratio (Si +Al)/O must equal 1/2. The alumino-silicate structure is negatively charged and attracts the positive cations that reside within. Unlike most other tectosilicates, zeolites have large vacant spaces or cages in their structures that allow space for large cations such as sodium, potassium, barium and calcium and even relatively large molecules and cation groups such as water, ammonia, carbonate ions and nitrate ions. In the more useful zeolites, the spaces are interconnected and form long wide channels of varying sizes depending on the mineral. These channels allow the easy movement of the resident ions and molecules into and out of the structure. Zeolites are characterized by their ability to lose and absorb water without damage to their crystal structures. The large channels explain the consistent low specific gravity of these minerals.
Zeolites have many useful purposes. They can perform ion exchange, filtering, odor removal, chemical sieve and gas absorption tasks. The most well known use for zeolites is in water softeners. Calcium in water can cause it to be "hard" and capable of forming scum and other problems. Zeolites charged with the much less damaging sodium ions can allow the hard water to pass through its structure and exchange the calcium for the sodium ions. This process is reversable. In a similar way zeolites can absorb ions and molecules and thus act as a filter for odor control, toxin removal and as a chemical sieve. Zeolites can have the water in their structures driven off by heat with the basic structure left intact. Then other solutions can be pushed through the structure. The zeolites can then act as a delivery system for the new fluid. This process has applications in medicine, livestock feeds and other types of research. Zeolites added to livestock feed have been shown to absorb toxins that are damaging and even fatal to the growth of the animals, while the basic structure of the zeolite is biologically neutral. Aquarium hobbyists are seeing more zeolite products in pet stores as zeolites make excellent removers of ammonia and other toxins. Most municipal water supplies are processed through zeolites before public consumption. These uses of zeolites are extremely important for industry, although synthetic zeolites are now doing the bulk of the work.
Zeolites have basically three different structural variations.
There are chain-like structures whose minerals form acicular or needle-like prismatic crystals, ie natrolite.
Sheet-like structures where the crystals are flattened platy or tabular with usually good basal cleavages, ie heulandite.
And framework structures where the crystals are more equant in dimensions, ie Chabazite.
A zeolite can be thought of in terms of a house, where the structure of the house (the doors, windows, walls and roof) is really the zeolite while the furniture and people are the water, ammonia and other molecules and ions that can pass in and out of the structure. The chain-like structures can be thought of like towers or high wire pylons. The sheet-like structures can be thought of like large office buildings with the sheets analogous to the floors and very few walls between the floors. And the framework structures like houses with equally solid walls and floors. All these structures are still frameworks (like the true tectosilicates that zeolites are).
These variations make the zeolite group very diverse, crystal habit-wise. Otherwise zeolites are typically soft to moderately hard, light in density, transparent to translucent and have similar origins. There are about 45 natural minerals that are recognized members of the Zeolite Group. Industrially speaking, the term zeolite includes natural silicate zeolites, synthetic materials and phosphate minerals that have a zeolite like structure. The complexity of this combined group is extensive with over 120 structural variations and more are being discovered or made every year. Collecting zeolites can be very enjoyable and fulfilling.
These are the members of the Zeolite Group:
The Analcime Family:
Analcime (Hydrated Sodium Aluminum Silicate)
Pollucite (Hydrated Cesium Sodium Aluminum Silicate)
Wairakite (Hydrated Calcium Sodium Aluminum Silicate)
Bellbergite (Hydrated Potassium Barium Strontium Sodium Aluminum Silicate)
Bikitaite (Hydrated Lithium Aluminum Silicate)
Boggsite (Hydrated calcium Sodium Aluminum Silicate)
Brewsterite (Hydrated Strontium Barium Sodium Calcium Aluminum Silicate)
The Chabazite Family:
Chabazite (Hydrated Calcium Aluminum Silicate)
Willhendersonite (Hydrated Potassium Calcium Aluminum Silicate)
Cowlesite (Hydrated Calcium Aluminum Silicate)
Dachiardite (Hydrated calcium Sodium Potassium Aluminum Silicate)
Edingtonite (Hydrated Barium Calcium Aluminum Silicate)
Epistilbite (Hydrated Calcium Aluminum Silicate)
Erionite (Hydrated Sodium Potassium Calcium Aluminum Silicate)
Faujasite (Hydrated Sodium Calcium Magnesium Aluminum Silicate)
Ferrierite (Hydrated Sodium Potassium Magnesium Calcium Aluminum Silicate)
The Gismondine Family:
Amicite (Hydrated Potassium Sodium Aluminum Silicate)
Garronite (Hydrated Calcium Aluminum Silicate)
Gismondine (Hydrated Barium Calcium Aluminum Silicate)
Gobbinsite (Hydrated Sodium Potassium Calcium Aluminum Silicate)
Gmelinite (Hydrated Sodium Calcium Aluminum Silicate)
Gonnardite (Hydrated Sodium Calcium Aluminum Silicate)
Goosecreekite (Hydrated Calcium Aluminum Silicate)
The Harmotome Family:
Harmotome (Hydrated Barium Potassium Aluminum Silicate)
Phillipsite (Hydrated Potassium Sodium Calcium Aluminum Silicate)
Wellsite (Hydrated Barium Calcium Potassium Aluminum Silicate)
The Heulandite Family:
Clinoptilolite (Hydrated Sodium Potassium Calcium Aluminum Silicate)
Heulandite (Hydrated Sodium Calcium Aluminum Silicate)
Laumontite (Hydrated Calcium Aluminum Silicate)
Levyne (Hydrated Calcium Sodium Potassium Aluminum Silicate)
Mazzite (Hydrated Potassium Sodium Magnesium Calcium Aluminum Silicate)
Merlinoite (Hydrated Potassium Sodium Calcium Barium Aluminum Silicate)
Montesommaite (Hydrated Potassium Sodium Aluminum Silicate)
Mordenite (Hydrated Sodium Potassium Calcium Aluminum Silicate)
The Natrolite Family:
Mesolite (Hydrated Sodium Calcium Aluminum Silicate)
Natrolite (Hydrated Sodium Aluminum Silicate)
Scolecite (Hydrated Calcium Aluminum Silicate)
Offretite (Hydrated Calcium Potassium Magnesium Aluminum Silicate)
Paranatrolite (Hydrated Sodium Aluminum Silicate)
Paulingite (Hydrated Potassium Calcium Sodium Barium Aluminum Silicate)
Perlialite (Hydrated Potassium Sodium Calcium Strontium Aluminum Silicate)
The Stilbite Family:
Barrerite (Hydrated Sodium Potassium Calcium Aluminum Silicate)
Stilbite (Hydrated Sodium Calcium Aluminum Silicate)
Stellerite (Hydrated Calcium Aluminum Silicate)
Thomsonite (Hydrated Sodium Calcium Aluminum Silicate)
Tschernichite (Hydrated Calcium Aluminum Silicate)
Yugawaralite (Hydrated Calcium Aluminum Silicate)
Zeolites have many "cousins" or minerals that have similar cage-like framework structures or have similar properties and/or are associated with zeolites; but are not zeolites, at least as defined mineralogically. These include the phosphates: kehoeite, pahasapaite and tiptopite; and the silicates: hsianghualite, lovdarite, viseite, partheite, prehnite, roggianite, apophyllite, gyrolite, maricopaite, okenite, tacharanite and tobermorite. It is interesting to compare these minerals to the zeolites.
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The Borates Subclass
A Subclass of the Carbonate Class of Minerals
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The Borate minerals are more complex in their structures than typical carbonates, but because of the scarcity and limited distribution of boron in the Earth's crust there are only a few borates that can be considered common. Because boron in the BO3 ionic group has a positive three (+3) charge, it only requires half of the bond strength of each negative two (-2) oxygen. This allows the oxygens to bond with other borons evenly and thus link boron groups together into compound groups, chains, sheets and even a framework structure using BO4 tetrahedrons linked to BO3 groups. This makes the borates similar to the many structural variations found in the Silicate Class of minerals. These structural variations explain the large size of this subclass in terms of numbers of species. The chemistry is certainly not the culprit. There is little variation in the chemistry of these minerals as a quick scan of the list below reveals mostly sodium, calcium and/or magnesium borates, many with hydroxides, many hydrated and some with chlorine; but little else in terms of chemical variation.
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The Borates Subclass:
Admontite (Hydrated Magnesium Borate)
Aksaite (Hydrated Magnesium Borate Hydroxide)
Ameghinite (Sodium Borate Hydroxide)
Ammonioborite (Hydrated Ammonia Borate)
Aristarainite (Hydrated Sodium Magnesium Borate)
Bandylite (Copper Hydroborate Chloride)
Behierite (Tantalum Niobium Borate)
Berborite (Hydrated Beryllium Borate Hydroxide Fluoride)
Biringuccite (Hydrated Sodium Borate Hydroxide)
Blatterite (Manganese Magnesium Antimony Iron Borate Oxide)
Boracite (Magnesium Borate Chloride)
Borax (Hydrated Sodium Borate)
Braitschite (Hydrated Calcium Sodium Cerium Lanthanum Borate)
Calciborite (Calcium Borate)
Chambersite (Manganese Borate Chloride)
Chelkarite (Hydrated Calcium Magnesium Borate Chloride)
Clinokurchatovite (Calcium Magnesium Iron Manganese Borate)
Colemanite (Hydrated Calcium Borate Hydroxide]
Congolite (Iron Magnesium Manganese Borate Chloride)
Diomignite (Lithium Borate)
Ekaterinite (Hydrated Calcium Borate Chloride Hydroxide)
Ericaite (Iron Magnesium Manganese Borate Chloride)
Ezcurrite (Hydrated Sodium Borate)
Fabianite (Calcium Borate Hydroxide)
Federovskite (Calcium Magnesium Manganese Borate Hydroxide)
Fluoborite (Magnesium Borate Fluoride Hydroxide)
Frolovite (Calcium Hydroborate)
Ginorite (Hydrated Calcium Borate)
Gowerite (Hydrated Calcium Borate)
Halurgite (Hydrated Magnesium Borate Hydroxide)
Hambergite (Beryllium Borate Hydroxide)
Henmilite (Calcium Copper Hydroborate Hydroxide)
Hexahydroborite (Hydrated Calcium Hydroborate)
Hilgardite (Hydrated Calcium Borate Chloride)
Howlite (Calcium Borate Silicate Hydroxide)
Hulsite (Iron Magnesium Antimony Borate)
Hungchaoite (Hydrated Magnesium Borate Hydroxide)
Hydroboracite (Hydrated Calcium Magnesium Borate Hydroxide)
Hydrochlorborite (Hydrated Calcium Borate Chloride Hydroxide)
Inderborite (Hydrated Calcium Magnesium Borate Hydroxide)
Inderite (Hydrated Magnesium Borate Hydroxide)
Inyoite (Hydrated Calcium Borate Hydroxide)
Jeremejevite (Aluminum Borate Fluoride Hydroxide)
Jimboite (Manganese Borate)
Johachidolite (Calcium Aluminum Borate)
Kaliborite (Hydrated Potassium Magnesium Borate Hydroxide)
Karlite (Magnesium Aluminum Borate Hydroxide Chloride)
Kernite (Hydrated Sodium Borate)
Korzhinskite (Hydrated Calcium Borate)
Kotoite (Magnesium Borate)
Kurchatovite (Calcium Magnesium Manganese Iron Borate)
Kurnakovite (Hydrated Magnesium Borate Hydroxide)
Larderellite (Ammonia Borate Hydroxide)
Ludwigite Group (Magnesium Iron Nickel Titanium Antimony Aluminum Borate)
Magnesiohulsite (Magnesium Iron Antimony Borate)
Mcallisterite (Hydrated Magnesium Borate Hydroxide)
Meyerhofferite (Hydrated Calcium Borate Hydroxide)
Nasinite (Hydrated Sodium Borate Hydroxide)
Nifontovite (Hydrated Calcium Borate Hydroxide)
Nobleite (Hydrated Calcium Borate Hydroxide)
Nordenskioldine (Calcium Antimony Borate)
Olshanskyite (Calcium Hydroborate)
Orthopinakiolite (Magnesium Manganese Borate)
Penobsquisite (Hydrated Calcium Iron Borate Hydroxide Chloride)
Pentahydroborite (Hydrated Calcium Hydroborate)
Peprossiite (Cerium Lanthanum Aluminum Borate)
Pinakiolite (Magnesium Manganese Antimony Borate)
Pinnoite (Hydrated Magnesium Borate)
Preobrazhenskite (Magnesium Borate Hydroxide)
Priceite (Calcium Borate Hydroxide)
Pringleite (Hydrated Calcium Borate Hydroxide Chloride)
Probertite (Hydrated Sodium Calcium Borate Hydroxide)
Rhodizite (Potassium Cesium Beryllium Aluminum Borate)
Rivadavite (Hydrated Sodium Magnesium Borate)
Roweite (Calcium Manganese Borate Hydroxide)
Ruitenbergite (Hydrated Calcium Borate Hydroxide Chloride)
Santite (Hydrated Potassium Borate Hydroxide)
Sassolite (Boric Acid)
Satimolite (Hydrated Potassium Sodium Aluminum Chloride)
Sborgite (Hydrated Sodium Borate Hydroxide)
Shabynite (Hydrated Magnesium Borate Chloride Hydroxide)
Sibirskite (Calcium Borate Hydroxide)
Sinhalite (Magnesium Aluminum Borate)
Solongoite (Calcium Borate Hydroxide Chloride)
Strontioborite (Strontium Borate Hydroxide)
Strontioginorite (Hydrated Strontium Calcium Borate)
Studenitsite (Hydrated Sodium Calcium Borate Hydroxide)
Suanite (Magnesium Borate)
Sussexite (Magnesium Borate Hydroxide)
Szaibelyite (Magnesium Borate Hydroxide)
Takedaite (Calcium Borate)
Takeuchiite (Magnesium Manganese Iron Borate)
Teepleite (Sodium Hydroborate Chloride)
Tertschite (Hydrated Calcium Borate)
Tincalconite (Hydrated Sodium Borate)
Trembathite (Magnesium Iron Borate Chloride)
Tunellite (Hydrated Strontium Borate Hydroxide)
Tusionite (Manganese Antimony Borate)
Tuzlaite (Hydrated Sodium Calcium Borate Hydroxide)
Tyretskite (Hydrated Calcium Borate Hydroxide)
Ulexite (Hydrated Sodium Calcium Borate)
Uralborite (Calcium Borate Hydroxide)
Veatchite (Hydrated Strontium Borate Hydroxide)
Vimsite (Calcium Borate Hydroxide)
Volkovskite (Hydrated Potassium Calcium Borate Hydroborate Chloride)
Wardsmithite (Hydrated Calcium Magnesium Borate)
Warwickite (Magnesium Titanium Iron Aluminum Borate Oxide)
Wightmanite (Hydrated Magnesium Borate Oxide Hydroxide)
Yuanfuliite (Magnesium Iron Aluminum Titanium Borate Oxide)
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Subclass: Iodates
Bellingerite (Hydrated Copper Iodate)
Bruggenite (Hydrated Calcium Iodate)
Lautarite (Calcium Iodate)
Salesite (Copper Iodate Hydroxide)
Schwartzembergite (Lead Iodate Oxide Chloride Hydroxide)
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Subclass: Nitrates
Buttgenbachite (Hydrated Copper Nitrate Chloride Hydroxide)
Darapskite (Hydrated Sodium Sulfate Nitrate Hydroxide)
Gerhardtite (Copper Nitrate Hydroxide)
Hydrombobomkulite (Hydrated Nickel Copper Aluminum Nitrate Sulfate Hydroxide)
Likasite (Hydrated Copper Nitrate Hydroxide)
Mbobomkulite (Hydrated Nickel Copper Aluminum Nitrate Sulfate Hydroxide)
Niter (Potasium Nitrate)
Nitratine (Sodium Nitrate)
Nitrobarite (Barium Nitrate)
Nitrocalcite (Hydrated Calcium Nitrate)
Nitromagnesite (Hydrated Magnesium Nitrate)
Sveite (Hydrated Potassium Aluminum Nitrate Chloride Hydroxide)
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P.S.- Hey Playa Guys; Richie and All ORXX watchers, better give a bit more RESPECT to Tim Hall, LOL!!!!!!!!!! !
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