#Asharite
3 messages in this thread
Asharite MgBO2 (OH)
I am new to this forum and am not to sure of your etiquette.
I was wondering if anyone had information on the above mineral. I have been
told that is available in China and could have commercial applications.
Apparently the B203 content is 30% and above. I am looking for the chemical
composition, information on mining methods, benefication methods if any, etc.
Also, is this mineral currently being used in place of generally known borates
in glass or fiberglass applications?
Thanking you in advance,
Torrie Bova
Torrie:
The mineral you have asked about is listed in the Encyclopedia of Minerals
as Ascharite, which is a deselected name for Szaibelyite. Under the official
name, the authors describe this mineral as follows:
MgBO2(OH). Sussexite-szaibelyite series. crystal class monoclinic.
Hardness about 3; SG about 2.6. White to straw yellow fibrous veinlets or
masses; sometimes dense or chalklike. Occurs as impregnations and coatings on
serpentine near Stinson Beach, Calif., Bline Mtn., Nevada, in Beaver and Salt
Lake Counties Utah, and several other localities including Chinese locales.
In addition to Dana, there's a reference to an article by Takeuchi and
Kudoh, 60 American Mineralogist 273-79 (1975).
The genesis of the mineral is from borate and salt lakes; it is thus
associated with halite, borax, etc. It is supposedly a rare mineral. Duda
lists some other localities as Holcol in Korea, and Douglas Lake in Canada.
Applications listed include the production of boracic acid and other chemicals.
Some other sources might be Borates, Imp. Inst. London, 1932; Industrial
Minerals and Rocks; A.I.M.E., NY 1937, Chapter 8 by W T Schaller. These are
listed in Bateman's Economic Mineral Deposits.
I hope this helps. Don't worry about your etiquette; there isn't any in the
forum. <g>
Nathan A. Schachtman
Nathan & Torrie,
The occurrence of szaibelyite in Beaver Co. Utah is not with salt lakes and the
like, it is an alteration of ludwigite (Mg,Fe)2FeBO5, in an iron-rich skarn (an
obscure prospect, I've collected there). Szaibelyite forms cream-colored zones
where the coarse radiating ludwigite is altered. I can't say about the
occurrence in Salt Lake Co., but I notice the Enc. of Minerals lists an
occurrence of ludwigite in Salt Lake Co. too, so maybe it is the same as in
Beaver Co.
The Enc. of Mineralogy (1981, pub. by Hutchinson Ross) lists it only as an
evaporite mineral (says borates are last stage and scarce in marine
evaporites).
No mention of szaibelyite being of economic importance.
Lanny