View source for Arcanite

{{Short description|Potassium sulfate mineral}}
{{infobox mineral
| name        = Arcanite
| image       = Arcanite.jpg
| imagesize   = 260px
| alt         = 
| caption     = Arcanite
| category    = [[Sulfate mineral]]
| formula     = K<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub>
|IMAsymbol=Acn<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Warr|first=L.N.|date=2021|title=IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols|journal=Mineralogical Magazine|volume=85|issue=3|pages=291–320|doi=10.1180/mgm.2021.43|bibcode=2021MinM...85..291W|s2cid=235729616|doi-access=free}}</ref>
| molweight   = 
| strunz      = 7.AD.05
| dana        = 
| system      = [[Orthorhombic]]
| class       = Dipyramidal (mmm) <br/>[[H-M symbol]]: (2/m 2/m 2/m)
| symmetry    = ''Pmcn''
| unit cell   = a = 5.77, b = 10.07 <br/>c = 7.48&nbsp;[Å]; Z&nbsp;=&nbsp;4
| color       = White to colorless, yellow
| colour      = 
| habit       = Tabular crystals, typically in crusts and coatings 
| twinning    = Cyclic on {110}
| cleavage    = Good on {010} and {001}
| fracture    = 
| tenacity    = 
| mohs        = 2
| luster      = Vitreous
| streak      = White
| diaphaneity = Transparent to translucent
| gravity     = 2.66
| density     = 
| polish      = 
| opticalprop = Biaxial (+)
| refractive  = n<sub>α</sub> = 1.494 n<sub>β</sub> = 1.495 n<sub>γ</sub> = 1.497
| birefringence = δ = 0.004
| pleochroism = 
| 2V          = Measured: 67°
| dispersion  = 
| extinction  = 
| length fast/slow =
| fluorescence = 
| absorption  = 
| melt        = 
| fusibility  = 
| diagnostic  = 
| solubility  = 
| impurities  = 
| alteration  = 
| other       = 
| references   = <ref name=Mindat>[http://www.mindat.org/min-314.html Mindat.org]</ref><ref name=Webmin>[http://www.webmineral.com/data/Arcanite.shtml Webmineral data]</ref><ref name=HBM>[http://rruff.geo.arizona.edu/doclib/hom/arcanite.pdf Handbook of Mineralogy]</ref>
}}
'''Arcanite''' is a [[potassium sulfate]] mineral with formula K<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub>.

Arcanite was first described in 1845 for an occurrence in old pine railroad ties in the Santa Ana tin mine, Trabuco Canyon, [[Santa Ana Mountains]], [[Orange County, California]], US.<ref name=Mindat/><ref name=HBM/> It has also been reported from [[hydrothermal]] deposits in the Cesano geothermal field, [[Latium]], [[Italy]]; in bat guano on the Chincha Islands of [[Peru]]; and in caves in [[Western Australia]], [[South Africa]] and [[Namibia]].<ref name=HBM/>

Well-crystalline specimens sold as 'arcanite' are grown synthetically in places such as Poland for the decorative specimen market and are not natural minerals.<ref name=Mindat/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Sulfate minerals]]
[[Category:Potassium minerals]]
[[Category:Orthorhombic minerals]]
[[Category:Minerals in space group 62]]


{{sulfate-mineral-stub}}