Input interpretation
gwihabaite (mineral)
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General properties
alternate names | nitrammite formula | (NH_4, K)(NO_3)
Basic properties
density | 1.77 g/cm^3 transparency | transparent birefringence | 0.141 luster | vitreous Mohs hardness | 5 streak | white magnetism | nonmagnetic color | colorless | white molar mass | 85.31 g/mol (grams per mole)
Units
Mineral identifiers
Strunz ID | V/A.01-25 Dana ID | 18.1.2.2 IMA number | IMA1994-011 ICSD number | ICSD28078
Crystallographic properties
crystal system | orthorhombic crystal class | 2/m2/m2/m unit cell volume | 312.7 Å^3 (cubic ångströms) d-spacing | 3.194 Å (ångströms) | 3.212 Å (ångströms) | 2.595 Å (ångströms) intensity | 100% | 95% | 90% molecules per unit cell | 4 molecules per cell 2V angle | 22 π/45 radians≈88° (degrees) refractive indices | 1.458 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 dispersion | none unit cell lengths | 7.075 Å (ångströms) | 7.647 Å (ångströms) | 5.779 Å (ångströms) unit cell angles | 90° (degrees) | 90° (degrees) | 90° (degrees)
Wikipedia summary
Gwihabaite is a rare ammonium potassium nitrate mineral (NH_4, K)(NO_3). It is orthorhombic in form, colorless with a vitreous luster. It has a Mohs hardness of 5 and a specific gravity of 1.77. It is deliquescent and water-soluble. The mineral is also known as nitrammite. It was first described in 1996 for an occurrence in Gcwihaba Caves (Drotsky's Cavern, type locality), Maun, North-West District, Botswana. It occurs as incrustations and efflorescences on cave surfaces formed by bacterial action on bat guano.