Borax

Object/Artifact

-

Crater Rock Museum

Borax

Borax

Name/Title

Borax

Entry/Object ID

2014.1.137

Description

Chemical Composition: Na2B4O7 -10H2O Crystal System: Orthorhombic System Description: Common Name: Borax Chemistry: Na2B4O7 -10H2O, Hydrated sodium bor Desription: Two pieces of Borax. One is a long, slab like grayish piece. The other is more of a block. Both have a long vertical grain. 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. Best Field Indicators are crystal habit, color, associations, locality, density and hardness. Fracture: conchoidal Hardness: 3 Calcite Luster: Vitreous Occurrence: Borax is a complex borate mineral that is found in playa lakes and other evaporite deposits. Rock Type: Sedimentary Specific Gravity: 2.2 Streak: white Variety: 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.

Collection

RAGM Mineral Collection

Acquisition

Accession

2014.1

Source or Donor

Crater Rock Museum (unknown donors)

Acquisition Method

Gift

Dimensions

Width

3-1/2 in

Depth

1-1/4 in

Length

9-1/2 in

Dimension Notes

Dimension taken at widest points B) 3.75" X 3.5" X 3"

Location

Location

Shelf

CS-E-3

Room

Curation Storage

Building

Crater Rock Museum

Category

Storage

Moved By

Jillian Mather Kettley

Date

March 5, 2024