Kalinite

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Kalinite is a rare mineral made of hydrated potassium aluminium sulfate, a form of alum. Its chemical formula is KAl(SO4)2·11H2O. It forms white to pale blue, fibrous crystals with a glassy (vitreous) luster and a white streak. Kalinite occurs as a secondary mineral in oxidized zones of ore deposits, often as efflorescence on alum slates, in caves, and as a volcanic sublimation product. It was named in 1868 from kalium (potassium), a name derived from Arabic al-qalyah meaning plant ashes. Kalinite is a monoclinic mineral distinct from the cubic, isometric form of potassium alum, and some older samples have been misidentified as potassium alum. It is rare and has been found in Quetena, Chile, often associated with jarosite and cuprian melanterite (pisanite). The International Mineralogical Association still lists kalinite as an approved mineral species despite past proposals to remove it.