Syngenite

Discovery and occurrence

It was first described in 1872 for an occurrence as druse on halite in the Kalusa Salt deposit, Ivanovo-Frankovsk Oblast', Ukraine. The name is from Greek 'συγγενής' (related) due to its chemical similarity to polyhalite.

It occurs in marine evaporite deposits as a diagenetic phase. It also forms as a volcanic sublimate, as vein fillings in geothermal fields and in caves where it is derived from bat guano. It occurs in association with halite and arcanite in salt deposits; and with biphosphammite, aphthitalite, monetite, whitlockite, uricite, brushite and gypsum in cave environments.

It is also found in hardened cement which has relatively higher amount of potassium.

Production

Syngenite can be artificially produced by the action of a potassium sulfate solution on gypsum.

References

Bibliography

• Palache, P.; Berman H.; Frondel, C. (1960). "Dana's System of Mineralogy, Volume II: Halides, Nitrates, Borates, Carbonates, Sulfates, Phosphates, Arsenates, Tungstates, Molybdates, Etc. (Seventh Edition)" John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, pp. 442-444.

References

1. Warr, L.N.. (2021). "IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols". Mineralogical Magazine.
2. [http://www.handbookofmineralogy.org/pdfs/syngenite.pdf Handbook of Mineralogy]
3. [http://www.mindat.org/min-3856.html Syngenite on Mindat.org]
4. [http://www.webmineral.com/data/Syngenite.shtml Syngenite data on Webmineral]
5. Atkins M, Glasser FP, Moron IP, Jack JJ, 1993. Thermodynamic modelling of blended cements at elevated temperatures (50–90 °C).
6. (May 2019). "Comparative study of K2SO4 production by wet conversion from phosphogypsum and synthetic gypsum". Journal of Materials Research and Technology.