Niter Mineral Data

General Niter Information

Chemical Formula:

KNO3

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 101.10 gm

Potassium 38.67 % K 46.58 % K₂O

Nitrogen 13.85 % N 53.42 % N₂O₅

Oxygen 47.47 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

K(NO₃)

Environment:

Efflorescence on cavern walls.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) Prehistoric

Locality:

Limestone caves in Kentucky and Tennessee. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named derived from Herbraic neter, used in ancient times for alkaline salts extracted by water from vegetable ashes.

Name Pronunciation:

Niter

Synonym:

ICSD 10289

Nitre

PDF 5-377

Salpeter

Niter Image

Images:

Niter

Comments: Tan to white crystalline granular niter.
Location: Buffalo River Valley, Searcy County, Arkansas, USA. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Niter Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.5907:1:0.7017

Cell Dimensions:

a = 5.414, b = 9.164, c = 6.431, Z = 4; V = 319.07 Den(Calc)= 2.10

Crystal System:

Orthorhombic - DipyramidalH-M Symbol (2/m 2/m 2/m) Space Group: Pmcn

$Help on X Ray Diffraction:$ X Ray Diffraction:

By Intensity(I/I_o): 3.78(1), 3.73(0.56), 3.033(0.55),

Crystal Structure:

Mouse
drag1 - LMB Manipulate Structure
drag2 - RMB Resize/Rotate
Keyboard
S - Stereo Pair on/off
H - Help Screen
I - Data Info
A - Atoms On/Off
P - Polyhedra On/Off
B - Bonds On/Off
Help on Above

Adiwidjaja G , Pohl D , Acta Crystallographica, Section C , 59 (2003) p.i139-i140, Superstructure of a-phase potassium nitrate, Locality: synthetic

Physical Properties of Niter

Cleavage:

{001} Very Good, {010} Good

Color:

Colorless, White, Gray.

Density:

2.1 - 2.11, Average = 2.1

Diaphaneity:

Transparent

Fracture:

Brittle - Uneven - Very brittle fracture producing uneven fragments.

Habit:

Encrustations - Forms crust-like aggregates on matrix.

Habit:

Massive - Granular - Common texture observed in granite and other igneous rock.

Hardness:

2 - Gypsum

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Niter

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.038 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.036 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2127,KPDmeas= 0.2122,KC= 0.2206
Ncalc = 1.46 - 1.47

Optical Data:

Biaxial (-), a=1.332, b=1.504, g=1.504, bire=0.1720, 2V(Calc)=0, 2V(Meas)=7. Dispersion weak, r < v.

Calculated Properties of Niter

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.08 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Niter =2.10 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.13
Boson Index = 0.87

Photoelectric:

PE_Niter= 4.07 barns/electron
U=PE_Niter x r_electron= 8.44 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 551.91 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Niter per GRapi unit =1,811.89 (PPM)

**Estimated Radioactivity from Niter** - mild
Specimen Size Weight/Volume (Sphere) *	Calculated Activity Becquerels (Bq)	Calculated Activity Curies (Ci)	Estimated Activity GR(api)	Estimated Exposure (mRem**)/hr If Held in Hand For One Hour
1000 gm / 9.69 cm	11,718	3.17E-07	551.91	0.18
100 gm / 4.50 cm	1,172	3.17E-08	55.19	0.02
10 gm / 2.09 cm	117	3.17E-09	5.52	0.00
1 gm / 9.69 mm	12	3.17E-10	0.55	0.00
0.1 gm / 4.50 mm	1	3.17E-11	0.06	0.00
0.01 gm / 2.09 mm	0	3.17E-12	0.01	0.00
0.001 gm / 0.97 mm	0	3.17E-13	0.00	0.00

Weight of pure Niter in grams (gm) and Calculated Diameter of a Sphere with a Density of 2.10 gm/cc.*
Goverment Estimate of Average Annual Exposure ( 360 mRem) **
Note: 10 microsieverts/hr = 1 mRem/hr **
Max Permissable Adult Dose 50,000 mRem/yr (hands), 15,000 mRem/yr (eyes)
Lethal Dose LD(50) Exposure 400,000 to 500,000 mRem

Niter Classification

Dana Class:

18.01.02.01 (18)Simple Nitrates

(18.01)where A xNO3 · x(H2O), x can equal zero

(18.01.02)Niter Series

18.01.02.01 Niter KNO3 Pmcn 2/m 2/m 2/m

18.01.02.02 Gwihabaite! (NH4,K)(NO3) Pbnm 2/m 2/m 2/m

Strunz Class:

05.NA.10 05 - CARBONATES (NITRATES)

05.N - NITRATES

05.NA -Without OH or H2O

05.NA.10 Niter KNO3 Pmcn 2/m 2/m 2/m

Other Niter Information

References:

NAME( Dana8) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Dana8)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Niter :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery
3 - Athena
4 - GeoScienceWorld
5 - Google Images
6 - Google Scholar
7 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
8 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
9 - MinDAT
10 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
11 - Online Mineral Museum
12 - QUT Mineral Atlas
13 - Ruff.Info
14 - WWW-MINCRYST

Search for Niter using:

[AOL] [Bing] [Dog Pile] [GeoScienceWorld] [HotBot] [Ixquick] [Lycos] [MAMMA] [Scirus] [Teoma] [WebCrawler] [Wikipedia] [YAHOO]

Visit our Advertisers for Niter :

A Bijoux Google Search for Niter
Adam's Minerals Google Search for Niter
Cape Minerals Google Search for Niter
Dakota Matrix Minerals Google Search for Niter
Excalibur Mineral Corp. Google Search for Niter
Exceptional Minerals Google Search for Niter
John Betts Fine Minerals Search for Niter
McDougall Minerals Google Search for Niter
Mineral News Website Link
Rock and Mineral Shows Google Search for Niter
Weinrich Minerals, Inc. Google Search for Niter

Ask about Niter here :
Ask-A-Mineralogist from the Mineralogical Society of America
Mindat.org's Discussion Groups
Original Rockhounds Discussion Group
Rockhounds Discussion Group on Yahoo Groups
Mineral Discussion Forum from Fabre Minerals - also available in Español

Print or Cut-and-Paste your Niter Specimen Label here :

Niter

KNO3
Dana No: 18.01.02.01 Strunz No: 05.NA.10
Locality:

Notes: