carnallite

car·nall·ite  (kärn-lt)

n.

A white, brownish, or reddish mineral, KMgCl₃·6H₂O, an ore of potassium, used to manufacture potash salts.

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[After Rudolf von Carnall (1804-1874), German mining engineer.]

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carnallite [ˈkɑːnəˌlaɪt]

n

(Earth Sciences / Minerals) a white or sometimes coloured mineral consisting of a hydrated chloride of potassium and magnesium in orthorhombic crystalline form: a source of potassium and also used as a fertilizer. Formula: KCl.MgCl₂.6H₂O

[named after Rudolf von Carnall (1804-74), German mining engineer; see -ite¹]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

carnallite - a white or reddish mineral consisting of hydrous chlorides of potassium and magnesium; used as a fertilizer and as a source of potassium and magnesium atomic number 12, magnesium, Mg - a light silver-white ductile bivalent metallic element; in pure form it burns with brilliant white flame; occurs naturally only in combination (as in magnesite and dolomite and carnallite and spinel and olivine) atomic number 19, potassium, K - a light soft silver-white metallic element of the alkali metal group; oxidizes rapidly in air and reacts violently with water; is abundant in nature in combined forms occurring in sea water and in carnallite and kainite and sylvite atomic number 37, Rb, rubidium - a soft silvery metallic element of the alkali metal group; burns in air and reacts violently in water; occurs in carnallite and lepidolite and pollucite mineral - solid homogeneous inorganic substances occurring in nature having a definite chemical composition