| Cahnite | |
| Category: | Borate minerals |
| Formula: | Ca2B[AsO<sub>4</sub>](OH)4 |
| Imasymbol: | Cah[1] |
| Strunz: | 6.AC.70 |
| System: | Tetragonal |
| Class: | Disphenoidal (same H-M symbol) |
| Symmetry: | I |
| Color: | Colorless to white |
| Cleavage: | Perfect On |
| Tenacity: | Brittle |
| Mohs: | 3 |
| Luster: | Vitreous |
| Diaphaneity: | Transparent |
| Density: | 3.156 g/cm3 |
| References: | [2] |
Cahnite (Cahnit in German, Cahnita in Spanish, Канит in Russian[3]) is a brittle white or colorless mineral that has perfect cleavage and is usually transparent. It usually forms tetragonal-shaped crystals and it has a hardness of 3 mohs.[4] [5] Cahnite was discovered in the year 1921.[3] It was named Cahnite to honor Lazard Cahn (1865–1940), who was a mineral collector and dealer.[4] It is usually found in the Franklin Mine, in Franklin, New Jersey, but has also been found in Japan[6] as well as in the Vallerano quarries in Rome, Italy.[7] The geological environment that it occurs in is in pegmatites cutting a changed zinc orebody.The chemical formula for cahnite is Ca2B[AsO<sub>4</sub>](OH)4.[5] [8] [9] It is made up of 26.91% calcium, 3.63% boron, 25.15% arsenic, 1.35% hydrogen, and 42.96% oxygen. It has a molecular weight of 297.91 grams.[5] Cahnite is not radioactive.[4] Cahnite is associated with these other minerals: willemite, rhodonite, pyrochroite, hedyphane, datolite, and baryte.[3]