Calclacite


Calclacite is a mineral and an organic compound. Its name references the components, which are calcium ions, chloride and acetate CH3COO2.

Characteristics

Calclacite is an organic compound with chemical formula CaCl·5H2O. It forms crystals in the monoclinic system, with silky hairlike efflorescences up to 4 cm long.
According to the Nickel-Strunz classification, calclacite is an organic acid salt and occurs with formicaite, acetamide, dashkovaite, paecite and hoganite. It is white and its hardness on the Mohs scale is 1.5.

Formation

Calclacite is formed on samples of rocks, fossils, and on fragments of ceramics, by the action of acetic acid produced from the oak of the storage cabinets.