Editing Ulexite (section)

== Related minerals ==

Borate minerals are rare because their main component, boron, makes up less than 10 ppm (10 mg/kg) of Earth's crust. Because boron is a trace element, the majority of borate minerals occur only in one specific geologic environment: geologically active [[intermontane basin]]s. Borates are formed when boron bearing solutions, caused from the leaching of [[pyroclastic rock]]s, flow into isolated basins where evaporation then takes place. Over time, borates deposit and form into [[Strata|stratified]] layers. Ulexite occurs in [[dry lake|salt playa]]s and dry saline lakes in association with large-scale [[gypsum]] deposits and Na-Ca borates.<ref name="Ghose1978">Ghose, et al., 1978, ''Ulexite, NaCaB5O6(OH)6.5H2O: structure refinement, polyanion configuration, hydrogen bonding, and fiber optics,''  Subrata Ghose, Che'ng Wan and Joan R. Clark, American Mineralogist, Vol 63, pp 161–171. [http://www.minsocam.org/ammin/AM63/AM63_160.pdf]</ref> There are no known [[Polymorphism (materials science)|polymorph]]s of ulexite nor does ulexite form a [[solid solution]] series with any other minerals.

According to Stamatakis ''et al''. (2009) Na, Ca, and Na-Ca borates are found in relation to ulexite.<ref name="StamatakisTziritis2009">{{cite journal |last1=Stamatakis |first1=Michael G. |last2=Tziritis |first2=Evangelos P. |last3=Evelpidou |first3=Niki |title=The geochemistry of Boron-rich groundwater of the Karlovassi Basin, Samos Island, Greece |journal=Central European Journal of Geosciences |volume=1 |issue=2 |year=2009 |pages=207–218 |issn=2081-9900 |doi=10.2478/v10085-009-0017-4|bibcode=2009CEJG....1..207S |s2cid=140660657 |doi-access=free }}</ref> These minerals are:

* [[Borax]] Na<sub>2</sub>B<sub>4</sub>O<sub>7</sub>·10H<sub>2</sub>O
* [[Colemanite]] Ca<sub>2</sub>B<sub>8</sub>O<sub>11</sub>·5H<sub>2</sub>O
* [[Howlite]] Ca<sub>2</sub>B<sub>5</sub>SiO<sub>9</sub>[OH]<sub>5</sub>
* [[Kernite]] Na<sub>2</sub>[B<sub>4</sub>O<sub>6</sub>(OH)<sub>2</sub>·3H<sub>2</sub>O]
* [[Meyerhofferite]] Ca<sub>2</sub>B<sub>6</sub>O<sub>6</sub>(OH)<sub>10</sub>·2H<sub>2</sub>O
* [[Probertite]] NaCaB<sub>5</sub>O<sub>9</sub>·5H<sub>2</sub>O

More common minerals that are not borates, but also form in [[evaporite]] deposits are:<ref name=Handbook/>

* [[Calcite]] CaCO<sub>3</sub>
* [[Gypsum]] CaSO<sub>4</sub>·2H<sub>2</sub>O
* [[Halite]] NaCl