

It got its name from its composition, becouse it is possible to contain 15-16% aluminium. Aluminite is an aluminium sulfate mineral with low water content. A german doctor and botanist, Johann Jakob Lerche noticed it first at the construction of a botanical garden in Halle an der Saale. It particularly located in clayey, marly or lignite ground. Usually during the decomposition of pyrites or marcasite, beside the appear of sulfuric acid, sulphate compounds turn up and sometimes aluminite too. Its crystals are rare and small (0.1 mm), generally they can be found in friable, bulbous, grape like shapes. In Hungary it can be located in Gerecse Mountains, nice specimens were found in the coal mine in Csordakút. Besides its hungarian and german localities it appears also in England, France, Australia, Chile, Canada, etc.