What is "kalinite"

n. (context mineralogy English) A monoclinic-prismatic mineral containing aluminum, hydrogen, oxygen, potassium, and sulfur.

Kalinite is a mineral composed of hydrated potassium aluminium sulfate (a type of alum). It is a fibrous monoclinic alum, distinct from isometric potassium alum, named in 1868. Its name comes from kalium (derived from Arabic: القَلْيَه al-qalyah “plant ashes”) which is the Latin name for potassium, hence its chemical symbol, "K".

A proposal to remove recognition of kalinite as a mineral species is scheduled to be submitted to the International Mineralogical Association, currently (March 2010), kalinite is still on the list of approved minerals. Many older samples, however, have been found to be potassium alum.