Ko Ulexite he kohuke pāora e puta noa ana i te taiao, e tino mōhiotia ana mō ōna āhuatanga mārama rerekē me tōna hanganga muka motuhake. Tōna tātai matū, NaCaB₅O₆(OH)₆·5H₂O, e tohu ana kei roto ngā ngota konutai, konupūmā, pūmāota, hāora, hauwai, me ngā rāpoi ngota wai i roto i tōna hanganga tioata. Ahakoa e whakarōpūtia ana hei kohuke pāora noa iho, kua rongonui a Ulexite puta noa i te ao nā tōna kaha tuku mārama i roto i ngā muka kohuke whakarara, e waihanga ana i tētahi āhuatanga rite ki ngā taura muka mārama hou.
Nā tēnei āhuatanga whakamīharo, ka kīia a Ulexite ko te “Kōhatu Pouaka Whakaata.” Ina whakatakotoria he tauira orotahi ki runga i ngā kupu tāia, i tētahi atahanga rānei, ka kitea te ahua e whakairihia ana ki te mata o runga o te kohuke. Kua mīharo tēnei āhuatanga ki ngā kaimātai pūtaiao, ki ngā kaiako, ki ngā kaikohi, me te hunga e kaingākau ana ki ngā tioata mō ngā tekau tau. Kāore i rite ki ngā kōhatu utu nui tuku iho e whakanuia ana mō te tae me te kanapa, ka whakanuia a Ulexite mō tōna hiranga pūtaiao me ōna āhuatanga ataata tauwhitiwhiti. Ka hua te Ulexite i ngā wāhi maroke e mimiti ai te wai, i reira ka whakaemi haere te wai whai boron, ā, ka tio. He rite tonu te puta hei papatipu mā, hiraka, heuheu, kāore i te rite ki ngā tioata nui, mārama te āhua. I ēnei rā, he puna boron nui tonu te kohuke, ā, ko ia hoki tētahi o ngā tauira tino mōhio o te kohuke whatu māori.
Te Hītori me te Kiteatanga o Ulexite
Ko Ulexite i tautuhia tuatahi, ā, i whakamāramatia pūtaiao i te tau 1840. I tapaina te kōhuke nei ki te ingoa o te tohunga matū Tiamana a Georg Ludwig Ulex, nāna i whai wāhi nui ki te mātauranga matū tātari me te rangahau i ngā pūhui kōhuke. I te rautau 19, ka kaha ake te hiahia o ngā kaipūtaiao ki ngā kōhuke pōrate nā te mea he hiranga ōhanga, he whakamahinga ahumahi pea hoki. I a ngā kairangahau e tūhura ana i ngā putunga evaporite huri noa i te ao, ka tīmata rātou te mōhio ko Ulexite he momo kōhuke motuhake me tōna hanganga matū ahurei.
I te tīmatanga, ko te hiahia pūtaiao ki a Ulexite i aro nui ki te ihirangi boron, kaua ki tōna whanonga mārama. Heoi, i kitea e ngā kairangahau i muri tata nei he āheinga ōrite tō te kōhuke ki te tuku mārama mā roto i tōna hanganga ā-roto kōiwi. Nā tēnei āhuatanga i rerekē ai te Ulexite i te nuinga o ngā kōhuke katoa e mōhiotia ana, ā, i tae noa ki tōna ingoa rongonui, ko te “Kōhatu Pouaka Whakaata.” I mua noa atu i te noho o te whakawhiti kōrero mā te aho mārama hei wāhanga matua o te hangarau hou, i hoatu e te Ulexite he tauira māori ki ngā kairangahau mō te huarahi e taea ai e te mārama te haere mā roto i ngā hongere tino iti, taurite hoki.
I te roanga o te rautau 1900, ka piki haere te uara o te kohuke nei hei tauira mātauranga. He maha ngā whare wānanga, whare taonga, me ngā kohinga ārai whenua e whakauru ana i te Ulexite nā te mea he huarahi māmā me te whai hua tēnei hei whakaatu i ngā mātāpono whakaata. I ēnei rā, kei te mau tonu te aro o te kohuke nei, ehara i te mea mō tōna hiranga ahumahi hei kohuke pākōhatu borate anake, engari anō hoki mō tōna uara pūtaiao me te uara mātauranga whakahirahira.
Te Hanganga o Ulexite
Ka puta te Ulexite i ngā putunga evaporite e tupu ai i ngā taiao māokeoke me ngā taiao āhua māokeoke, i reira ka mimiti haere te wai e mau ana i ngā kohuke maha kua memeha. Ka tīmata te tukanga i te nuinga o te wā ina tukuna te boron mai i ngā toka puia mā te huarere, ka kawea ki ngā roto tata, ki ngā papatahorua, ki ngā pūnaha wai raro whenua. I a ia e mimiti haere tonu ana, ka piki ake te kukū o te konutai, te konupūmā, me te boron kua memeha, kia tae rawa ki ngā āhuatanga matū e tika ana kia tio te Ulexite. He maha ngā wā e hiahiatia ana he wā roa o te mahi ā-papa whenua me ngā āhuatanga taiao pūmau.
Ko te nuinga o ngā putunga Ulexite e pā ana ki ngā riu rōto tawhito me ngā rohe koraha e iti ai te ua, e nui ai te whakaetonga. Ka kitea ngātahi te kōhuke me ētahi atu kōhuke whakaeto pērā i te borax, te colemanite, te gypsum, me te halite. Kāore i rite ki te maha o ngā kōhuke ka tipu hei karaihe takitahi, ko te Ulexite te nuinga o te wā ka tipu hei papatipu matotoru o ngā muka whakarara. Nā tēnei āhua tipu muka e whai wāhi ai te kōhuke ki ōna āhuatanga mārama whakamīharo, ā, ka puta te pānga rongonui o te kōhatu pouaka whakaata, e kīia ai ko te Ulexite tētahi o ngā kōhuke pākowa tino motuhake o te ao.
Ngā Momo me ngā Rerekētanga o Ulexite
Ahakoa e mōhiotia ana ko Ulexite he momo kohuke kotahi, ā, kāore ōna momo kohuke kua whakaaetia ā-whaimana, engari ka taea e ngā tauira māori te whakaatu i ngā āhua rerekē, i runga anō i te tipu o ngā tioata, te taiao ā-papa, te whanaketanga o ngā muka, me te kiko o ngā parahanga.
- Pukupuku Ulexite – Ko te āhua tino noa o te kōhatu, e kitea ana i ngā muka whakarara kikii, e puta ai te āhuatanga rongonui o te kōhatu pouaka whakaata. He mea tino hirahira tēnei momo mō ngā whakaaturanga mātauranga, nā te mea ka taea e ia te whakawhiti whakaahua me te mārama i roto i tōna anotanga.
- Pūkepuke Urekiha – He āhua tōpū me te mātotoru kāore e kitea he muka mārama i te mata. He maha ngā tauira nunui e puta ana hei pōito mā, hina rānei, ā, ka kitea i ngā pūtākinga whakaetotanga e pā ana ki ētahi atu kōhuke pākati.
- Te Ulexite Mārama, Pūataata Rānei – Ko ngā tauira mārama ake e taea ai e te marama te uru whakawhiti. Ko ēnei tauira te nuinga o te wā ka puta ake he hua whatu kaha ake, ā, ka tohua mō ngā kohinga kōhatu me ngā whakaaturanga pūtaiao.
- Ulexite kōpuku – Ko ngā huihuinga porotaka e tupu ana i roto i ngā pūtākinga parataiao. He rite tonu ēnei tauira ki ngā poi kātene, ki ngā papatipu rite ki te kāparapara nā te āhua o te whakatotoka o te kohuke i roto i ngā parataiao pai te kākano.
- Kohatu Pouaka Whakaata Kanapa – Ahakoa ehara i te momo kohuke motuhake, he mea hoko whānui ngā tauira kua orohia nā te mea mā te oroi i te mata ka whakarei ake i ngā āhuatanga muka-ata māori o te kohuke, mā reira e māmā ake ai te mātakitaki i ngā whakaahua tuku.
Hanganga Karaihe o Ulexite
Ka tioata te Ulexite ki roto i te pūnaha tioata triclinic, koia te mea iti rawa te hangarite o ngā pūnaha tioata katoa. He rerekē ki ngā kohuke ka tupu i roto i ngā hanganga cubic, hexagonal rānei e tino raupapa ana, ka hanga te Ulexite i roto i tētahi whakaritenga ngota uaua ake, iti iho hoki te hangarite. Ko tōna rārangi tioata he mea tito mai i ngā rōpū borate e hono tahi ana ki ngā katote konutai me te konupūmā, i te wā e whakaurua ana ngā rōpū hydroxyl me ngā ngota ngota wai ki roto i te hanganga. Ko te noho mai o te wai i roto i te anga tioata he mahi nui ki te whakatau i te nuinga o ngā āhuatanga ā-tinana o te kohuke’s, tae atu ki tōna pakeke iti me tōna tairongo ki te wera.
Ko tētahi o ngā āhuatanga tino mīharo o Ulexite ko te whakaritenga o ōna tioata kakawaea. Kāore e tipu hei tioata motuhake; engari, ka whakawhanakehia e te kohuke ētahi mano o ngā muka tino pai, whakarara, e mahi ana hei ara takitahi mō te whakawhiti mārama. Mā tēnei hanganga ka taea e te mārama e kuhu ana ki tētahi taha o te kohuke te haere i roto i ngā muka, ka puta ki te taha kē atu, me te pupuri tonu i te ahua taketake. Ko te mātāpono anō tēnei e whakamahia ana i roto i te hangarau muka-ā-whatu hou, koia i rongonui ai a Ulexite hei tētahi o ngā tauira māori mīharo rawa o te whakawhiti mārama i roto i te ao kohuke. Ko tōna hanganga tioata kei te kukume tonu i te aro o ngā tohunga kohuke, ngā tohunga ahupūngao, me ngā kaipūtaiao rauemi e aro ana ki te hononga i waenga i te tipuranga tioata me te whanonga whatu.
Ngā Āhuatanga Ā-tinana me Ā-matū o Ulexite
Kitea ai te ulexite i ngā tae mā, kore tae, hina, kōwhai hōrapa rānei, ahakoa he mā te nuinga o ngā tauira nā te hanganga muka o roto. Ko te tikanga he kanapa te kohuke, he momo kanapa hiraka, kanapa hātepe, kanapa karaihe rānei, e puta ai te āhua māeneene. Mai i te mārama ki te tiaho, ā, ko tōna āhuatanga tino mōhiotia ko te tuku whakaahua mā ngā muka whakarara. Ko tēnei pānga whatu rerekē e mōhiotia tonutia ai te ulexite i te nuinga atu o ngā kohuke pōrate.
Mai i te tirohanga ā-tinana, ka kiia a Ulexite he kohuke ngāwari noa, me te pakeke o Mohs tata ki te 2.5. Ka taea te waruwaru ngāwari, ā, me āta whakahaere kia kore ai e pākia ōna muka ngāwari. Kei a ia hoki te wehenga tino tika me te tae mā, i te mea ko tōna taumaha motuhake te nuinga mai i te 1.95 ki te 2.0. Nā te mea he nui te wai kei roto i tōna hanganga tioata, ka taea e Ulexite te noho kore pūmau inā pākia e te wera nui, e puta ai te whakamaroketanga me ngā huringa hanganga.
I te taha matū, ka whakarōpūhia te Ulexite hei konutai konupūmā borate hauwai. Ko te Boron te wāhanga matū matua e whai wāhi ana ki te whakarōpūtanga o te kohuke i roto i te rōpū borate, i te wā e whai wāhi ana te konutai me te konupūmā ki te pūmautanga o te rārangi tioata. Ka hanga tahi te Ulexite me ētahi atu kohuke borate i roto i ngā taiao whakaetonga, ā, ka taea e ngā rerekētanga iti o ngā āhuatanga matū te awe i tōna tipu tioata me tōna āhua whānui. Ko tōna huinga ahurei o te hanganga matū me te hanganga tioata te take tika mō ngā āhuatanga whatu whakamīharo i rongonui ai te Ulexite i roto i te hapori pūtaiao.
Kei hea kitea a Ulexite?
Ka kitea te Ulexite i ngā rohe maroke e whanake ana ngā putunga evaporite i roto i ngā wā roa o te matawhenua. Nā te mea ka hanga te kohuke mā te mimiti o te wai whai boron, e piri tata ana tōna tohatoha ki ngā puna roto tawhito, ngā papa tote, me ngā taiao puia. Ko te nuinga o ngā putunga whai hua nui kei ngā wāhi e tino iti ana te ua me te nui o te mimiti, he āhuatanga e taea ai e ngā kohuke rewa te kohikohi, ā, ka tio.
Ko te Hononga o Amerika tētahi o ngā puna nui rawa o te Ulexite i te ao, otirā i California, i keria ai ngā putunga borate whānui mō te kotahi rau tau neke atu. Kei Amerika ki te Tonga hoki ētahi o ngā rahui nui rawa e mōhiotia ana, otirā i Argentina me Chile, i putu ai ngā parataiao whai-boron ki te rohe o Andes. Kua pūrongotia hoki ētahi atu wāhi rongonui i Turkey, Kazakhstan, Haina, me ētahi atu whenua he nui ngā peihana evaporite. Ahakoa ka kitea te Ulexite i ngā wāhi maha o te ao, he iti noa ngā putunga he nui ngā kukū hei tautoko i ngā mahi keri arumoni.
Ngā wāhi Ulexite hirahira kei roto ko:
- California, Hononga o Amerika
- Porowini o Jujuy, Argentina
- Porowini o Salta, Argentina
- Hiri ki te Raki
- Eskişehir, Tākei
- Kazahitāna
- Tibet, Haina
He maha o ēnei rohe e whakaputa ana i ngā kohuke borate maha, ehara i te Ulexite anake. Nā reira, he maha ngā wā ka keri ngā mahi maina i ngā kohuke whai rawa maha mai i ngā putunga matawhenua kotahi, e whai wāhi ana ki te tuku boron o te ao e whakamahia ana i roto i te hanga ahumahi, te ahuwhenua, me te hanga matū.
Ngā Whakamahinga me Ngā Tono o Ulexite
He nui te uara ahumahi o te Ulexite nā te mea he pūtake māori o te boron, he huānga e whakamahia whānuitia ana i roto i te hanga me te whakaputanga matū. Ko ngā pūhui boron i tangohia mai i ngā kohuke borate ka whai wāhi ki te hanga muka karaihe, uku, horoi horoi, rauemi whakamarumaru, me te karaihe ātete wera. Nā te kaha o te boron ki te whakapai ake i te kaha, te roa, me te pūmautanga wera, kua waiho hei wāhanga nui i roto i te maha o ngā tukanga ahumahi. Ahakoa ehara te Ulexite i te kohuke borate arumoni anake, he nui tonu tōna takoha ki te ahumahi boron o te ao.
I tua atu i tōna hiranga ahumahi, ka tino whakanuia hoki te Ulexite i roto i te mātauranga me te rangahau pūtaiao nā te pai o ōna āhuatanga whatu. Ko tōna hanganga muka-whatu tūturu ka taea e te mārama me ngā whakaahua te haere mā roto i te kohuke, ka waiho hei tauira pai mō te whakaatu i ngā mātāpono o te tuku whatu. He maha ngā whare wānanga, ngā whare taonga, me ngā pokapū pūtaiao e whakamahi ana i ngā tauira kua oroia hei āwhina i ngā ākonga ki te mārama ki te mahi a ngā pūnaha muka-whatu. Ka whakanui hoki ngā kaikohi kohuke i te Ulexite nā tōna āhua rerekē me tōna hiranga pūtaiao, ā, he maha ngā tauira kounga teitei e whakaatuhia ana i roto i ngā kohinga tūmataiti me ngā whakaaturanga matawhenua puta noa i te ao.