Moraesite Mineral Data

General Moraesite Information

Chemical Formula:

Be2(PO4)(OH)•4(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 202.06 gm

Beryllium 8.92 % Be 24.76 % BeO

Phosphorus 15.33 % P 35.12 % P₂O₅

Hydrogen 4.49 % H 40.12 % H₂O

Oxygen 71.26 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Be₂(PO₄)(OH)•4(H₂O)

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1953

Locality:

Sapucaia pegmatite, Gelileia, Minas Gerias, Brazil. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for Liciano Jacques de Moraes (1896-1968), Brazilian geologist and mineral collector.

Name Pronunciation:

Moraesite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

ICSD 36587

PDF 29-1257

Moraesite Image

Images:

Moraesite

Comments: Silky, tufted crystals of white moraesite on matrix.
Location: Divino das Laranjeiras, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Scale: Not Given.
© Lou Perloff / Photo Atlas of Minerals

Images:

Moraesite Glucine

Comments: Light brown glucine with white moraesite.
Location: Boevskoye Mine, Sverdlovsk District, Middle Urals, Russia. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Moraesite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.6942:1:0.5808

Cell Dimensions:

a = 8.553, b = 12.319, c = 7.155, Z = 4; beta = 97.93° V = 746.67 Den(Calc)= 1.80

Crystal System:

MonoclinicSpace Group: Cc,C 2/c

$Help on X Ray Diffraction:$ X Ray Diffraction:

By Intensity(I/I_o): 7(1), 3.278(0.9), 4.24(0.6),

Crystal Structure:

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Merlino S , Pasero M , Zeitschrift fur Kristallographie , 201 (1992) p.253-262, Crystal chemistry of beryllophosphates: The crystal structure of moraesite, Be2(PO4)(OH)*4H2O, Locality: Humaita, Brazil

Physical Properties of Moraesite

Cleavage:

{010} Perfect

Color:

White.

Density:

1.805

Diaphaneity:

Translucent

Habit:

Druse - Crystal growth in a cavity which results in numerous crystal tipped surfaces.

Habit:

Encrustations - Forms crust-like aggregates on matrix.

Habit:

Spherical - Spherical, rounded aggregates.

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Moraesite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.018 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.021 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2656,KPDmeas= 0.2648,KC= 0.2601
Ncalc = 1.47

Optical Data:

Biaxial (-), a=1.462, b=1.482, g=1.49, bire=0.0280, 2V(Calc)=62, 2V(Meas)=65.

Calculated Properties of Moraesite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=1.86 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Moraesite =1.81 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.08
Boson Index = 0.92

Photoelectric:

PE_Moraesite= 0.93 barns/electron
U=PE_Moraesite x rElectron Density= 1.73 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Moraesite is Not Radioactive

Moraesite Classification

Dana Class:

42.06.01.01 (42)Hydrated Phosphates, etc., Containing Hydroxyl or Halogen

(42.06)where (AB)2 (XO4) Zq · x(H2O)

(42.06.01)Moraesite Group

42.06.01.01 Moraesite Be2(PO4)(OH)•4(H2O) Cc,C 2/c Mono

42.06.01.02 Bearsite Be2(AsO4)(OH)•4(H2O) Cc or C 2/c Mono

Strunz Class:

08.DA.05 08 - PHOSPHATES, ARSENATES, VANADATES

08.D - Phosphates, etc

08.DA -With small (and occasionally larger) cations

08.DA.05 Bearsite Be2(AsO4)(OH)•4(H2O) Cc or C 2/c Mono

08.DA.05 Moraesite Be2(PO4)(OH)•4(H2O) Cc,C 2/c Mono

Other Moraesite Information

References:

NAME( Dana8) PHYS. PROP.(Dana8) OPTIC PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Moraesite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Athena
3 - EUROmin Project
4 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
5 - GeoScienceWorld
6 - Google Images
7 - Google Scholar
8 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
9 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
10 - MinDAT
11 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
12 - Online Mineral Museum
13 - QUT Mineral Atlas
14 - Ruff.Info

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Ask about Moraesite here :
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Print or Cut-and-Paste your Moraesite Specimen Label here :

Moraesite

Be2(PO4)(OH)•4(H2O)
Dana No: 42.06.01.01 Strunz No: 08.DA.05
Locality:

Notes: