Spencerite Mineral Data

General Spencerite Information

Chemical Formula:

Zn4(PO4)2(OH)2•3(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 539.56 gm

Zinc 48.48 % Zn 60.34 % ZnO

Phosphorus 11.48 % P 26.31 % P₂O₅

Hydrogen 1.49 % H 13.36 % H₂O

Oxygen 38.55 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Zn₄(PO₄)₂(OH)₂•3(H₂O)

Environment:

Secondary mineral in some zinc-bearing hydrothermal deposits.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1916

Locality:

Hudson Bay mine, about eight km southeast of Salmo, near Nelson, Kootenay district, British Columbia, Canada. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for Leonard James Spencer (1870-1959), British mineralogist, formerly Keeper of Minerals, British Museum (Natural History), London, England.

Name Pronunciation:

Spencerite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

ICSD 9349

PDF 35-631

Spencerite Image

Images:

Spencerite

Comments: Pale green pearly translucent spencerite, with divergent structure.
Location: Salmo, Nelson Mining District, British Columbia, Canada. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Spencerite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =1.9774:1:2.1204

Cell Dimensions:

a = 10.441, b = 5.28, c = 11.196, Z = 2; beta = 116.833° V = 550.76 Den(Calc)= 3.25

Crystal System:

Monoclinic - PrismaticH-M Symbol (2/m) Space Group: P 2/c

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 9.4(1), 3.501(0.55), 2.332(0.3),

Crystal Structure:

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Fanfani L , Nunzi A , Zanazzi P F , Mineralogical Magazine , 38 (1972) p.687-692, Structure and twinning in spencerite, Locality: Salmo, British Columbia, Canada

Physical Properties of Spencerite

Cleavage:

{???} Perfect, {???} Imperfect

Color:

White.

Density:

3.12

Habit:

Radial - Crystals radiate from a center without producing stellar forms (e.g. stibnite)

Hardness:

3 - Calcite

Luminescence:

Non-fluorescent.

Luster:

Vitreous - Pearly

Magnetism:

Nonmagnetic

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Spencerite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.015 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.026 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.184,KPDmeas= 0.1917,KC= 0.1889
Ncalc = 1.59 - 1.61

Optical Data:

Biaxial (-), a=1.586, b=1.602, g=1.606, bire=0.0200

Calculated Properties of Spencerite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=3.03 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Spencerite =3.12 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.02
Boson Index = 0.98

Photoelectric:

PE_Spencerite= 24.46 barns/electron
U=PE_Spencerite x rElectron Density= 74.12 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

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

Spencerite Classification

Dana Class:

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

(42.06)where (AB)2 (XO4) Zq · x(H2O)

(42.06.04)Strashimirite Group

42.06.04.01 Legrandite Zn2(AsO4)(OH)•(H2O) P 2₁/c 2/m

42.06.04.02 Spencerite Zn4(PO4)2(OH)2•3(H2O) P 2/c 2/m

Strunz Class:

08.DA.40 08 - PHOSPHATES, ARSENATES, VANADATES

08.D - Phosphates, etc

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

08.DA.40 Spencerite Zn4(PO4)2(OH)2•3(H2O) P 2/c 2/m

Other Spencerite Information

References:

NAME( AntBidBlaNic4) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Spencerite :
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
15 - WWW-MINCRYST

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Ask about Spencerite here :
Ask-A-Mineralogist from the Mineralogical Society of America
Mindat.org's Discussion Groups
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Print or Cut-and-Paste your Spencerite Specimen Label here :

Spencerite

Zn4(PO4)2(OH)2•3(H2O)
Dana No: 42.06.04.02 Strunz No: 08.DA.40
Locality:

Notes: