Struvite Mineral Data

Struvite Mineral Data +

[Mineral Specimens] [Mineral Locations] [About Us] [Search] [Register]
Greenside Minerals
Newest website on the Internet for top quality, affordable minerals from around the World
We specialize in minerals from the UK and Ireland

General Struvite Information

Chemical Formula:

(NH4)MgPO4·6(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 245.41 gm

Magnesium 9.90 % Mg 16.42 % MgO

Phosphorus 12.62 % P 28.92 % P₂O₅

Hydrogen 1.64 % H - % Calc as (NH₄)₂O

Hydrogen 4.93 % H 44.05 % H₂O

Nitrogen 5.71 % N 10.61 % (NH₄)₂O

Oxygen 65.20 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

(NH₄)Mg(PO₄)·6(H₂O)

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1845

Locality:

Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named after the Russian diplomat, H. G. von Struve (1772-1851).

Synonym:

ICSD 14269

PDF 47-1744

Struvite Image

Images:

Struvite

Comments: Opaque, white crystal struvite aggregates in earthy matrix.
Location: Skipton Caves, Victoria, Australia. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Struvite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.6196:1:0.5474

Cell Dimensions:

a = 6.945, b = 11.208, c = 6.1355, Z = 2; V = 477.58 Den(Calc)= 1.71

Crystal System:

Orthorhombic - PyramidalH-M Symbol (mm2) Space Group: P mn2₁

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 4.257(1), 5.601(0.6), 2.919(0.55),

Forms:

Mouse
Dbl Clk - Start-Stop Rotation
RMB - Cycle Display Modes
Drag1 - Manipulate Crystal
Drag2 - Resize
Keyboard
S - Stereo
I - Indicies
<space> - Start-Stop Rotation
F - Fit to Screen
M - Menu
Help on Above

Forms: [ 0 1 1] [ 1 0 2] [ 1 0 0] [ 0 0 1]

Warning: this large pop-up is very compute intensive and may not work well with some computers.

Crystal Structure:

Mouse
drag1 - LMB Manipulate Structure
drag2 - RMB Resize/Rotate
Keyboard
S - Stereo Pair on/off
H - Help Screen
I - Data Info
A - Atoms On/Off
P - Polyhedra On/Off
B - Bonds On/Off
Help on Above

Ferraris G , Fuess H , Joswig W , Acta Crystallographica, Section B , 42 (1986) p.253-258, Neutron diffraction study of MgNH4PO4*6H2O (struvite), and survey of water molecules donating short hydrogen bonds

Physical Properties of Struvite

Cleavage:

[100] Perfect

Color:

White, Yellowish white, Brownish white.

Density:

1.7

Diaphaniety:

Transparent to Translucent

Fracture:

Uneven - Flat surfaces (not cleavage) fractured in an uneven pattern.

Habit:

Euhedral Crystals - Occurs as well-formed crystals showing good external form.

Habit:

Platy - Sheet forms (e.g. micas).

Hardness:

1.5-2 - Talc-Gypsum

Luster:

Vitreous - Dull

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Struvite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.245 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.237 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2914,KPDmeas= 0.2931,KC= 0.2355

Optical Data:

Biaxial (+), a=1.495, b=1.496, g=1.504, bire=0.0090, 2V(Calc)=40, 2V(Meas)=37.367.

Calculated Properties of Struvite

Electron Density:

r_electron=1.81 gm/cc
note: r_Struvite=1.71 gm/cc.

Fermion Index

Fermion Index = 0.06709
Boson Index = 0.93291

Photoelectric:

PE_Struvite= 0.96 barns/electron
U=PE_Struvite x r_electron= 1.74 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)

Struvite is Not Radioactive

Struvite Classification

Dana Class:

40.1.1.1 (40)Hydrated Phosphates, etc

(40.1)where A++ B++ (XO4) · x(H2O)

(40.1.1)Dana Group

40.1.1.1 Struvite (NH4)MgPO4·6(H2O) P mn2₁ mm2

40.1.1.2 Struvite-K! KMg(PO4)·6(H2O) P mn2₁ mm2

Strunz Class:

VII/C.23-10 VII - Phosphates, Arsenates and Vanadates

VII/C - Water-bearing phosphates without unfamiliar anions, cations of medium and big size: Fe, Mn, Zn, Mg and Ca, (NH4)1+

VII/C.23 - Struvite - Mundrabillaite series

VII/C.23-10 Struvite (NH4)MgPO4·6(H2O) P mn2₁ mm2

VII/C.23-20 Dittmarite (NH4)Mg(PO4)·(H2O) P mn2₁ mm2

VII/C.23-30 Niahite (NH4)(Mn,Mg,Ca)PO4·(H2O) P mn2₁ mm2

VII/C.23-40 Hannayite (NH4)2Mg3H4(PO4)4·8(H2O) P1 1

VII/C.23-50 Schertelite (NH4)2MgH2(PO4)2·4(H2O) P bca 2/m 2/m 2/m

VII/C.23-60 Stercorite H(NH4)Na(PO4)·4(H2O) P1 1

VII/C.23-65 Swaknoite (NH4)2Ca(HPO4)2·(H2O) Unk Ortho

VII/C.23-70 Mundrabillaite (NH4)2Ca(HPO4)2·(H2O) Pm,P 2,P 2/m Mono

Other Struvite Information

References:

PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Ford32)

Search for Struvite using:

[ALTAVISTA] [AOL] [About.com] [All-The-Web] [HotBot] [Ixquick] [LookSmart] [MAMMA] [MSN.COM] [Netscape] [Teoma] [Wikipedia] [YAHOO]

Visit our Advertisers for Struvite :
AA Mineral Specimens
B and L Minerals
Dan Weinrich Fine Minerals
Dan Weinrich Auctions
e-Rocks Auctions
Excalibur Minerals
Exceptional Minerals
Fabre Minerals
Greenside Minerals
John Betts Fine Minerals
Masons Minerals
Minernet.it
Mineral News
Mineral of the Month Club
MineralsWeb Fine Minerals
Rockshop.cz Kalat Fine Minerals
T G Fine Minerals
Wrights Rock Shop

Translate Struvite Mineral Data :

Ask about Struvite here :
Ask-A-Mineralogist from the Mineralogical Society of America
Mindat.org's Discussion Groups
Original Rockhounds Discussion Group
Rockhounds Discussion Group on Yahoo Groups
Mineral Discussion Forum from Fabre Minerals - also available in Español

Print or Cut-and-Paste your Struvite Specimen Label here :

Struvite

(NH4)MgPO4·6(H2O)
Dana No: 40.1.1.1 Strunz No: VII/C.23-10
Locality:

Notes: