Whitlockite Mineral Data

Whitlockite Mineral Data +

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General Whitlockite Information

Chemical Formula:

Ca9(Mg,Fe++)(PO4)6(PO3OH)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 1,071.45 gm

Calcium 33.66 % Ca 47.10 % CaO

Magnesium 1.59 % Mg 2.63 % MgO

Iron 2.61 % Fe 3.35 % FeO

Phosphorus 20.24 % P 46.37 % P₂O₅

Hydrogen 0.09 % H 0.84 % H₂O

Oxygen 41.81 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.30 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Ca₉Mg_0.7Fe²⁺_0.5(PO₄)₆(PO₃OH)

Environment:

Secondary mineral in complex zoned granite pegmatites.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1941

Locality:

Palermo #1 mine, near North Groton, Grafton County, New Hampshire, USA. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for Herbert Percy Whitlock (1868-1948), American mineralogist, Curator, American Museum of Natural History, New York City, NY, USA.

Whitlockite Image

Images:

Whitlockite

Comments: Clear, transparent whitlockite crystal.
Location: Palermo #1 mine, North Groton, Grafton County, New Hampshire, USA. Scale: Not Given.
© Lou Perloff / Photo Atlas of Minerals

Whitlockite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:c = 1:3.59177

Cell Dimensions:

a = 10.33, c = 37.103, Z = 6; V = 3,428.79 Den(Calc)= 3.11

Crystal System:

Trigonal - Ditrigonal PyramidalH-M Symbol (3m) Space Group: R 3c

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 2.837(1), 1.701(0.8), 2.572(0.8),

Forms:

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Forms: [ 1 0 4] [ 1 0 2] [ 1 1 0] [ 0 0 1]

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Crystal Structure:

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Calvo C , Gopal R , American Mineralogist , 60 (1975) p.120-133, The crystal structure of whitlockite from the Palermo quarry

Physical Properties of Whitlockite

Cleavage:

None

Color:

Colorless, Gray, Gray white, Yellowish, White.

Density:

3.13

Diaphaniety:

Transparent to Translucent

Fracture:

Brittle - Uneven - Very brittle fracture producing uneven fragments.

Habit:

Pistolitic - > 3mm rounded spherical grains.

Habit:

Rhombohedral Crystals - Occurs as well-formed crystals showing rhobohedral crystals.

Habit:

Tabular - Form dimensions are thin in one direction.

Hardness:

5 - Apatite

Luster:

Vitreous - Resinous

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Whitlockite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.012 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.018 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2018,KPDmeas= 0.2005,KC= 0.1982

Optical Data:

Uniaxial (-), e=1.626, w=1.629, bire=0.0030.

Calculated Properties of Whitlockite

Electron Density:

r_electron=3.10 gm/cc
note: r_Whitlockite=3.13 gm/cc.

Fermion Index

Fermion Index = 0.00279
Boson Index = 0.99721

Photoelectric:

PE_Whitlockite= 5.91 barns/electron
U=PE_Whitlockite x r_electron= 18.35 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)

Whitlockite is Not Radioactive

Whitlockite Classification

Dana Class:

38.3.4.1 (38)Anhydrous Phosphates, etc

(38.3)(A+ B++)3 (XO4)2

(38.3.4)Dana Group

38.3.4.1 Whitlockite Ca9(Mg,Fe)(PO4)6(PO3OH) R 3c 3m

38.3.4.2 Strontiowhitlockite Sr7(Mg,Ca)3(PO4)6[PO3(OH)] R 3c 3m

38.3.4.3 Merrillite-(Ca)* (Ca,[])19Mg2(PO4)14 R 3c 3m

38.3.4.4 Merrillite-(Na)* Ca18Na2Mg2(PO4)14 R 3c 3m

38.3.4.5 Merrillite-(Y)* Ca16Y2Mg2(PO4)14 R 3c 3m

Strunz Class:

VII/A.05-50 VII - Phosphates, Arsenates and Vanadates

VII/A - Waterfree phosphates [PO4]3- without unfamiliar anions. cations of medium size: Mostly Fe, Mn

VII/A.05 - Farringtonite - Strontiowhitlockite series

VII/A.05-10 Farringtonite Mg3(PO4)2 P 2₁/a 2/m

VII/A.05-20 Stanfieldite Ca4(Mg,Fe,Mn)5(PO4)6 P 2/c 2/m

VII/A.05-30 Panethite (Na,Ca,K)2(Mg,Fe,Mn)2(PO4)2 P 2₁/n 2/m

VII/A.05-40 Brianite Na2CaMg(PO4)2 P 2₁/a 2/m

VII/A.05-46 Tuite! Ca3(PO4)2 R 3m 3m

VII/A.05-50 Whitlockite Ca9(Mg,Fe)(PO4)6(PO3OH) R 3c 3m

VII/A.05-60 Strontiowhitlockite Sr7(Mg,Ca)3(PO4)6[PO3(OH)] R 3c 3m

Other Whitlockite Information

References:

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

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

Whitlockite

Ca9(Mg,Fe++)(PO4)6(PO3OH)
Dana No: 38.3.4.1 Strunz No: VII/A.05-50
Locality:

Notes: