Leucophosphite Mineral Data

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General Leucophosphite Information

Chemical Formula:

KFe+++2(PO4)2(OH)•2(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 393.77 gm

Potassium 9.93 % K 11.96 % K₂O

Iron 28.37 % Fe 40.55 % Fe₂O₃

Phosphorus 15.73 % P 36.05 % P₂O₅

Hydrogen 1.28 % H 11.44 % H₂O

Oxygen 44.69 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

KFe³⁺₂(PO₄)₂(OH)•2(H₂O)

Environment:

Formed by reaction between bat or bird guano and earlier iron-bearing minerals; by hydrothermal alteration of iron-rich phosphates in complex granite pegmatites.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1932

Locality:

Sapucaia mine, Brazil. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named from the Greek for white and the phosphate in its composition.

Name Pronunciation:

Leucophosphite

Synonym:

ICSD 22048

PDF 37-466

Leucophosphite Image

Images:

Click Here for Larger Leucophosphite Image

Leucophosphite Messelite

Comments: White messelite crystals with greenish leucophosphite.
Location: Tip Top mine, Custer, Custer County, South Dakota, USA. Scale: Not Given.
© Lou Perloff / Photo Atlas of Minerals

Images:

Leucophosphite

Comments: Transparent greenish brown microcrystal of leucophosphite.
Location: Lone Tree Mine, Humboldt County, Nevada, USA. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Images:

Leucophosphite

Comments: Crude or etched purple crystals of leucophospiite to 1mm in vuggy triphylite matrix.
Location: Tip Top mine, Custer Co., South Dakota, USA. Scale: Picture size 1 cm.
© Tom Loomis / Dakota Matrix

Leucophosphite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =1.0128:1:1.0096

Cell Dimensions:

a = 9.782, b = 9.658, c = 9.751, Z = 4; beta = 102.24° V = 900.28 Den(Calc)= 2.91

Crystal System:

Monoclinic - PrismaticH-M Symbol (2/m) Space Group: P 2₁/n

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 6.79(1), 3.061(0.7), 5.99(0.7),

Crystal Structure:

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Moore P B , American Mineralogist , 57 (1972) p.397-410, Octahedral tetramer in the crystal structure of leucophosphite,, K2[Fe4(OH)2(H2O)2(PO4)4].2H2O

Physical Properties of Leucophosphite

Cleavage:

{???} Indistinct

Color:

Brown, Brownish yellow, Colorless, Greenish, White.

Density:

2.948

Diaphaneity:

Transparent to Translucent

Fracture:

Brittle - Generally displayed by glasses and most non-metallic minerals.

Hardness:

3.5 - Copper Penny

Luster:

Vitreous - Dull

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Leucophosphite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.043 (Good) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.031 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2482,KPDmeas= 0.245,KC= 0.256
Ncalc = 1.75

Optical Data:

Biaxial (+), a=1.707, b=1.721, g=1.739, bire=0.0320

Calculated Properties of Leucophosphite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.87 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Leucophosphite =2.91 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0062417633
Boson Index = 0.9937582367

Photoelectric:

PE_{Leucophosphite}= 10.17 barns/electron
U=PE_{Leucophosphite} x r_electron= 29.15 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 141.19 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Leucophosphite per GRapi unit = 0.71 (%)

Estimated Radioactivity from Leucophosphite - barely detectable

Leucophosphite Classification

Dana Class:

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

(42.11)where (AB)4 (XO4)3 Zq · x(H2O)

(42.11.06)Leucophosphite Group

42.11.06.01 Leucophosphite KFe2(PO4)2(OH)•2(H2O) P 2₁/n 2/m

42.11.06.02 Tinsleyite KAl2(PO4)2(OH)•2(H2O) P 2₁/n 2/m

42.11.06.03 Spheniscidite (NH4,K)(Fe,Al)2(PO4)2(OH)•2(H2O) P 2₁/n 2/m

Strunz Class:

08.DH.10 08 - PHOSPHATES, ARSENATES, VANADATES

08.D - Phosphates, etc

08.DH -With large and medium-sized cations, (OH, etc.):RO4 < 1:1

08.DH.10 Leucophosphite KFe2(PO4)2(OH)•2(H2O) P 2₁/n 2/m

08.DH.10 Spheniscidite (NH4,K)(Fe,Al)2(PO4)2(OH)•2(H2O) P 2₁/n 2/m

08.DH.10 Tinsleyite KAl2(PO4)2(OH)•2(H2O) P 2₁/n 2/m

Other Leucophosphite 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 Leucophosphite :
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 Leucophosphite here :
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Print or Cut-and-Paste your Leucophosphite Specimen Label here :

Leucophosphite

KFe+++2(PO4)2(OH)•2(H2O)
Dana No: 42.11.06.01 Strunz No: 08.DH.10
Locality:

Notes: