Phosphofibrite Mineral Data

General Phosphofibrite Information

Chemical Formula:

KCuFe+++15(PO4)12(OH)12•12(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 2,500.28 gm

Potassium 1.56 % K 1.88 % K₂O

Iron 33.50 % Fe 47.90 % Fe₂O₃

Copper 2.54 % Cu 3.18 % CuO

Phosphorus 14.87 % P 34.06 % P₂O₅

Hydrogen 1.45 % H 12.97 % H₂O

Oxygen 46.07 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

KCuFe³⁺₁₅(PO₄)₁₂(OH)₁₂•12(H₂O)

Environment:

In a hydrothermal polymetallic barite-fluorite deposit.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1984

Locality:

Clara mine, near Oberwolfach, Black Forest, Germany. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for phosphorus in the composition and its characteristic fibrous habit.

Name Pronunciation:

Phosphofibrite + Pronunciation

Phosphofibrite Image

Images:

Click Here for Larger Phosphofibrite Image

Phosphofibrite Crandallite

Comments: Olive-green colored fibrous phosphofibrite aggregates with white crandallite.
Location: Silver Coin Mine, Humboldt County, Nevada, USA. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Phosphofibrite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.7675:1:0.5543

Cell Dimensions:

a = 14.4, b = 18.76, c = 10.4, Z = 2; V = 2,809.50 Den(Calc)= 2.96

Crystal System:

Orthorhombic - DipyramidalH-M Symbol (2/m 2/m 2/m) Space Group: Pbmn,Pnmn

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 9.5(1), 3.13(0.6), 4.35(0.5),

Physical Properties of Phosphofibrite

Cleavage:

{???} Good

Color:

Yellow, Yellow green.

Density:

2.9

Hardness:

4 - Fluorite

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Optical Properties of Phosphofibrite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.02 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.261,KPDmeas= 0.2664,KC= 0.2664
Ncalc = 1.77 - 1.79

Optical Data:

Biaxial (-), a=1.755, g=1.79, bire=0.0350

Calculated Properties of Phosphofibrite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.85 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Phosphofibrite =2.90 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0073281558
Boson Index = 0.9926718442

Photoelectric:

PE_{Phosphofibrite}= 11.91 barns/electron
U=PE_{Phosphofibrite} x r_electron= 34.00 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 22.21 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Phosphofibrite per GRapi unit = 4.50 (%)

Estimated Radioactivity from Phosphofibrite - barely detectable

Phosphofibrite Classification

Dana Class:

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

(42.13)Dana Type

(42.13.10)Dana Group

42.13.10.01 Phosphofibrite KCuFe15(PO4)12(OH)12•12(H2O) Pbmn,Pnmn 2/m 2/m 2/m

Strunz Class:

08.DJ.20 08 - PHOSPHATES, ARSENATES, VANADATES

08.D - Phosphates, etc

08.DJ -With large and medium-sized cations, (OH, etc.):RO4 = 1:l

08.DJ.20 Meurigite-K! [K(H2O)2.5][Fe8(PO4)6(OH)7(H2O)4] C 2/c 2/m

08.DJ.20 Phosphofibrite KCuFe15(PO4)12(OH)12•12(H2O) Pbmn,Pnmn 2/m 2/m 2/m

08.DJ.20 Meurigite-Na! [Na(H2O)2.5][Fe8(PO4)6(OH)7(H2O)4] C 2/c 2/m

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

Phosphofibrite

KCuFe+++15(PO4)12(OH)12•12(H2O)
Dana No: 42.13.10.01 Strunz No: 08.DJ.20
Locality:

Notes: