Berlinite
Berlinite | |
---|---|
![]() Synthetic berlinite | |
General | |
Category | Phosphate mineral |
Formula (repeating unit) | AlPO4 |
IMA symbol | Ber[1] |
Strunz classification | 8.AA.05 |
Crystal system | Trigonal |
Crystal class | Trapezohedral (32) H-M symbol: (32) |
Space group | P3121, P3221 |
Unit cell | a = 4.941 Å, c = 10.94 Å; Z = 3 |
Identification | |
Color | Colorless, pale gray, may be pale rose |
Crystal habit | Typically granular to massive |
Twinning | Subparallel lamellae |
Fracture | Conchoidal |
Mohs scale hardness | 6.5 |
Luster | Vitreous |
Diaphaneity | Transparent to translucent |
Specific gravity | 2.64–2.66 |
Optical properties | Uniaxial (+) |
Refractive index | nω = 1.524 nε = 1.532 |
Birefringence | δ = 0.008 |
References | [2][3][4] |
Berlinite (aluminium phosphate, chemical formula AlPO4 or Al(PO4))) is a rare high-temperature hydrothermal or metasomatic phosphate mineral.[5] It has the same crystal structure as quartz with a low temperature polytype isostructural with α–quartz and a high temperature polytype isostructural with β–quartz.[3] Berlinite can vary from colorless to greyish or pale pink and has translucent crystals.[3]
It was first described in 1868 for an occurrence in the Västanå iron mine, Scania, Sweden and named for Nils Johan Berlin (1812–1891) of Lund University.[2][3]
It occurs as a rare mineral in high-temperature hydrothermal or metasomatic deposits.[2] Associated minerals include augelite, , kyanite, pyrophyllite, scorzalite, lazulite, , , amblygonite, phosphosiderite, purpurite, apatite, muscovite, quartz, hematite in granite pegmatites. It also occurs with alunite, aragonite, collophane, crandallite, , gypsum, huntite, hydromagnesite, leucophosphite, nesquehonite, niter, and nitrocalcite in the Paddy's River copper mine in the of Australia.[2][3]
References[]
- ^ Warr, L.N. (2021). "IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols". Mineralogical Magazine. 85 (3): 291–320. Bibcode:2021MinM...85..291W. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43. S2CID 235729616.
- ^ a b c d Handbook of Mineralogy
- ^ a b c d e Mindat.org
- ^ Webmineral data
- ^ Barthelmy, Dave. "Berlinite Mineral Data". webmineral.com. Retrieved 2018-05-18.
Further reading[]
- Muraoka, Y.; Kihara, K. (1997). "The temperature dependence of the crystal structure of berlinite, a quartz-type form of AlPO4". Physics and Chemistry of Minerals. 24 (4): 243. Bibcode:1997PCM....24..243M. doi:10.1007/s002690050036. S2CID 94282170.
- Phosphate minerals
- Trigonal minerals
- Minerals in space group 152 or 154
- Phosphate mineral stubs