Messelite Mineral Data

Messelite Mineral Data +

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General Messelite Information

Chemical Formula:

Ca2(Fe++,Mn)(PO4)2·2(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 361.75 gm

Calcium 22.16 % Ca 31.00 % CaO

Manganese 3.80 % Mn 4.90 % MnO

Iron 11.58 % Fe 14.90 % FeO

Phosphorus 17.12 % P 39.24 % P₂O₅

Hydrogen 1.11 % H 9.96 % H₂O

Oxygen 44.23 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Ca₂Fe²⁺_0.75Mn²⁺_0.25(PO₄)₂·2(H₂O)

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1889

Locality:

Messel, Germany. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named after its locality.

Messelite Image

Images:

Messelite Leucophosphite

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

Messelite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.8787:1:0.8333

Cell Dimensions:

a = 5.8, b = 6.6, c = 5.5, Z = 1; alpha = 102°, beta = 109°, gamma = 90° V = 194.72 Den(Calc)= 3.08

Crystal System:

Triclinic - PinacoidalH-M Symbol ( 1) Space Group: P1

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 3.17(1), 6.34(1), 3.02(0.8),

Physical Properties of Messelite

Cleavage:

[001] Good, [010] Distinct

Color:

Colorless, Greenish white, Gray, Gray white, White.

Density:

3 - 3.16, Average = 3.08

Diaphaniety:

Transparent

Fracture:

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

Habit:

Radial - Crystals radiate from a center without producing stellar forms (e.g. stibnite)

Habit:

Scaly - Morphology like fish scales.

Habit:

Tabular - Form dimensions are thin in one direction.

Hardness:

3.5 - Copper Penny

Luster:

Vitreous - Pearly

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Messelite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.026 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.026 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.214,KPDmeas= 0.214,KC= 0.2084

Optical Data:

Biaxial (+), a=1.644, b=1.653, g=1.68, bire=0.0360, 2V(Calc)=62, 2V(Meas)=20-35.

Calculated Properties of Messelite

Electron Density:

r_electron=3.06 gm/cc
note: r_Messelite=3.08 gm/cc.

Fermion Index

Fermion Index = 0.00296
Boson Index = 0.99704

Photoelectric:

PE_Messelite= 7.90 barns/electron
U=PE_Messelite x r_electron= 24.19 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)

Messelite is Not Radioactive

Messelite Classification

Dana Class:

40.2.2.2 (40)Hydrated Phosphates, etc

(40.2)where A++ (B++)2 (XO4) · x(H2O)

(40.2.2)Fairfieldite Subgroup (Triclinic: P1¯)

40.2.2.1 Fairfieldite Ca2(Mn,Fe)(PO4)2·2(H2O) P1 1

40.2.2.2 Messelite Ca2(Fe,Mn)(PO4)2·2(H2O) P1 1

40.2.2.3 Collinsite Ca2(Mg,Fe)(PO4)2·2(H2O) P1 1

40.2.2.4 Cassidyite Ca2(Ni,Mg)(PO4)2·2(H2O) P1 1

40.2.2.5 Talmessite Ca2Mg(AsO4)2·2(H2O) P1 1

40.2.2.6 Gaitite Ca2Zn(AsO4)2·2(H2O) P1 1

40.2.2.7 Roselite-beta Ca2(Co,Mg)(AsO4)2·2(H2O) P 1 or P1 Tri

40.2.2.8 Parabrandtite Ca2Mn(AsO4)·2(H2O) P1,P 1 Tri

40.2.2.9 Hillite! Ca2(Zn,Mg)[PO4]2·2(H2O) P1 1

Strunz Class:

VII/C.17-20 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.17 - Collinsite - Wendwilsonite series

VII/C.17-10 Collinsite Ca2(Mg,Fe)(PO4)2·2(H2O) P1 1

VII/C.17-15 Hillite! Ca2(Zn,Mg)[PO4]2·2(H2O) P1 1

VII/C.17-20 Messelite Ca2(Fe,Mn)(PO4)2·2(H2O) P1 1

VII/C.17-30 Fairfieldite Ca2(Mn,Fe)(PO4)2·2(H2O) P1 1

VII/C.17-40 Cassidyite Ca2(Ni,Mg)(PO4)2·2(H2O) P1 1

VII/C.17-50 Talmessite Ca2Mg(AsO4)2·2(H2O) P1 1

VII/C.17-60 Gaitite Ca2Zn(AsO4)2·2(H2O) P1 1

VII/C.17-70 Parabrandtite Ca2Mn(AsO4)·2(H2O) P1,P 1 Tri

VII/C.17-80 Roselite-beta Ca2(Co,Mg)(AsO4)2·2(H2O) P 1 or P1 Tri

VII/C.17-90 Wendwilsonite Ca2(Mg,Co)(AsO4)2·2(H2O) P 2₁/c 2/m

VII/C.17-100 Roselite Ca2(Co,Mg)(AsO4)2·2(H2O) P 2₁/c 2/m

VII/C.17-110 Brandtite Ca2(Mn,Mg)(AsO4)2·2(H2O) P 2₁/c 2/m

VII/C.17-120 Zincroselite Ca2Zn(AsO4)2·2(H2O) P 2₁/c 2/m

Other Messelite Information

References:

NAME( Duda&Rejl90) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Ford32)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Messelite :
1 -Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database 2 -Athena 3 - EUROmin Project 4 -Google Images 5 -Google Scholar 6 -Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA) 7 -MinDAT 8 -MinMax(Deutsch) 9 -MinMax(English) 10 -Mineralienatlas (Deutsch) 11 -QUT Mineral Atlas 12 -École des Mines de Paris

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Messelite

Ca2(Fe++,Mn)(PO4)2·2(H2O)
Dana No: 40.2.2.2 Strunz No: VII/C.17-20
Locality:

Notes: