Vantasselite Mineral Data

Vantasselite Mineral Data +

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General Vantasselite Information

Chemical Formula:

Al4(PO4)3(OH)3·9(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 606.00 gm

Aluminum 17.81 % Al 33.65 % Al₂O₃

Phosphorus 15.33 % P 35.13 % P₂O₅

Hydrogen 3.49 % H 31.21 % H₂O

Oxygen 63.36 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Al₄(PO₄)₃(OH)₃·9(H₂O)

Environment:

On the dumps of a quartzite quarry.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1987

Locality:

Stavelot massif, Bihain, Belgium. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for Rene Van Tassel (1916-), mineralogist of phosphate and sulfate minerals.

Vantasselite Image

Images:

Vantasselite

Comments: Rosette of pearly platy vantasselite crystals.
Location: Bihain, Luxembourg, Belgium. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Vantasselite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.6364:1:1.2316

Cell Dimensions:

a = 10.528, b = 16.541, c = 20.373, Z = 8; V = 3,547.83 Den(Calc)= 2.27

Crystal System:

OrthorhombicSpace Group: Pma2,P 2₁am,Pmam

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 10.22(1), 2.892(0.5), 3.395(0.4),

Physical Properties of Vantasselite

Cleavage:

[001] Good

Color:

Pearl white.

Density:

2.3

Diaphaniety:

Transparent to Translucent

Habit:

Rosette - Bundled tabular aggregates resembling rose flower petals.

Hardness:

2-2.5 - Gypsum-Finger Nail

Luster:

Greasy (Oily)

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Vantasselite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.005 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.009 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2422,KPDmeas= 0.239,KC= 0.2401

Optical Data:

Biaxial (-), a=1.511-1.5111, b=1.56, g=1.578, bire=0.0669-0.0670, 2V(Calc)=60, 2V(Meas)=61.

Calculated Properties of Vantasselite

Electron Density:

r_electron=2.35 gm/cc
note: r_Vantasselite=2.30 gm/cc.

Fermion Index

Fermion Index = 0.0003
Boson Index = 0.9997

Photoelectric:

PE_Vantasselite= 1.33 barns/electron
U=PE_Vantasselite x r_electron= 3.12 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)

Vantasselite is Not Radioactive

Vantasselite Classification

Dana Class:

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

(42.12)with miscellaneous formulae

(42.12.1)Dana Group

42.12.1.1 Vantasselite Al4(PO4)3(OH)3·9(H2O) Pma2,P 2₁am,Pmam Ortho

Strunz Class:

VII/D.12-20 VII - Phosphates, Arsenates and Vanadates

VII/D - Water-bearing phosphates with unfamiliar anions, cations of medium size: Cu, Zn, Mn, Al, Fe

VII/D.12 - Sasaite - Kribergite ? series

VII/D.12-03 Mitryaevaite! Al5[(PO4)2[(P,S)O3(OH,O)]2F2(OH)2(H2O)8·6.48(H2O) P1 1

VII/D.12-05 Sasaite (Al,Fe)14(PO4)11(SO4)(OH)7·84(H2O) P 222 or Pmm2 or P mmm Ortho

VII/D.12-10 Vashegyite Al11(PO4)9(OH)6·38(H2O)orAl6(PO4)5(OH)3·23(H2O) Pna2 or P na2₁ mm2

VII/D.12-20 Vantasselite Al4(PO4)3(OH)3·9(H2O) Pma2,P 2₁am,Pmam Ortho

VII/D.12-30 Sanjuanite Al2(PO4)(SO4)(OH)·9(H2O) P1 or P1 Tri

VII/D.12-40 Kribergite Al5(PO4)3(SO4)(OH)4·4(H2O) P1 or P1 Tri

Other Vantasselite Information

References:

NAME( Dana8) PHYS. PROP.(Bull.Miner.,Vol.107-111,1984-1988) OPTIC PROP.(Bull.Miner.,Vol.107-111,1984-1988)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Vantasselite :
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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Vantasselite

Al4(PO4)3(OH)3·9(H2O)
Dana No: 42.12.1.1 Strunz No: VII/D.12-20
Locality:

Notes: