Wavellite Mineral Data

Wavellite Mineral Data +

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General Wavellite Information

Chemical Formula:

Al3(PO4)2(OH,F)3·5(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 421.48 gm

Aluminum 19.20 % Al 36.29 % Al₂O₃

Phosphorus 14.70 % P 33.68 % P₂O₅

Hydrogen 3.11 % H 27.78 % H₂O

Oxygen 60.74 % O

Fluorine 2.25 % F 2.25 % F

- % F -0.95 % -O=F₂

______ ______

100.00 % 99.05 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Al₃(PO₄)₂(OH)₃F_0.5·5(H₂O)

Environment:

Secondary mineral common in aluminous low-grade metamorphic rocks and phosphate rocks.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1805

Locality:

High Down quarry, Barnstaple, Devonshire, England. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named after William Wavell (?-1829) of England who discovered the mineral.

Synonym:

ICSD 26816

PDF 41-1360

Wavellite Image

Images:

Wavellite

Comments: Greenish yellow spray of wavellite crystals.
Location: Slate Mountains, El Dorado County, California, USA. Scale: Not Given.
© Lou Perloff / Photo Atlas of Minerals

Images:

Wavellite

Comments: Green prismatic crystals of wavellite in complete radial stellar aggregate.
Location: Flinders Range, South Australia, Australia. Scale: Sphere size 8 mm.
© Tom Loomis / Dakota Matrix

Wavellite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.8795:1:0.4029

Cell Dimensions:

a = 15.25, b = 17.338, c = 6.986, Z = 6; V = 1,847.13 Den(Calc)= 2.27

Crystal System:

Orthorhombic - DipyramidalH-M Symbol (2/m 2/m 2/m) Space Group: Pcmn

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 8.42(1), 8.67(1), 3.22(0.6),

Forms:

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Forms: [ 0 1 0] [ 1 1 0] [ 1 0 1] [ 1 0 0]

Warning: this large pop-up is very compute intensive and may not work well with some computers.

Crystal Structure:

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Araki T , Zoltai T , Zeitschrift fur Kristallographie , 127 (1968) p.21-33, The crystal structure of wavellite, Locality: Montgomery County, Arkansas, USA

Physical Properties of Wavellite

Cleavage:

[110] Perfect, [101] Good

Color:

Blue, Brown, Brownish black, Colorless, Green.

Density:

2.3 - 2.4, Average = 2.34

Diaphaniety:

Translucent

Fracture:

Fibrous - Thin, elongated fractures produced by crystal forms or intersecting cleavages (e.g. asbestos).

Habit:

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

Habit:

Stalactitic - Shaped like pendant columns as stalactites or stalagmites (e.g. calcite).

Habit:

Stellate - Occurs as spherical, radial aggregates radiating from a "star" like point.

Hardness:

3.5-4 - Copper Penny-Fluorite

Luminescence:

None.

Luster:

Vitreous - Pearly

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Wavellite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.014 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.021 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2372,KPDmeas= 0.2291,KC= 0.2323

Optical Data:

Biaxial (+), a=1.52-1.535, b=1.526-1.543, g=1.545-1.561, bire=0.0250-0.0260, 2V(Calc)=60-70, 2V(Meas)=72. Dispersion none.

Pleochroism (x):

bluish green or green.

Pleochroism (y):

pale yellow or colorless.

Calculated Properties of Wavellite

Electron Density:

r_electron=2.39 gm/cc
note: r_Wavellite=2.35 gm/cc.

Fermion Index

Fermion Index = 0.00029
Boson Index = 0.99971

Photoelectric:

PE_Wavellite= 1.34 barns/electron
U=PE_Wavellite x r_electron= 3.22 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)

Wavellite is Not Radioactive

Wavellite Classification

Dana Class:

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

(42.10)where (AB)3 (XO4)2 Zq · x(H2O)

(42.10.2)Dana Group

42.10.2.1 Wavellite Al3(PO4)2(OH,F)3·5(H2O) Pcmn 2/m 2/m 2/m

42.10.2.2 IMA2004-050! Fe3(PO4)2(OH)3·5H2O P 2₁/n 2/m

Strunz Class:

VII/D.13-10 VII - Phosphates, Arsenates and Vanadates

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

VII/D.13 - Wavellite - KINGITE series

VII/D.13-10 Wavellite Al3(PO4)2(OH,F)3·5(H2O) Pcmn 2/m 2/m 2/m

VII/D.13-20 Kingite Al3(PO4)2(F,OH)2·8(H2O,OH) P1 1

Other Wavellite Information

References:

NAME( Sinkankas66) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Sinkankas66)

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Translate Wavellite Mineral Data :

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Print or Cut-and-Paste your Wavellite Specimen Label here :

Wavellite

Al3(PO4)2(OH,F)3·5(H2O)
Dana No: 42.10.2.1 Strunz No: VII/D.13-10
Locality:

Notes: