Phosphate Bead Tests

This table of flux fusion reactions with sodium ammonium phosphate is based largely on the book "Determinative Mineralogy and Blowpipe Analysis" by Brush & Penfield, 1906. The reactions are observed by fusing a crushed (and roasted in the case of sulfides) sample of the mineral in a Na₂(NH₄)(PO₄) bead embedded on a loop of platinum wire. The color is observed in the bead after heating the sample with the oxidizing flame and then the reducing flame of the torch (blowpipe).

Oxidizing Flame		Amount of Material	Chemical Element(s)	Reducing Flame
HOT	COLD	Amount of Material	Chemical Element(s)	HOT	COLD
Colorless	Colorless, but when strongly saturated the beads may in some cases appear opaque white	Little or Much	Ca, Sr, Ba, Mg, Be, Zn, Y, La, Th, Zr, Sn, and Si, the later almost insoluble	Colorless	Colorless, but when strongly saturated the beads may in some cases appear opaque white
Very Pale Yellow	Colorless	Much	Ta and Cd	Very Pale Yellow	Colorless
Very Pale Yellow	Colorless	Much	Pb, Sb, and Bi	Gray	Gray
Very Pale Yellow	Colorless	Much	Nb	Brown	Brown
Very Pale Yellow	Colorless	Medium	W	Dirty Blue	Fine Blue
Yellow	Colorless	Medium	Ce	Colorless	Colorless
Yellow	Colorless	Little	Fe	Very pale Yellowish Green	Colorless
Yellow	Pale Greenish Yellow	Medium	U	Pale Dirty Green	Fine Green
Yellowish Green	Colorless	Medium	Mo	Dirty Green	Fine Green
Deep Yellow to Brownish Red	Yellow to almost Colorless	Medium to Much	Fe	Red, Yellow, to Yellowish Green	Almost colorless to very Pale Violet
Yellow to Deep Yellow	Yellow	Little to Medium	V	Dirty Green	Fine Green
Reddish to Brownish Red	Yellow to Reddish Yellow	Little to Medium	Ni	Reddish to Brownish Red	Yellow to Reddish Yellow
Green	Rather Pale Blue	Little	Cu	Pale Yellowish Green	Pale Blue, nearly Colorless; at times ruby Red
Dark Green	Blue	Medium	Cu	Brownish Green	Opaque Red
Dirty Green	Fine Green	Little to Medium	Cr	Dirty Green	Fine Green
Blue	Blue	Little to Medium	Co	Blue	Blue
Grayish Violet	Violet	Medium	Mn	Colorless	Colorless
Pale Rose	Pale Rose	Much	Nd	Pale Rose	Pale Rose

Chemical Formula

Phosphate Bead Tests

Table of Reactions Obtained with Na₂(NH₄)(PO₄)

Chemical Formula

Phosphate Bead Tests

Table of Reactions Obtained with Na2(NH4)(PO4)

Table of Reactions Obtained with Na₂(NH₄)(PO₄)