Berlinite
(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]
H-M symbol: (32)
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, attakolite, kyanite, pyrophyllite, scorzalite, lazulite, gatumbaite, burangaite, amblygonite, phosphosiderite, purpurite, apatite, muscovite, quartz, hematite in granite pegmatites. It also occurs with alunite, aragonite, collophane, crandallite, francoanellite, gypsum, huntite, hydromagnesite, leucophosphite, nesquehonite, niter, and nitrocalcite in the Paddy's River copper mine in the Brindabella Mountains 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.
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