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Dittmarite Mineral Data

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General Dittmarite Information

Help on Chemical  Formula: Chemical Formula: (NH4)Mg(PO4)•(H2O)
Help on Composition: Composition: Molecular Weight = 155.33 gm
   Magnesium   15.65 %  Mg   25.95 % MgO
   Phosphorus  19.94 %  P    45.69 % P2O5
   Hydrogen     2.60 %  H      -   % Calc as (NH4)2O
   Hydrogen     1.30 %  H    11.60 % H2O
   Nitrogen     9.02 %  N    16.76 % (NH4)2O
   Oxygen      51.50 %  O
              ______        ______ 
              100.00 %      100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE
Help on Empirical Formula: Empirical Formula: (NH4)Mg(PO4)•(H2O)
Help on Environment: Environment: Found in dryer parts of bat guano in caves.
Help on IMA Status: IMA Status: Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1887
Help on Locality: Locality: Skipton lava tube caves, 40 km southwest of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.
Help on Name Origin: Name Origin: Named for William Dittmar (1833-1892), Professor of Chemistry, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland.
Help on Name Pronunciation: Name Pronunciation: Dittmarite + Pronunciation Say DITTMARITE
 

Dittmarite Image

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  Dittmarite   Newberyite

Comments: Translucent crystalline dittmaritewith more opaque newberyite.
Location: Skipton Caves, Victoria, Australia. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Dittmarite Crystallography

Help on Axial Ratios: Axial Ratios: a:b:c =0.6401:1:0.5467
Help on Cell Dimensions: Cell Dimensions: a = 5.606, b = 8.758, c = 4.788, Z = 2; V = 235.08 Den(Calc)= 2.19
Help on Crystal System: Crystal System: Orthorhombic - Pyramidal H-M Symbol (mm2) Space Group: P mn21
Help on X Ray Diffraction: X Ray Diffraction: By Intensity(I/Io): 8.77(1), 2.8(0.5), 2.92(0.4),
 

Physical Properties of Dittmarite

Help on Cleavage: Cleavage: {???} Perfect
Help on Color: Color: Colorless.
Help on Density: Density: 2.19
Help on Diaphaneity: Diaphaneity: Transparent
Help on Hardness: Hardness: 5 - Apatite
Help on Luster: Luster: Vitreous (Glassy)
Help on Streak: Streak: white
 

Optical Properties of Dittmarite

Help on Gladstone-Dale: Gladstone-Dale: CI meas= -0.469 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.469 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2571,KPDmeas= 0.2571,KC= 0.1749
Ncalc = 1.38
Help on Optical Data: Optical Data: Biaxial (-), a=1.549, b=1.569, g=1.571, bire=0.0220, 2V(Calc)=34, 2V(Meas)=40.
 

Calculated Properties of Dittmarite

Help on Electron Density: Electron Density: Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.26 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Dittmarite =2.19 gm/cc.
Help on Fermion Index: Fermion Index: Fermion Index = 0.1
Boson Index = 0.9
Help on Photoelectric: Photoelectric: PEDittmarite = 1.34 barns/electron
U=PEDittmarite x rElectron Density= 3.02 barns/cc.
Help on Radioactivity: Radioactivity: GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Dittmarite is Not Radioactive
 

Dittmarite Classification

Help on  Dana Class: Dana Class: 40.01.02.01 (40)Hydrated Phosphates, etc
  (40.01)where A++ B++ (XO4) � x(H2O)
  (40.01.02)Dana Group
 
40.01.02.01 Dittmarite (NH4)Mg(PO4)•(H2O) P mn21 mm2
 
40.01.02.02 Niahite (NH4)(Mn,Mg,Ca)PO4•(H2O) P mn21 mm2
Help on  Strunz Class: Strunz Class: 08.CH.20 08 - PHOSPHATES, ARSENATES, VANADATES
  08.C - Phosphates without Additional Anions, with H2O
  08.CH -With large and medium-sized cations, RO4:H2O < 1:1
 
08.CH.20 Dittmarite (NH4)Mg(PO4)•(H2O) P mn21 mm2
 
08.CH.20 Niahite (NH4)(Mn,Mg,Ca)PO4•(H2O) P mn21 mm2
 

Other Dittmarite Information

Help on References: References: NAME( AntBidBlaNic4) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990)
Help on See Also: See Also: Links to other databases for Dittmarite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Athena
3 - EUROmin Project
4 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
5 - GeoScienceWorld
6 - Google Images
7 - Google Scholar
8 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
9 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
10 - MinDAT
11 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
12 - Online Mineral Museum
13 - QUT Mineral Atlas
14 - Ruff.Info

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

Dittmarite

(NH4)Mg(PO4)•(H2O)
Dana No: 40.01.02.01 Strunz No: 08.CH.20
Locality:

 

Notes:

 

 
   
 


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