Dittmarite Mineral Data
General Dittmarite Information
Chemical Formula:
(NH4)Mg(PO4)•(H2O)
Composition:
Molecular Weight = 155.33 gm
Magnesium 15.65 % Mg 25.95 % MgO
Phosphorus 19.94 % P 45.69 % P2 O5
Hydrogen 2.60 % H - % Calc as (NH4 )2 O
Hydrogen 1.30 % H 11.60 % H2 O
Nitrogen 9.02 % N 16.76 % (NH4 )2 O
Oxygen 51.50 % O
______ ______
100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE
Empirical Formula:
(NH4 )Mg(PO4 )•(H2 O)
Environment:
Found in dryer parts of bat guano in caves.
IMA Status:
Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1887
Locality:
Skipton lava tube caves, 40 km southwest of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.
Name Origin:
Named for William Dittmar (1833-1892), Professor of Chemistry, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland.
Name Pronunciation:
Dittmarite + Pronunciation
Dittmarite Image
Images:
Dittmarite Crystallography
Axial Ratios:
a:b:c =0.6401:1:0.5467
Cell Dimensions:
a = 5.606, b = 8.758, c = 4.788, Z = 2; V = 235.08 Den(Calc)= 2.19
Crystal System:
Orthorhombic - Pyramidal H-M Symbol (mm2) Space Group: P mn21
X Ray Diffraction:
By Intensity(I/Io ): 8.77(1), 2.8(0.5), 2.92(0.4),
Physical Properties of Dittmarite
Cleavage:
{???} Perfect
Color:
Colorless.
Density:
2.19
Diaphaneity:
Transparent
Hardness:
5 - Apatite
Luster:
Vitreous (Glassy)
Streak:
white
Optical Properties of Dittmarite
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
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
Electron Density:
Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.26 gm/cc note: Specific Gravity of Dittmarite =2.19 gm/cc.
Fermion Index:
Fermion Index = 0.1 Boson Index = 0.9
Photoelectric:
PEDittmarite = 1.34 barns/electronU=PEDittmarite x r Electron Density= 3.02 barns/cc.
Radioactivity:
GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units) Dittmarite is Not Radioactive
Dittmarite Classification
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
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
References:
NAME( AntBidBlaNic4) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990)
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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Dittmarite
(NH4)Mg(PO4)•(H2O)
Dana No: 40.01.02.01 Strunz No: 08.CH.20
Locality:
Notes:
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