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Merrillite Mineral Data

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General Merrillite Information

Help on Chemical  Formula: Chemical Formula: Ca18Na2Mg2(PO4)14
Help on Composition: Composition: Molecular Weight = 2,145.59 gm
   Sodium       2.14 %  Na    2.89 % Na2O
   Calcium     33.62 %  Ca   47.04 % CaO
   Magnesium    2.27 %  Mg    3.76 % MgO
   Phosphorus  20.21 %  P    46.31 % P2O5
   Oxygen      41.76 %  O
              ______        ______ 
              100.00 %      100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE
Help on Empirical Formula: Empirical Formula: Ca18Na2Mg2(PO4)14
Help on Environment: Environment: Extraterrestrial bodies. The name merrillite was proposed in 1917.
Help on IMA Status: IMA Status: Approved IMA 1977
Help on Locality: Locality: Meteorites Link to MinDat.org Location Data.
Help on Name Origin: Name Origin: Named after George Perkins Merrill (1854-1929), meteorite specialist at U. S. National Museum, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. USA.
Help on Synonym: Synonym: Merrillite-Na
 

Merrillite Image

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  Merrillite

Comments: BSE image of merrillite intergrown with silicates (plagioclase (plag), orthopyroxene(opx), olivine(ol)) next to coarse FeNi-metal (white).
Location: Portales Valley meteorite (1988). Scale: See Image.
© Alex Ruzicka / Planetary Science Research

Merrillite Crystallography

Help on Axial Ratios: Axial Ratios: a:c = 1:3.58096
Help on Cell Dimensions: Cell Dimensions: a = 10.362, c = 37.106, Z = 3; V = 3,450.34 Den(Calc)= 3.10
Help on Crystal System: Crystal System: Trigonal - Ditrigonal Pyramidal H-M Symbol (3m) Space Group: R 3c
Help on X Ray Diffraction: X Ray Diffraction: By Intensity(I/Io): 2.85(1), 2.58(0.6), 3.19(0.6),3.43(0.6), 5.18(0.6), 1.71(0.5), 1.92(0.5), 1.54(0.4),
 

Physical Properties of Merrillite

Help on Habit: Habit: Anhedral Grains - Granular minerals without the expression of crystal shapes
 

Optical Properties of Merrillite

Help on Gladstone-Dale: Gladstone-Dale: CI calc= -0.02 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2005,KC= 0.1965
Ncalc = 1.61
Help on Optical Data: Optical Data: Uniaxial (-), e=1.62, w=1.623, bire=0.0030.
 

Calculated Properties of Merrillite

Help on Electron Density: Electron Density: Bulk Density (Electron Density)=3.07 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Merrillite =3.10 gm/cc.
Help on Fermion Index: Fermion Index: Fermion Index = 0.0029199202
Boson Index = 0.9970800798
Help on Photoelectric: Photoelectric: PEMerrillite = 5.19 barns/electron
U=PEMerrillite x rElectron Density= 15.95 barns/cc.
Help on Radioactivity: Radioactivity: GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Merrillite is Not Radioactive
 

Merrillite Classification

Help on  Dana Class: Dana Class: 38.03.04.04 (38)Anhydrous Phosphates, etc
  (38.03)(A+ B++)3 (XO4)2
  (38.03.04)Whitlockite group
 
38.03.04.01 Whitlockite Ca9(Mg,Fe)(PO4)6(PO3OH) R 3c 3m
 
38.03.04.02 Strontiowhitlockite Sr7(Mg,Ca)3(PO4)6[PO3(OH)] R 3c 3m
 
38.03.04.03 Merrillite-(Ca)* (Ca,[])19Mg2(PO4)14 R 3c 3m
 
38.03.04.04 Merrillite Ca18Na2Mg2(PO4)14 R 3c 3m
 
38.03.04.05 Merrillite-(Y)* Ca16Y2Mg2(PO4)14 R 3c 3m
 
38.03.04.06 Ferromerrillite! Ca9NaFe(PO4)7 R 3c 3m
 
38.03.04.07 Tuite! Ca3(PO4)2 R 3m 3m
 
38.03.04.08 Bobdownsite! Ca9Mg(PO3F)(PO4)6 R 3c 3m
Help on  Strunz Class: Strunz Class: 08.AC.45 08 - PHOSPHATES, ARSENATES, VANADATES
  08.A - Phosphates, etc. without additional anions, without H2O
  08.AC -With medium-sized and large cations
 
08.AC.45 Merrillite-(Ca)* (Ca,[])19Mg2(PO4)14 R 3c 3m
 
08.AC.45 Merrillite Ca18Na2Mg2(PO4)14 R 3c 3m
 
08.AC.45 Merrillite-(Y)* Ca16Y2Mg2(PO4)14 R 3c 3m
 
08.AC.45 Strontiowhitlockite Sr7(Mg,Ca)3(PO4)6[PO3(OH)] R 3c 3m
 
08.AC.45 Whitlockite Ca9(Mg,Fe)(PO4)6(PO3OH) R 3c 3m
 
08.AC.45 Ferromerrillite! Ca9NaFe(PO4)7 R 3c 3m
 
08.AC.45 Tuite! Ca3(PO4)2 R 3m 3m
 
08.AC.45 Bobdownsite! Ca9Mg(PO3F)(PO4)6 R 3c 3m
 

Other Merrillite Information

Help on References: References: NAME( Dana8) PHYS. PROP.(Dana8) OPTIC PROP.(Dana8)
Help on See Also: See Also: Links to other databases for Merrillite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Athena
3 - GeoScienceWorld
4 - Google Images
5 - Google Scholar
6 - MinDAT
7 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
8 - Online Mineral Museum
9 - QUT Mineral Atlas
10 - Ruff.Info

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

Merrillite

Ca18Na2Mg2(PO4)14
Dana No: 38.03.04.04 Strunz No: 08.AC.45
Locality:

 

Notes:

 

 
   
 


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