Spencerite Mineral Data
General Spencerite Information
Chemical Formula:
Zn4(PO4)2(OH)2•3(H2O)
Composition:
Molecular Weight = 539.56 gm
Zinc 48.48 % Zn 60.34 % ZnO
Phosphorus 11.48 % P 26.31 % P2 O5
Hydrogen 1.49 % H 13.36 % H2 O
Oxygen 38.55 % O
______ ______
100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE
Empirical Formula:
Zn4 (PO4 )2 (OH)2 •3(H2 O)
Environment:
Secondary mineral in some zinc-bearing hydrothermal deposits.
IMA Status:
Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1916
Locality:
Hudson Bay mine, about eight km southeast of Salmo, near Nelson, Kootenay district, British Columbia, Canada. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.
Name Origin:
Named for Leonard James Spencer (1870-1959), British mineralogist, formerly Keeper of Minerals, British Museum (Natural History), London, England.
Name Pronunciation:
Spencerite + Pronunciation
Synonym:
ICSD 9349
PDF 35-631
Spencerite Image
Images:
Spencerite Crystallography
Axial Ratios:
a:b:c =1.9774:1:2.1204
Cell Dimensions:
a = 10.441, b = 5.28, c = 11.196, Z = 2; beta = 116.833° V = 550.76 Den(Calc)= 3.25
Crystal System:
Monoclinic - Prismatic H-M Symbol (2/m) Space Group: P 2/c
X Ray Diffraction:
By Intensity(I/Io ): 9.4(1), 3.501(0.55), 2.332(0.3),
Physical Properties of Spencerite
Cleavage:
{???} Perfect, {???} Imperfect
Color:
White.
Density:
3.12
Habit:
Radial - Crystals radiate from a center without producing stellar forms (e.g. stibnite)
Hardness:
3 - Calcite
Luminescence:
Non-fluorescent.
Luster:
Vitreous - Pearly
Magnetism:
Nonmagnetic
Streak:
white
Optical Properties of Spencerite
Gladstone-Dale:
CI meas = -0.015 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas /KC ) CI calc = 0.026 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc /KC )
KPDcalc = 0.184,KPDmeas = 0.1917,KC = 0.1889 Ncalc = 1.59 - 1.61
Optical Data:
Biaxial (-), a=1.586, b=1.602, g=1.606, bire=0.0200
Calculated Properties of Spencerite
Electron Density:
Bulk Density (Electron Density)=3.03 gm/cc note: Specific Gravity of Spencerite =3.12 gm/cc.
Fermion Index:
Fermion Index = 0.02 Boson Index = 0.98
Photoelectric:
PESpencerite = 24.46 barns/electronU=PESpencerite x r Electron Density= 74.12 barns/cc.
Radioactivity:
GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units) Spencerite is Not Radioactive
Spencerite Classification
Dana Class:
42.06.04.02 (42) Hydrated Phosphates, etc., Containing Hydroxyl or Halogen
(42.06) where (AB)2 (XO4) Zq � x(H2O)
(42.06.04) Strashimirite Group
42.06.04.01 Legrandite Zn2(AsO4)(OH)•(H2O) P 21 /c 2/m
42.06.04.02 Spencerite Zn4(PO4)2(OH)2•3(H2O) P 2/c 2/m
Strunz Class:
08.DA.40 08 - PHOSPHATES, ARSENATES, VANADATES
08.D - Phosphates, etc
08.DA -With small (and occasionally larger) cations
08.DA.40 Spencerite Zn4(PO4)2(OH)2•3(H2O) P 2/c 2/m
Other Spencerite 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 Spencerite :
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
15 - WWW-MINCRYST
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Print or Cut-and-Paste your Spencerite Specimen Label here :
Spencerite
Zn4(PO4)2(OH)2•3(H2O)
Dana No: 42.06.04.02 Strunz No: 08.DA.40
Locality:
Notes:
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