Wolfeite Mineral Data
General Wolfeite Information
Chemical Formula:
(Fe++,Mn++)2(PO4)(OH)
Composition:
Molecular Weight = 223.22 gm
Manganese 12.31 % Mn 15.89 % MnO
Iron 37.53 % Fe 48.28 % FeO
Phosphorus 13.88 % P 31.80 % P2 O5
Hydrogen 0.45 % H 4.04 % H2 O
Oxygen 35.84 % O
______ ______
100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE
Empirical Formula:
Fe2+ 1.5 Mn2+ 0.5 (PO4 )(OH)
Environment:
Alteration product of triphylite.
IMA Status:
Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1949
Locality:
Palermo mine, North Groton, New Hampshire. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.
Name Origin:
Named for Caleb Wroe Wolfe (1908-1980), crystallographer, Boston University.
Name Pronunciation:
Wolfeite
Wolfeite Image
Images:
Images:
Wicksite Wolfeite
Comments: Cleaved nodule of fine-grained aggregate of wicksite and wolfeite.
Location: Big Fish River, Yukon, Canada.
Scale: 3 x 1.5 cm.
© Dave Barthelmy
Wolfeite Crystallography
Axial Ratios:
a:b:c =0.9263:1:0.7433
Cell Dimensions:
a = 12.2, b = 13.17, c = 9.79, Z = 16; beta = 108° V = 1,496.01 Den(Calc)= 3.96
Crystal System:
Monoclinic - Prismatic H-M Symbol (2/m) Space Group: P 21 /a
X Ray Diffraction:
By Intensity(I/Io ): 2.93(1), 3.09(0.9), 3.18(0.8),
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Physical Properties of Wolfeite
Cleavage:
{010} Good, {120} Distinct
Color:
Greenish, Dark brown, Reddish brown.
Density:
3.79
Diaphaneity:
Transparent to Translucent
Fracture:
Conchoidal - Uneven - Uneven fracture producing small, conchoidal fragments.
Hardness:
4.5-5 - Near Apatite
Luster:
Vitreous - Greasy
Streak:
white
Optical Properties of Wolfeite
Gladstone-Dale:
CI meas = -0.031 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas /KC ) CI calc = 0.014 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc /KC )
KPDcalc = 0.1913,KPDmeas = 0.1999,KC = 0.194 Ncalc = 1.74 - 1.77
Optical Data:
Biaxial (+), a=1.741, b=1.742, g=1.79, bire=0.0490
Calculated Properties of Wolfeite
Electron Density:
Bulk Density (Electron Density)=3.81 gm/cc note: Specific Gravity of Wolfeite =3.96 gm/cc.
Fermion Index:
Fermion Index = 0.0081287464 Boson Index = 0.9918712536
Photoelectric:
PEWolfeite = 15.16 barns/electronU=PEWolfeite x r Electron Density= 57.81 barns/cc.
Radioactivity:
GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units) Wolfeite is Not Radioactive
Wolfeite Classification
Dana Class:
41.06.03.01 (41) Anhydrous Phosphates, etc. Containing Hydroxyl or Halogen
(41.06) where (A)2 (XO4) Zq
(41.06.03) Wolfeite Group
41.06.03.01 Wolfeite (Fe,Mn)2(PO4)(OH) P 21 /a 2/m
41.06.03.02 Triploidite (Mn,Fe)2(PO4)(OH) P 21 /a 2/m
41.06.03.03 Sarkinite Mn2(AsO4)(OH) P 21 /a 2/m
41.06.03.04 Stanekite ! Fe(Mn,Fe,Mg)(PO4)O P 21 /a 2/m
41.06.03.06 Joosteite ! (Mn,Mn,Fe)2(PO4)O I2/a 2/m
Strunz Class:
08.BB.15 08 - PHOSPHATES, ARSENATES, VANADATES
08.B - Phosphates, etc. with Additional Anions, without H2O
08.BB -With only medium-sized cations, (OH, etc.):RO4 � 1:1
08.BB.15 Sarkinite Mn2(AsO4)(OH) P 21 /a 2/m
08.BB.15 Stanekite ! Fe(Mn,Fe,Mg)(PO4)O P 21 /a 2/m
08.BB.15 Triploidite (Mn,Fe)2(PO4)(OH) P 21 /a 2/m
08.BB.15 Wagnerite (Mg,Fe)2(PO4)F P 21 /a 2/m
08.BB.15 Wolfeite (Fe,Mn)2(PO4)(OH) P 21 /a 2/m
08.BB.15 Joosteite ! (Mn,Mn,Fe)2(PO4)O I2/a 2/m
Other Wolfeite Information
References:
NAME( Dana8) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990)
See Also:
Links to other databases for Wolfeite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery
3 - Athena
4 - EUROmin Project
5 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
6 - GeoScienceWorld
7 - Google Images
8 - Google Scholar
9 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
10 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
11 - MinDAT
12 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
13 - Online Mineral Museum
14 - QUT Mineral Atlas
15 - Ruff.Info
16 - WWW-MINCRYST
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Wolfeite
(Fe++,Mn++)2(PO4)(OH)
Dana No: 41.06.03.01 Strunz No: 08.BB.15
Locality:
Notes:
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