Elliottite
A valid IMA mineral species
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About Elliottite
Peter Elliott and John Toma
Formula:
NaMgAl3(PO4)2F6 · 9H2O
Colour:
Colorless. White in aggregates.
Specific Gravity:
2.09 (Calculated)
Crystal System:
Monoclinic
Name:
The name is for Peter Elliott (born 1954) in recognition of his significant contributions to the characterization and naming of more than 30 new minerals from Australian localities (half of which he personally collected) and in particular his major contributions to the descriptions of new phosphate minerals from South Australian deposits. These include airdite, bimbowrieite, penriceite, plumboperloffite, puttapaite, reaphookhillite, whiteite-(MnMnMg) and whiterockite. He is also first author on a review of the phosphate deposits of South Australia (Elliott et al., 2013).
Type Locality:
Dimorph of:
Closely related, both compositionally and structurally, to tomsquarryite (OH-dominant).
Represents a new type of crandallite-derivative layered structure. Topology of Al-centred corner-sharing octahedra and phosphate tetrahedra fits that in crandallite, but the layer separation is expanded in response to location of Mg2(H2O)10 edge-shared octahedral dimers and H2O molecules within the interlayer. The structure related penriceite is formed via periodic unit-cell-scale twinning of the structure of elliottite.
Represents a new type of crandallite-derivative layered structure. Topology of Al-centred corner-sharing octahedra and phosphate tetrahedra fits that in crandallite, but the layer separation is expanded in response to location of Mg2(H2O)10 edge-shared octahedral dimers and H2O molecules within the interlayer. The structure related penriceite is formed via periodic unit-cell-scale twinning of the structure of elliottite.
Unique Identifiers
Mindat ID:
55923
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:55923:8
GUID
(UUID V4):
(UUID V4):
14b866f9-ec70-4a9b-8050-64e25e7c18e2
IMA Classification of Elliottite
Approved
Approval year:
2022
First published:
2022
Approval history:
IMA 2021-113 approved and published as elliottite in CNMNC Newsletter 66, February - March 2022.
Classification of Elliottite
8.DM.
8 : PHOSPHATES, ARSENATES, VANADATES
D : Phosphates, etc. with additional anions, with H2O
M : With large and medium-sized cations, (OH, etc.):RO4 > 2:1
8 : PHOSPHATES, ARSENATES, VANADATES
D : Phosphates, etc. with additional anions, with H2O
M : With large and medium-sized cations, (OH, etc.):RO4 > 2:1
Mineral Symbols
As of 2021 there are now IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.
| Symbol | Source | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Elli | IMA–CNMNC | Warr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43 |
Physical Properties of Elliottite
Transparency:
Transparent
Colour:
Colorless. White in aggregates.
Streak:
White
Cleavage:
Perfect
On {001}.
On {001}.
Density:
2.09 g/cm3 (Calculated)
Comment:
Calculated using the empirical formula.
Optical Data of Elliottite
Type:
Biaxial (+)
RI values:
nα = 1.475(2) nβ = 1.475(2) nγ = 1.479(2)
Birefringence:
not observed (in the view normal to the plates)
Max Birefringence:
δ = 0.004
Image shows birefringence interference colour range (at 30µm thickness)
and does not take into account mineral colouration.
and does not take into account mineral colouration.
Surface Relief:
Moderate
Pleochroism:
Not Visible
Comments:
Orientation: Z ≈ c; strong pseudo-uniaxial optical behaviour.
Chemistry of Elliottite
Mindat Formula:
NaMgAl3(PO4)2F6 · 9H2O
Crystallography of Elliottite
Crystal System:
Monoclinic
Class (H-M):
2/m - Prismatic
Space Group:
B2/m
Setting:
C2/m
Cell Parameters:
a = 12.242(1) Å, b = 7.0118(7) Å, c = 11.2946(9) Å
β = 101.19(1)°
β = 101.19(1)°
Ratio:
a:b:c = 1.746 : 1 : 1.611
Unit Cell V:
951.08 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Morphology:
Ultra-thin pseudohexagonal platelets.
X-Ray Powder Diffraction
Powder Diffraction Data:
| d-spacing | Intensity |
|---|---|
| 11.08 Å | (100) |
| 6.059 Å | (9) |
| 5.782 Å | (12) |
| 5.532 Å | (10) |
| 5.106 Å | (31) |
| 3.346 Å | (6) |
| 2.882 Å | (8) |
| 2.852 Å | (17) |
Type Occurrence of Elliottite
General Appearance of Type Material:
Pseudohexagonal platelets, forming hemispherical aggregates up to 1 mm across; the aggregates overgrow minyulite and angastonite, on a matrix of goethite.
Place of Conservation of Type Material:
The holotype specimen is housed in the mineralogical collections of the South Australia Museum, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia, catalogue number G35026,a sub-sample of the holotype specimen, used for optical measurements, is in the collections of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, catalogue number 76203. Co-type specimen M45575 is a portion of the type specimen for angastonite, housed at Museum of Victoria,GPO Box 666, Melbourne, Vic 3001, Australia, catalogue number M45575 (cotype).
Geological Setting of Type Material:
Phosphate deposit as an alteration of minyulite in near-neutral solution.
Associated Minerals at Type Locality:
Synonyms of Elliottite
Common Associates
Associated Minerals Based on Photo Data:
Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping
| 8.DM. | Betpakdalite-CaMg | [Ca2(H2O)17Mg(H2O)6][Mo8As2Fe3+3O36(OH)] |
| 8.DM. | Betpakdalite-FeFe | [Fe3+2 (H2O)15(OH)2Fe3+(H2O)6][Mo8As2Fe3+3O37] |
| 8.DM. | Penriceite | [Mg(H2O)6][Na(H2O)2Al3(PO4)2F6] · H2O |
| 8.DM. | Sarrochite | [Ca4(H2O)38][Mo8P2Fe3+3O37(OH)] |
| 8.DM. | Tomsquarryite | NaMgAl3(PO4)2(OH)6 · 8H2O |
| 8.DM. | Chinnerite | [Mg(H2O)6]Na(H2O)2Al3(PO4)2F6 |
| 8.DM.05 | Morinite | NaCa2Al2(PO4)2(OH)F4 · 2H2O |
| 8.DM.05 | Esperanzaite | NaCa2Al2(AsO4)2(OH)F4 · 2H2O |
| 8.DM.10 | Tyrolite | Ca2Cu9(AsO4)4(CO3)(OH)8 · 11H2O |
| 8.DM.10 | Tangdanite | Ca2Cu9(AsO4)4(SO4)0.5(OH)9 · 9H2O |
| 8.DM.15 | Betpakdalite-CaCa | [Ca2(H2O)17Ca(H2O)6][Mo6+8As5+2Fe3+3O36(OH)] |
| 8.DM.15 | Melkovite | [Ca2(H2O)15Ca(H2O)6][Mo8P2Fe3+3O36(OH)] |
| 8.DM.15 | Betpakdalite-NaCa | [Na2(H2O)17Ca(H2O)6][Mo6+8As5+2Fe3+3O34(OH)3] |
| 8.DM.20 | Phosphovanadylite-Ba | Ba[V4+4P2O8(OH)8] · 12H2O |
| 8.DM.20 | Phosphovanadylite-Ca | Ca[V4+4P2O12(OH)4] · 12H2O |
| 8.DM.25 | Yukonite | Ca3Fe3+(AsO4)2(OH)3 · 5H2O |
| 8.DM.30 | Uduminelite | Ca3Al8(PO4)2O12 · 2H2O |
| 8.DM.35 | Aldermanite | [Mg(H2O)6][Na(H2O)2Al3(PO4)2(OH,F)6] · H2O |
| 8.DM.35 | Azovskite | Fe3+3(PO4)(OH)6 or near |
| 8.DM.35 | Delvauxite | CaFe4(PO4,SO4)2(OH)8 · 4-6H2O not confirmed |
| 8.DM.40 | Santafeite | (Na,Ca,Sr)12(Mn2+,Fe3+,Al,Mg)8Mn4+8(VO4)16(OH,O)20 · 8H2O |
| 8.DM.55 | Tapiaite | Ca5Al2(AsO4)4(OH)4 · 12H2O |
| 8.DM.60 | Alcantarillaite | [Fe3+0.5(H2O)4][CaAs3+2(Fe3+2.5W6+0.5)(AsO4)2O7] |
Other Information
Health Risks:
No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.
Internet Links for Elliottite
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-55923.html
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References for Elliottite
Reference List:
Grey, Ian Edward, Elliott, Peter, Mumme, William Gus, MacRae, Colin M., Kampf, Anthony R., Mills, Stuart J. (2022) Redefinition of angastonite, CaMgAl2(PO4)2(OH)4 ⋅ 7H2O, as an amorphous mineral. European Journal of Mineralogy, 34 (2) 215-221 doi:10.5194/ejm-34-215-2022
Miyawaki, Ritsuro, Hatert, Frédéric, Pasero, Marco, Mills, Stuart J. (2022) IMA Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification (CNMNC) – Newsletter 66. European Journal of Mineralogy, 34 (2) 253-257 doi:10.5194/ejm-34-253-2022
Localities for Elliottite
symbol to view information about a locality.
The Locality List
- This locality has map coordinates listed.
- This locality has estimated coordinates.
ⓘ - Click for references and further information on this occurrence.
? - Indicates mineral may be doubtful at this locality.
- Good crystals or important locality for species.
- World class for species or very significant.
(TL) - Type Locality for a valid mineral species.
(FRL) - First Recorded Locality for everything else (eg varieties).
All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.
Australia | |
| Grey et al. (2022) |
| Grey et al. (2022) |
Penrice marble quarry, Penrice, Barossa Valley, North Mt Lofty Ranges, Mt Lofty Ranges, South Australia, Australia