Alforsite Mineral Data

General Alforsite Information

Chemical Formula:

Ba5(PO4)3Cl

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 1,007.00 gm

Barium 68.19 % Ba 76.13 % BaO

Phosphorus 9.23 % P 21.14 % P₂O₅

Chlorine 3.52 % Cl 3.52 % Cl

- % Cl -0.79 % -O=Cl₂

Oxygen 19.07 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Ba₅(PO₄)₃Cl

Environment:

In lenses and bands of barium silicate metasediments developed under hornblende-pyroxene hornfels facies near the contact with granite or granodiorite.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1981

Locality:

From Big Creek and Rush Creek, Fresno Co., and on Trumbull Peak, near Incline, Marisopa Co., California, USA. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

To honor Dr. John T. Alfors (1930- ), geologist, California Division of Mines, for his work on the type locality.

Name Pronunciation:

Alforsite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

ICSD 8191

PDF 35-691

Alforsite Image

Images:

Alforsite

Comments: Three small grains of alforsite mounted on tape.
Location: La Madrelena, Baja California, Mexico. Scale: Not Given.
© Rhonda Spencer / ASDM Sonoran Desert Digital Library

Images:

Alforsite Titantaramellite Sanbornite Celsian

Comments: SEM image showing alforsite (al). Matrix composed by lamellar sanbornite (sa) and granular quartz (q). Rectangular crystal in the upper right corner is titantaramellite (ti) and isometric crystals included in sanbornite are celsian (ce).
Location: Trumbull Peak, near Incline, Mariposa Co., California, USA. Scale: See Image.
© Pavel M. Kartashov

Alforsite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:c = 1:0.74536

Cell Dimensions:

a = 10.25, c = 7.64, Z = 2; V = 695.14 Den(Calc)= 4.81

Crystal System:

Hexagonal - Dipyramidal H-M Symbol (6/m) Space Group: P 6₃/m

$Help on X Ray Diffraction:$ X Ray Diffraction:

By Intensity(I/I_o): 3.06(1), 2.13(0.3), 2.95(0.3),

Physical Properties of Alforsite

Color:

Colorless.

Density:

4.73

Diaphaneity:

Transparent

Hardness:

5 - Apatite

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Alforsite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.005 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.012 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1455,KPDmeas= 0.148,KC= 0.1473
Ncalc = 1.7 - 1.71

Optical Data:

Uniaxial (-), e=1.7, w=1.7, bire=0.0000.

Calculated Properties of Alforsite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=4.11 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Alforsite =4.73 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.12
Boson Index = 0.88

Photoelectric:

PE_Alforsite= 314.92 barns/electron
U=PE_Alforsite x rElectron Density=1,295.80 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Alforsite is Not Radioactive

Alforsite Classification

Dana Class:

41.08.05.02 (41)Anhydrous Phosphates, etc. Containing Hydroxyl or Halogen

(41.08)where (A)5 (XO4)3 Zq

(41.08.05)Morelandite Group

41.08.05.01 Morelandite (Ba,Ca,Pb)5(AsO4,PO4)3Cl P 6₃/m,P 6₃ Hex

41.08.05.02 Alforsite Ba5(PO4)3Cl P 6₃/m 6/m

Strunz Class:

08.BN.05 08 - PHOSPHATES, ARSENATES, VANADATES

08.B - Phosphates, etc. with Additional Anions, without H2O

08.BN -With only large cations, (OH, etc.):RO4 = 0.33:1

08.BN.05 Alforsite Ba5(PO4)3Cl P 6₃/m 6/m

08.BN.05 Apatite* Ca5(PO4)3(OH,F,Cl) P 6₃/m 6/m

08.BN.05 Belovite-(Ce) (Sr,Ce,Na,Ca)5(PO4)3(OH) P 3 3

08.BN.05 Belovite-(La)! (Sr,La,Ce,Ca)5(PO4)3(F,OH) P 3 3

08.BN.05 Fermorite (Ca,Sr)5(AsO4,PO4)3(OH) P 6₃/m 6/m

08.BN.05 Deloneite-(Ce)! NaCa2SrCe(PO4)3F P 3 3

08.BN.05 Johnbaumite Ca5(AsO4)3(OH) P 6₃/m,P 6₃ Hex

08.BN.05 Apatite-(CaOH) Ca5(PO4)3(OH) P 6₃/m 6/m

08.BN.05 Apatite-(CaCl) Ca5(PO4)3Cl P 6₃/m 6/m

08.BN.05 Carbonate-fluorapatite? Ca5(PO4,CO3)3F P 6₃/m 6/m

08.BN.05 Carbonate-hydroxylapatite? Ca5(PO4,CO3)3(OH) P 6₃/m 6/m

08.BN.05 Clinomimetite Pb5(AsO4)3Cl P 2₁/b 2/m

08.BN.05 Apatite-(CaF) Ca5(PO4)3F P 6₃/m 6/m

08.BN.05 Fluorcaphite! (Ca,Sr,Ce,Na)5(PO4)3F P 6₃ 6

08.BN.05 Hedyphane Ca2Pb3(AsO4)3Cl P 6₃/m 6/m

08.BN.05 Mimetite Pb5(AsO4)3Cl P 6₃/m 6/m

08.BN.05 Apatite-(SrOH) (Sr,Ca)5(PO4)3(F,OH) P 6₃/m 6/m

08.BN.05 Morelandite (Ba,Ca,Pb)5(AsO4,PO4)3Cl P 6₃/m,P 6₃ Hex

08.BN.05 Pyromorphite Pb5(PO4)3Cl P 6₃/m 6/m

08.BN.05 Vanadinite Pb5(VO4)3Cl P 6₃/m 6/m

08.BN.05 Apatite-(CaOH)-M! (Ca,Na)5[(P,S)O4]3(OH,Cl) P 2₁/b 2/m

08.BN.05 IMA2008-068! Ca2Pb3(PO4)3F P 6₃/m 6/m

08.BN.05 Svabite Ca5(AsO4)3F P 6₃/m 6/m

08.BN.05 Kuannersuite-(Ce)! Ba6Na2REE2(PO4)6FCl P 3 3

08.BN.05 Turneaureite Ca5[(As,P)O4]3Cl P 6₃/m 6/m

08.BN.05 Phosphohedyphane! Ca2Pb3(PO4)3Cl P 6₃/m 6/m

08.BN.05 IMA2008-009! Sr5(PO4)3F P 6₃/m 6/m 2/m 2/m

08.BN.05 Hydroxylpyromorphite! Pb5(PO4)3OH P 6₃/m 6/m

Other Alforsite 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 Alforsite :
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 Alforsite Specimen Label here :

Alforsite

Ba5(PO4)3Cl
Dana No: 41.08.05.02 Strunz No: 08.BN.05
Locality:

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