Archerite Mineral Data

General Archerite Information

Chemical Formula:

(K,NH4)H2PO4

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 130.82 gm

Potassium 22.42 % K 27.00 % K₂O

Phosphorus 23.68 % P 54.25 % P₂O₅

Hydrogen 0.77 % H - % Calc as (NH₄)₂O

Hydrogen 1.54 % H 13.77 % H₂O

Nitrogen 2.68 % N 4.98 % (NH₄)₂O

Oxygen 48.92 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

K_0.75(NH₄)_0.25H₂(PO₄)

Environment:

Occurs as a component of stalactites and crusts on the walls of caves containing bat guano deposits.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1975

Locality:

In Petrogale Cave, near Madura, and in Murra-el-elevyn Cave, about 200 km east of Balladonia, Western Australia. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Honors Dr. Michael Archer (1945- ), Curator of Mammals, Queensland Museum, Brisbane, Australia, who discovered the first specimens.

Name Pronunciation:

Archerite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

ICSD 71311

PDF 35-807

Archerite Image

Images:

Archerite Biphosphammite

Comments: Buff-colored biphosphammite with white archerite crusts.
Location: Cockelbiddy Cave, Western Australia, Australia. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Archerite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:c = 1:0.93676

Cell Dimensions:

a = 7.448, c = 6.977, Z = 4; V = 387.03 Den(Calc)= 2.24

Crystal System:

Tetragonal - Scalenohedral H-M Symbol (4 2m) Space Group: I 42d

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 3.72(1), 2.91(0.8), 1.95(0.5),

Physical Properties of Archerite

Cleavage:

None

Color:

Beige, White.

Hardness:

2 - Gypsum

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Archerite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI calc= -0.102 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2194,KC= 0.199
Ncalc = 1.45

Optical Data:

Uniaxial (-), e=1.47, w=1.513, bire=0.0430.

Calculated Properties of Archerite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.26 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Archerite =2.24 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.02
Boson Index = 0.98

Photoelectric:

PE_Archerite= 3.36 barns/electron
U=PE_Archerite x r_electron= 7.60 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 326.34 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Archerite per GRapi unit = 0.31 (%)

Estimated Radioactivity from Archerite - barely detectable

Archerite Classification

Dana Class:

37.01.04.02 (37)Anhydrous Acid Phosphates, etc

(37.01)with miscellaneous formulae

(37.01.04)Dana Group

37.01.04.01 Biphosphammite (NH4,K)H2PO4 I 42d 4 2m

37.01.04.02 Archerite (K,NH4)H2PO4 I 42d 4 2m

Strunz Class:

08.AD.15 08 - PHOSPHATES, ARSENATES, VANADATES

08.A - Phosphates, etc. without additional anions, without H2O

08.AD -With only large cations

08.AD.15 Archerite (K,NH4)H2PO4 I 42d 4 2m

08.AD.15 Biphosphammite (NH4,K)H2PO4 I 42d 4 2m

Other Archerite 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 Archerite :
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 - MinDAT
10 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
11 - Online Mineral Museum
12 - QUT Mineral Atlas
13 - Ruff.Info

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

Archerite

(K,NH4)H2PO4
Dana No: 37.01.04.02 Strunz No: 08.AD.15
Locality:

Notes:

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