Gordonite Mineral Data

General Gordonite Information

Chemical Formula:

MgAl2(PO4)2(OH)2•8(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 446.35 gm

Magnesium 5.45 % Mg 9.03 % MgO

Aluminum 12.09 % Al 22.84 % Al₂O₃

Phosphorus 13.88 % P 31.80 % P₂O₅

Hydrogen 4.06 % H 36.33 % H₂O

Oxygen 64.52 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

MgAl₂(PO₄)₂(OH)₂•8(H₂O)

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1930

Locality:

Clay Canyon, Fairfield, Utah County, Utah, USA Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for S. G. Gordon.

Name Pronunciation:

Gordonite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

ICSD 63247

PDF 14-313

Gordonite Image

Images:

Gordonite Wardite

Comments: Prismatic gordonite crystals on massive wardite.
Location: Clay Canyon, Fairfield, Utah County, Utah, USA. Scale: Not Given.
© Lou Perloff / Photo Atlas of Minerals

Gordonite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.4995:1:0.6634

Cell Dimensions:

a = 5.24, b = 10.49, c = 6.96, Z = 1; alpha = 107.4°, beta = 111.1°, gamma = 72.37° V = 324.59 Den(Calc)= 2.28

Crystal System:

Triclinic - Pinacoidal H-M Symbol ( 1) Space Group: P1

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 9.78(1), 3.17(0.8), 2.83(0.7),

Forms:

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Forms: ( 0 5 6) ( 0 1 0) ( 0 1 1) ( 1 1 0) ( 1 2 0) ( 1 1 0) ( 1 0 0) ( 0 0 1)

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Physical Properties of Gordonite

Cleavage:

{???} Perfect

Color:

Colorless, Gray white, White, Light green, Light pink.

Density:

2.23

Diaphaneity:

Transparent

Fracture:

Brittle - Conchoidal - Very brittle fracture producing small, conchoidal fragments.

Habit:

Encrustations - Forms crust-like aggregates on matrix.

Hardness:

3.5 - Copper Penny

Luminescence:

Non-fluorescent.

Luster:

Vitreous - Pearly

Magnetism:

Nonmagnetic

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Gordonite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.011 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.011 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2444,KPDmeas= 0.2444,KC= 0.247
Ncalc = 1.55

Optical Data:

Biaxial (+), a=1.534, b=1.543, g=1.558, bire=0.0240

Calculated Properties of Gordonite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.30 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Gordonite =2.23 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0057611053
Boson Index = 0.9942388947

Photoelectric:

PE_Gordonite= 1.23 barns/electron
U=PE_Gordonite x rElectron Density= 2.82 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

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

Gordonite Classification

Dana Class:

42.11.14.04 (42)Hydrated Phosphates, etc., Containing Hydroxyl or Halogen

(42.11)where (AB)4 (XO4)3 Zq ï¿½ x(H2O)

(42.11.14)Vauxite Group

42.11.14.01 Vauxite FeAl2(PO4)2(OH)2•6(H2O) P1 1

42.11.14.02 Paravauxite FeAl2(PO4)2(OH)2•8(H2O) P1 1

42.11.14.03 Sigloite FeAl2(PO4)2(OH)3•5(H2O) P1 1

42.11.14.04 Gordonite MgAl2(PO4)2(OH)2•8(H2O) P1 1

42.11.14.05 Mangangordonite (Mn,Fe,Mg)Al2(PO4)2(OH)2•8(H2O) P1 1

42.11.14.06 Kastningite! (Mn,Fe,Mg)Al2(PO4)2(OH)2•8(H2O) P1 1

42.11.14.07 Maghrebite! MgAl2(AsO4)2(OH)2•8H2O P1 1

Strunz Class:

08.DC.30 08 - PHOSPHATES, ARSENATES, VANADATES

08.D - Phosphates, etc

08.DC -With only medium-sized cations, (OH, etc.):RO4 = 1:1 and < 2:1

08.DC.30 Gordonite MgAl2(PO4)2(OH)2•8(H2O) P1 1

08.DC.30 Ferrolaueite! FeFe2(PO4)2(OH)2•8(H2O) Tri

08.DC.30 Mangangordonite (Mn,Fe,Mg)Al2(PO4)2(OH)2•8(H2O) P1 1

08.DC.30 Laueite MnFe2(PO4)2(OH)2•8(H2O) P1 1

08.DC.30 Sigloite FeAl2(PO4)2(OH)3•5(H2O) P1 1

08.DC.30 Pseudolaueite MnFe2(PO4)2(OH)2•7-8(H2O) P 2₁/a 2/m

08.DC.30 Paravauxite FeAl2(PO4)2(OH)2•8(H2O) P1 1

08.DC.30 Stewartite MnFe2(PO4)2(OH)2•8(H2O) P1 1

08.DC.30 Ushkovite MgFe2(PO4)2(OH)2•8(H2O) P1 1

08.DC.30 Kastningite! (Mn,Fe,Mg)Al2(PO4)2(OH)2•8(H2O) P1 1

08.DC.30 Maghrebite! MgAl2(AsO4)2(OH)2•8H2O P1 1

Other Gordonite Information

References:

PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Gordonite :
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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Gordonite

MgAl2(PO4)2(OH)2•8(H2O)
Dana No: 42.11.14.04 Strunz No: 08.DC.30
Locality:

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