Maxwellite Mineral Data

General Maxwellite Information

Chemical Formula:

NaFe+++(AsO4)F

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 236.75 gm

Sodium 9.71 % Na 13.09 % Na₂O

Iron 23.59 % Fe 33.73 % Fe₂O₃

Arsenic 31.65 % As 48.54 % As₂O₅

Oxygen 27.03 % O

Fluorine 8.02 % F 8.02 % F

- % F -3.38 % -O=F₂

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

NaFe³⁺(AsO₄)F

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1991

Locality:

Black Range tin district, Carton County, New Mexico, USA. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for Charles Henry Maxwell (1923-), U. S. Geological Survey.

Name Pronunciation:

Maxwellite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

ICSD 81122

IMA1987-044

PDF 46-1386

Maxwellite Image

Images:

Maxwellite

Comments: Minute red translucent maxwellite crystal in rhyolite.
Location: Squaw Creek Tin Mine, Black Range, Catron County, New Mexico, USA. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Maxwellite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.8156:1:0.7616

Cell Dimensions:

a = 7.161, b = 8.78, c = 6.687, Z = 4; beta = 114.58° V = 382.34 Den(Calc)= 4.11

Crystal System:

Monoclinic Space Group: Aa,A2/a

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 3.291(1), 2.614(0.8), 3.039(0.75),

Physical Properties of Maxwellite

Cleavage:

{110} Good

Color:

Dark red.

Density:

3.9

Diaphaneity:

Transparent

Habit:

Aggregates - Made of numerous individual crystals or clusters.

Habit:

Prismatic - Crystals Shaped like Slender Prisms (e.g. tourmaline).

Hardness:

5-5.5 - Apatite-Knife Blade

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Streak:

red orange

Optical Properties of Maxwellite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.072 (Fair) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.119 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.188,KPDmeas= 0.1981,KC= 0.2135
Ncalc = 1.83 - 1.88

Optical Data:

Biaxial (+), a=1.748, b=1.772, g=1.798, bire=0.0500, 2V(Calc)=90, 2V(Meas)=86-89. Dispersion r > v strong.

Pleochroism (x):

medium yellow orange.

Pleochroism (y):

medium yellow orange.

Pleochroism (z):

dark orangish red.

Calculated Properties of Maxwellite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=3.66 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Maxwellite =3.90 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0051305293
Boson Index = 0.9948694707

Photoelectric:

PE_Maxwellite= 29.36 barns/electron
U=PE_Maxwellite x rElectron Density= 107.36 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

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

Maxwellite Classification

Dana Class:

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

(41.05)where (A B)2 (XO4) Zq

(41.05.05)Lacroixite Group

41.05.05.01 Lacroixite NaAl(PO4)F C 2/c 2/m

41.05.05.02 Durangite NaAl(AsO4)F C 2/c 2/m

41.05.05.03 Maxwellite NaFe(AsO4)F Aa,A2/a Mono

Strunz Class:

08.BH.10 08 - PHOSPHATES, ARSENATES, VANADATES

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

08.BH -With medium-sized and large cations, (OH,etc.):RO4 = 1:1

08.BH.10 Durangite NaAl(AsO4)F C 2/c 2/m

08.BH.10 Isokite CaMg(PO4)F C 2/c 2/m

08.BH.10 Lacroixite NaAl(PO4)F C 2/c 2/m

08.BH.10 Maxwellite NaFe(AsO4)F Aa,A2/a Mono

08.BH.10 Panasqueiraite CaMg(PO4)(OH,F) C 2/c 2/m

08.BH.10 Tilasite CaMg(AsO4)F C 2/c 2/m

Other Maxwellite Information

References:

NAME( Dana8) PHYS. PROP.(Dana8) OPTIC PROP.(Dana8)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Maxwellite :
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

Search for Maxwellite using:

[AOL] [Bing] [Dog Pile] [GeoScienceWorld] [HotBot] [Ixquick] [Lycos] [MAMMA] [Scirus] [Teoma] [WebCrawler] [Wikipedia] [YAHOO]

Visit our Advertisers for Maxwellite :

Ask about Maxwellite here :
Ask-A-Mineralogist from the Mineralogical Society of America
Mindat.org's Discussion Groups
Original Rockhounds Discussion Group
Rockhounds Discussion Group on Yahoo Groups
Mineral Discussion Forum from Fabre Minerals - also available in Español

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

Maxwellite

NaFe+++(AsO4)F
Dana No: 41.05.05.03 Strunz No: 08.BH.10
Locality:

Notes:

Dakota Matrix
Excalibur Minerals
Exceptional Minerals
Hudson Insitute
John Betts Fine Minerals
Mc Dougall Minerals
Mineral News
Rock and Mineral Shows
Weinrich Minerals, Inc.