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Merrillite Mineral Data
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General Merrillite Information
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 Chemical Formula: |
Ca18Na2Mg2(PO4)14 |
| Composition: |
Molecular Weight = 2,145.59 gm |
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Sodium 2.14 % Na 2.89 % Na2O |
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Calcium 33.62 % Ca 47.04 % CaO |
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Magnesium 2.27 % Mg 3.76 % MgO |
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Phosphorus 20.21 % P 46.31 % P2O5 |
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Oxygen 41.76 % O |
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______ ______ |
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100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE |
| Empirical Formula: |
Ca18Na2Mg2(PO4)14 |
| Environment: |
Extraterrestrial bodies. The name merrillite was proposed in 1917. |
| IMA Status: |
Approved IMA 1977 |
| Locality: |
Meteorites Link to MinDat.org Location Data. |
| Name Origin: |
Named after George Perkins Merrill (1854-1929), meteorite specialist at U. S. National Museum, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. USA. |
| Synonym: |
Merrillite-Na |
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Merrillite Image |
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Images:
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Merrillite
Comments: BSE image of merrillite intergrown with silicates (plagioclase (plag), orthopyroxene(opx), olivine(ol)) next to coarse FeNi-metal (white).
Location: Portales Valley meteorite (1988).
Scale: See Image.
© Alex Ruzicka / Planetary Science Research |
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Merrillite Crystallography
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| Axial Ratios: |
a:c = 1:3.58096 |
| Cell Dimensions: |
a = 10.362, c = 37.106, Z = 3; V = 3,450.34 Den(Calc)= 3.10 |
| Crystal System: |
Trigonal - Ditrigonal Pyramidal H-M Symbol (3m) Space Group: R 3c |
| X Ray Diffraction: |
By Intensity(I/Io): 2.85(1), 2.58(0.6), 3.19(0.6),3.43(0.6), 5.18(0.6), 1.71(0.5), 1.92(0.5), 1.54(0.4), |
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Physical Properties of Merrillite
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| Habit: |
Anhedral Grains - Granular minerals without the expression of crystal shapes |
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Optical Properties of Merrillite
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| Gladstone-Dale: |
CI calc= -0.02 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2005,KC= 0.1965
Ncalc = 1.61 |
| Optical Data: |
Uniaxial (-), e=1.62, w=1.623, bire=0.0030. |
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Calculated Properties of Merrillite
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| Electron Density: |
Bulk Density (Electron Density)=3.07 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Merrillite =3.10 gm/cc.
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| Fermion Index: |
Fermion Index = 0.0029199202
Boson Index = 0.9970800798 |
| Photoelectric: |
PEMerrillite = 5.19 barns/electron
U=PEMerrillite x rElectron Density= 15.95 barns/cc.
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| Radioactivity: |
GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Merrillite is Not Radioactive |
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Merrillite Classification
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| Dana Class: |
38.03.04.04 (38)Anhydrous Phosphates, etc |
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(38.03)(A+ B++)3 (XO4)2 |
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(38.03.04)Whitlockite group |
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38.03.04.01 Whitlockite Ca9(Mg,Fe)(PO4)6(PO3OH) R 3c 3m |
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38.03.04.02 Strontiowhitlockite Sr7(Mg,Ca)3(PO4)6[PO3(OH)] R 3c 3m |
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38.03.04.03 Merrillite-(Ca)* (Ca,[])19Mg2(PO4)14 R 3c 3m |
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38.03.04.04 Merrillite Ca18Na2Mg2(PO4)14 R 3c 3m |
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38.03.04.05 Merrillite-(Y)* Ca16Y2Mg2(PO4)14 R 3c 3m |
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38.03.04.06 Ferromerrillite! Ca9NaFe(PO4)7 R 3c 3m |
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38.03.04.07 Tuite! Ca3(PO4)2 R 3m 3m |
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38.03.04.08 Bobdownsite! Ca9Mg(PO3F)(PO4)6 R 3c 3m |
| Strunz Class: |
08.AC.45 08 - PHOSPHATES, ARSENATES, VANADATES |
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08.A - Phosphates, etc. without additional anions, without H2O |
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08.AC -With medium-sized and large cations |
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08.AC.45 Merrillite-(Ca)* (Ca,[])19Mg2(PO4)14 R 3c 3m |
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08.AC.45 Merrillite Ca18Na2Mg2(PO4)14 R 3c 3m |
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08.AC.45 Merrillite-(Y)* Ca16Y2Mg2(PO4)14 R 3c 3m |
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08.AC.45 Strontiowhitlockite Sr7(Mg,Ca)3(PO4)6[PO3(OH)] R 3c 3m |
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08.AC.45 Whitlockite Ca9(Mg,Fe)(PO4)6(PO3OH) R 3c 3m |
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08.AC.45 Ferromerrillite! Ca9NaFe(PO4)7 R 3c 3m |
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08.AC.45 Tuite! Ca3(PO4)2 R 3m 3m |
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08.AC.45 Bobdownsite! Ca9Mg(PO3F)(PO4)6 R 3c 3m |
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Other Merrillite Information
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| References: |
NAME( Dana8) PHYS. PROP.(Dana8) OPTIC PROP.(Dana8) |
| See Also: |
Links to other databases for Merrillite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Athena
3 - GeoScienceWorld
4 - Google Images
5 - Google Scholar
6 - MinDAT
7 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
8 - Online Mineral Museum
9 - QUT Mineral Atlas
10 - Ruff.Info
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Print or Cut-and-Paste your Merrillite Specimen Label here :
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Merrillite
Ca18Na2Mg2(PO4)14
Dana No: 38.03.04.04 Strunz No: 08.AC.45
Locality:
Notes:
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