Nickelphosphide Mineral Data

General Nickelphosphide Information

Chemical Formula:

(Ni,Fe)3P

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 203.35 gm

Iron 35.70 % Fe

Nickel 49.07 % Ni

Phosphorus 15.23 % P

______

100.00 %

Empirical Formula:

Ni_1.7Fe⁰⁺_1.3P

Environment:

The nickel-dominant analog of schreibersite.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1998 (Dana # Added)

Locality:

Found in the Butler iron meteorite, Bates County, Missouri, U.S.A., which fell in 1874, and a number of other iron meteorites. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

The name reflects its composition.

Synonym:

ICSD 43396

IMA1998-023

PDF 51-1367

Nickelphosphide Image

Images:

Nickelphosphide Kamacite

Comments: Small inclusion of nickelphosphide in massive kamacite.
Location: Kenton County meteorite, Kenton Co., Kentucky, USA. Scale: Picture size 0.09 mm.
© Thomas Witzke / Abraxas-Verlag

Images:

Melliniite Nickelphosphide

Comments: Reflected light image of creamy-yellowish melliniite (1) and nickelphosphide (3). AmMin, v91, p453.
Location: Northwest Africa 1054 acapulcoite. Scale: See Image.
© American Mineralogist

Nickelphosphide Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:c = 1:0.48898

Cell Dimensions:

a = 8.99, c = 4.396, Z = 6; V = 355.29 Den(Calc)= 5.70

Crystal System:

Tetragonal - Disphenoidal H-M Symbol (4) Space Group: I 4

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 2.17(1), 1.995(0.7), 1.955(0.7),2.08(0.5), 2.13(0.5), 2.01(0.2), 2.48(0.2),

Physical Properties of Nickelphosphide

Cleavage:

None

Color:

Pinkish white, Yellowish white.

Diaphaneity:

Opaque

Fracture:

Brittle - Generally displayed by glasses and most non-metallic minerals.

Habit:

Euhedral Crystals - Occurs as well-formed crystals showing good external form.

Habit:

Microscopic Crystals - Crystals visible only with microscopes.

Hardness:

6.5-7 - Pyrite-Quartz

Luster:

Metallic

Optical Properties of Nickelphosphide

RL Anisotrophism:

None in air, weak in oil, yellowish-pinkish.

RL Bireflectance:

None.

RL Color:

White witha pink-yellow tint.

Reflectivity

**Standardized Intensity (100%) Reflection Spectra of Nickelphosphide in Air**
λ	R₁	R₂	∑ R₁(λ)	∑ R₂(λ)
480 nm	44.60	43.00
560 nm	48.30	46.80
580 nm	49.10	47.60
660 nm	52.50	51.30

**Calculated Relative Intensity Colors of Nickelphosphide in Air**
Relative Intensity	0%	30%	60%	90%	100%	120%	150%	180%	210%
R₁
R₂

Calculated Properties of Nickelphosphide

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=5.40 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Nickelphosphide =5.70 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.01
Boson Index = 0.99

Photoelectric:

PE_{Nickelphosphide}= 31.56 barns/electron
U=PE_{Nickelphosphide} x rElectron Density= 170.55 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

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

Nickelphosphide Classification

Dana Class:

01.01.21.03 (01)Native Elements

(01.01)with metallic elements other than the platinum group

(01.01.21)Barringerite Group phosphides

01.01.21.01 Barringerite (Fe,Ni)2P P 62m 6 m2

01.01.21.02 Schreibersite (Fe,Ni)3P I 4 4

01.01.21.03 Nickelphosphide! (Ni,Fe)3P I 4 4

01.01.21.04 Allabogdanite! (Fe,Ni)2P P nma 2/m 2/m 2/m

01.01.21.05 Melliniite! (Ni,Fe)4P P 2₁3 2 3

01.01.21.06 Monipite! MoNiP P 6 2m 6 m2

Strunz Class:

01.BD.05 01 - ELEMENTS (Metals and intermetallic alloys; metalloids and nonmetals; carbides, silicides, nitrides, phosphides)

01.B - Metallic Carbides, Silicides, Nitrides and Phosphides

01.BD -Phosphides

01.BD.05 Schreibersite (Fe,Ni)3P I 4 4

01.BD.05 Nickelphosphide! (Ni,Fe)3P I 4 4

Other Nickelphosphide Information

References:

NAME( CanMin, 8/99) PHYS. PROP.(MinRec, Vol 31, No 4) OPTIC PROP.(AmMin, v 85, p 875)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Nickelphosphide :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Athena
3 - GeoScienceWorld
4 - Google Images
5 - Google Scholar
6 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
7 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
8 - MinDAT
9 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
10 - Online Mineral Museum
11 - QUT Mineral Atlas
12 - Ruff.Info

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Nickelphosphide

(Ni,Fe)3P
Dana No: 01.01.21.03 Strunz No: 01.BD.05
Locality:

Notes:

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