Schertelite Mineral Data

General Schertelite Information

Chemical Formula:

(NH4)2MgH2(PO4)2•4(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 324.40 gm

Magnesium 7.49 % Mg 12.42 % MgO

Phosphorus 19.10 % P 43.76 % P₂O₅

Hydrogen 2.49 % H - % Calc as (NH₄)₂O

Hydrogen 3.11 % H 27.77 % H₂O

Nitrogen 8.64 % N 16.05 % (NH₄)₂O

Oxygen 59.18 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

(NH₄)₂MgH₂(PO₄)₂•4(H₂O)

Environment:

Formed in drier portions of bat guano, by the reaction of NH4 from guano with Mg in surrounding rocks.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1902

Locality:

Skipton lava tube caves, 40 km southwest of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for Arnulf Schertel (1841-1902), mineralogist, Freiberg Mining Academy, Freiberg, Germany.

Name Pronunciation:

Schertelite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

ICSD 2733

PDF 16-353

Schertelite Image

Images:

Schertelite

Comments: Transparent glassy crystalline schertelite grains.
Location: Skipton Caves, Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Schertelite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.4853:1:0.3647

Cell Dimensions:

a = 11.47, b = 23.63, c = 8.62, Z = 8; V = 2,336.33 Den(Calc)= 1.84

Crystal System:

Orthorhombic - Dipyramidal H-M Symbol (2/m 2/m 2/m) Space Group: P bca

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 5.94(1), 2.97(0.43), 5.21(0.37),

Physical Properties of Schertelite

Cleavage:

None

Color:

Colorless.

Density:

1.83

Diaphaneity:

Transparent

Fracture:

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

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Schertelite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.413 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.405 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2801,KPDmeas= 0.2816,KC= 0.1993
Ncalc = 1.36 - 1.37

Optical Data:

Biaxial (+), a=1.508, b=1.515, g=1.523, bire=0.0150, 2V(Calc)=88, 2V(Meas)=90.

Calculated Properties of Schertelite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=1.93 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Schertelite =1.84 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.09
Boson Index = 0.91

Photoelectric:

PE_Schertelite= 1.17 barns/electron
U=PE_Schertelite x rElectron Density= 2.25 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

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

Schertelite Classification

Dana Class:

39.03.02.01 (39)Hydrated Acid Phosphates, etc

(39.03)with miscellaneous formulae

(39.03.02)Dana Group

39.03.02.01 Schertelite (NH4)2MgH2(PO4)2•4(H2O) P bca 2/m 2/m 2/m

Strunz Class:

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

08.C - Phosphates without Additional Anions, with H2O

08.CH -With large and medium-sized cations, RO4:H2O < 1:1

08.CH.30 Schertelite (NH4)2MgH2(PO4)2•4(H2O) P bca 2/m 2/m 2/m

Other Schertelite 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 Schertelite :
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
14 - WWW-MINCRYST

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

Schertelite

(NH4)2MgH2(PO4)2•4(H2O)
Dana No: 39.03.02.01 Strunz No: 08.CH.30
Locality:

Notes:

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