Taranakite Mineral Data

General Taranakite Information

Chemical Formula:

K3Al5(HPO4)6(PO4)2•18(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 1,342.30 gm

Potassium 8.74 % K 10.53 % K₂O

Aluminum 10.05 % Al 18.99 % Al₂O₃

Phosphorus 18.46 % P 42.30 % P₂O₅

Hydrogen 3.15 % H 28.18 % H₂O

Oxygen 59.60 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

K₃Al₅(HPO₄)₆(PO₄)₂•18(H₂O)

Environment:

Formed from phosphatic solutions derived from bird or bat guano reacting with clays or aluminous rocks under perenially damp conditions

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1882

Locality:

Sugarloaves, near New Plymouth, Taranaki Peninsula, New Zealand. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for the locality.

Name Pronunciation:

Taranakite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

ICSD 85750

PDF 29-981

Taranakite Image

Images:

Taranakite

Comments: Bright white chalky powdery taranakite mass.
Location: South Farallon Island, near San Francicso, California, USA. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Taranakite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:c = 1:10.92214

Cell Dimensions:

a = 8.7025, c = 95.05, Z = 6; V = 6,234.06 Den(Calc)= 2.15

Crystal System:

Trigonal - Hexagonal Scalenohedral H-M Symbol (3 2/m) Space Group: R 3c

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 15.5(1), 3.83(0.8), 7.6(0.8),

Physical Properties of Taranakite

Color:

Gray white, Yellowish white, White.

Density:

2.09

Hardness:

1-2 - Between Talc and Gypsum

Luminescence:

Non-Fluorescent.

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Taranakite

Optical Data:

NCalc= 1.5 - from Gladstone-Dale relationship (KC = 0.2332) where Ncalc=Dcalc*KC+1
NCalc= 1.49 - from Gladstone-Dale relationship (KC = 0.2332) where Ncalc=Dmeas*KC+1

Calculated Properties of Taranakite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.19 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Taranakite =2.15 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.000301283
Boson Index = 0.999698717

Photoelectric:

PE_Taranakite= 2.09 barns/electron
U=PE_Taranakite x r_electron= 4.58 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 128.51 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Taranakite per GRapi unit = 0.78 (%)

Estimated Radioactivity from Taranakite - barely detectable

Taranakite Classification

Dana Class:

39.03.06.01 (39)Hydrated Acid Phosphates, etc

(39.03)with miscellaneous formulae

(39.03.06)Dana Group

39.03.06.01 Taranakite K3Al5(HPO4)6(PO4)2•18(H2O) R 3c 3 2/m

Strunz Class:

08.CH.25 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.25 Francoanellite H6(K,Na)3(Al,Fe)5(PO4)8•13(H2O) R 3c or R 3c Trig

08.CH.25 Taranakite K3Al5(HPO4)6(PO4)2•18(H2O) R 3c 3 2/m

Other Taranakite Information

References:

NAME( AntBidBlaNic4) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Taranakite :
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

Search for Taranakite using:

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

Visit our Advertisers for Taranakite :

Ask about Taranakite 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 Taranakite Specimen Label here :

Taranakite

K3Al5(HPO4)6(PO4)2•18(H2O)
Dana No: 39.03.06.01 Strunz No: 08.CH.25
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.