Tinsleyite Mineral Data

General Tinsleyite Information

Chemical Formula:

KAl2(PO4)2(OH)•2(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 336.04 gm

Potassium 11.63 % K 14.02 % K₂O

Aluminum 16.06 % Al 30.34 % Al₂O₃

Phosphorus 18.43 % P 42.24 % P₂O₅

Hydrogen 1.50 % H 13.40 % H₂O

Oxygen 52.37 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

KAl₂(PO₄)₂(OH)•2(H₂O)

Environment:

Found in highly altered triphylite pods in the intermediate zone of the pegmatite.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1984

Locality:

Tip Top pegmatite, 8.8 km SE of Custer, Custer County, South Dakota, USA. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for Frank C. Tinsley (1916-), mineral collector, Black Hills specialist of Rapid City, South Dakota, USA.

Name Pronunciation:

Tinsleyite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

ICSD 407356

PDF 38-351

Tinsleyite Image

Images:

Tinsleyite Phosphosiderite Rockbridgeite

Comments: Violet botryoidal tinsleyite on bluish-purple botryoidal phosphosiderite on dark, massive rockbridgeite.
Location: Bendada, Guarda, Portugal. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Tinsleyite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =1.0073:1:0.5815

Cell Dimensions:

a = 9.602, b = 9.532, c = 5.543, Z = 2.5; beta = 103.16° V = 494.01 Den(Calc)= 2.82

Crystal System:

Monoclinic - Prismatic H-M Symbol (2/m) Space Group: P 2₁/n

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 6.68(1), 5.91(0.8), 3.006(0.7),

Physical Properties of Tinsleyite

Cleavage:

None

Color:

Dark red.

Density:

2.69

Diaphaneity:

Translucent

Fracture:

Brittle - Uneven - Very brittle fracture producing uneven fragments.

Habit:

Tabular - Form dimensions are thin in one direction.

Hardness:

5 - Apatite

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Streak:

pink

Optical Properties of Tinsleyite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.042 (Good) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.006 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2118,KPDmeas= 0.2221,KC= 0.2131
Ncalc = 1.57 - 1.6

Optical Data:

Biaxial (+), a=1.591, b=1.597, g=1.604, bire=0.0130, 2V(Calc)=86, 2V(Meas)=86.

Pleochroism (x):

pale orange.

Pleochroism (y):

light purple.

Pleochroism (z):

dark purplish red.

Calculated Properties of Tinsleyite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.82 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Tinsleyite =2.82 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0002675992
Boson Index = 0.9997324008

Photoelectric:

PE_Tinsleyite= 2.53 barns/electron
U=PE_Tinsleyite x r_electron= 7.13 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 167.84 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Tinsleyite per GRapi unit = 0.60 (%)

Estimated Radioactivity from Tinsleyite - barely detectable

Tinsleyite Classification

Dana Class:

42.11.06.02 (42)Hydrated Phosphates, etc., Containing Hydroxyl or Halogen

(42.11)where (AB)4 (XO4)3 Zq ï¿½ x(H2O)

(42.11.06)Leucophosphite Group

42.11.06.01 Leucophosphite KFe2(PO4)2(OH)•2(H2O) P 2₁/n 2/m

42.11.06.02 Tinsleyite KAl2(PO4)2(OH)•2(H2O) P 2₁/n 2/m

42.11.06.03 Spheniscidite (NH4,K)(Fe,Al)2(PO4)2(OH)•2(H2O) P 2₁/n 2/m

Strunz Class:

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

08.D - Phosphates, etc

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

08.DH.10 Leucophosphite KFe2(PO4)2(OH)•2(H2O) P 2₁/n 2/m

08.DH.10 Spheniscidite (NH4,K)(Fe,Al)2(PO4)2(OH)•2(H2O) P 2₁/n 2/m

08.DH.10 Tinsleyite KAl2(PO4)2(OH)•2(H2O) P 2₁/n 2/m

Other Tinsleyite Information

References:

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

See Also:

Links to other databases for Tinsleyite :
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

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

Tinsleyite

KAl2(PO4)2(OH)•2(H2O)
Dana No: 42.11.06.02 Strunz No: 08.DH.10
Locality:

Notes:

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