Zairite Mineral Data

General Zairite Information

Chemical Formula:

Bi(Fe+++,Al)3(PO4)2(OH)6

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 646.86 gm

Aluminum 3.13 % Al 5.91 % Al₂O₃

Iron 19.43 % Fe 27.77 % Fe₂O₃

Bismuth 32.31 % Bi 36.02 % Bi₂O₃

Phosphorus 9.58 % P 21.94 % P₂O₅

Hydrogen 0.93 % H 8.36 % H₂O

Oxygen 34.63 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

BiFe³⁺_2.25Al_0.75(PO₄)₂(OH)₆

Environment:

Rare mineral in the weathering zone of quartz wolframite deposits.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1975

Locality:

Eta-Etu district, northern Kivu Province, Congo (Zaire). Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for the country where the first specimens were collected.

Name Pronunciation:

Zairite

Zairite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:c = 1:2.33285

Cell Dimensions:

a = 7.015, c = 16.365, Z = 3; V = 697.43 Den(Calc)= 4.62

Crystal System:

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

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 2.945(1), 5.71(0.95), 3.503(0.4),

Physical Properties of Zairite

Color:

Greenish, Greenish white, Yellow green.

Density:

4.37

Diaphaneity:

Transparent to Translucent

Hardness:

4.5 - Between Fluorite and Apatite

Luster:

Vitreous - Resinous

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Zairite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.163 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.208 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1769,KPDmeas= 0.1871,KC= 0.2234
Ncalc = 1.98 - 2.03

Optical Data:

Uniaxial (-), e=1.81, w=1.82-1.83, bire=0.0100-0.0200.

Calculated Properties of Zairite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=4.04 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Zairite =4.37 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0042861484
Boson Index = 0.9957138516

Photoelectric:

PE_Zairite= 568.65 barns/electron
U=PE_Zairite x rElectron Density=2,299.24 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

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

Zairite Classification

Dana Class:

41.05.12.03 (41)Anhydrous Phosphates, etc. Containing Hydroxyl or Halogen

(41.05)where (A B)2 (XO4) Zq

(41.05.12)Waylandite Group

41.05.12.01 Waylandite BiAl3(PO4)2(OH)6 R 3m 3 2/m

41.05.12.02 Eylettersite (Th,Pb)1-xAl3(PO4,SiO4)2(OH)6(?) R 3m 3 2/m

41.05.12.03 Zairite Bi(Fe,Al)3(PO4)2(OH)6 R 3m 3 2/m

41.05.12.04 Arsenogorceixite! BaAl3AsO3(OH)(AsO4,PO4)(OH,F)6 R 3m 3 2/m

Strunz Class:

08.BL.13 08 - PHOSPHATES, ARSENATES, VANADATES

08.B - Phosphates, etc. with Additional Anions, without H2O

08.BL -With medium-sized and large cations, (OH, etc.):RO4 = 3:1

08.BL.13 Arsenoflorencite-(Ce) (Ce,La)Al3(AsO4)2(OH)6 R 3m 3 2/m

08.BL.13 Eylettersite (Th,Pb)1-xAl3(PO4,SiO4)2(OH)6(?) R 3m 3 2/m

08.BL.13 Arsenoflorencite-(La)* (La,Sr)Al3(AsO4,SO4,PO4)2(OH)6 R 3m 3m

08.BL.13 Arsenoflorencite-(Nd)* (Nd,La,Ce,Ba)(Al,Fe)3(AsO4,PO4)2(OH)6 R 3m 3m

08.BL.13 Florencite-(Ce) CeAl3(PO4)2(OH)6 R 3m 3 2/m

08.BL.13 Florencite-(La) (La,Ce)Al3(PO4)2(OH)6 R 3m 3 2/m

08.BL.13 Florencite-(Nd) (Nd,Ce)Al3(PO4)2(OH)6 R 3m 3 2/m

08.BL.13 Graulichite-(Ce)! CeFe3(AsO4)2(OH)6 R 3m 3 2/m

08.BL.13 Waylandite BiAl3(PO4)2(OH)6 R 3m 3 2/m

08.BL.13 Zairite Bi(Fe,Al)3(PO4)2(OH)6 R 3m 3 2/m

Other Zairite 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 Zairite :
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

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

Zairite

Bi(Fe+++,Al)3(PO4)2(OH)6
Dana No: 41.05.12.03 Strunz No: 08.BL.13
Locality:

Notes:

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