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Concept
Phosphate mineral
Summary
Phosphate minerals contain the tetrahedrally coordinated phosphate (PO43−) anion, sometimes with arsenate (AsO43−) and vanadate (VO43−) substitutions, along with chloride (Cl−), fluoride (F−), and hydroxide (OH−) anions, that also fit into the crystal structure.
The phosphate class of minerals is a large and diverse group, however, only a few species are relatively common.
Phosphate rock
Phosphate rock has high concentration of phosphate minerals, most commonly from the apatite group of minerals. It is the major resource mined to produce phosphate fertilizers for the agricultural industry. Phosphate is also used in animal feed supplements, food preservatives, anti-corrosion agents, cosmetics, fungicides, ceramics, water treatment and metallurgy.
The production of fertilizer is the largest source responsible for minerals mined for their phosphate content.
Phosphate minerals are often used to control rust, and to prevent corrosion on ferrous materials applied with electrochemical conversion coatings.
Phosphate minerals include:
Triphylite Li(Fe,Mn)PO4
Monazite (La, Y, Nd, Sm, Gd, Ce,Th)PO4, rare earth metals
Hinsdalite PbAl3(PO4)(SO4)(OH)6
Pyromorphite Pb5(PO4)3Cl
Erythrite Co3(AsO4)2·8H2O
Amblygonite LiAlPO4F
Lazulite (Mg,Fe)Al2(PO4)2(OH)2
Wavellite Al3(PO4)2(OH)3·5H2O
Turquoise CuAl6(PO4)4(OH)8·5H2O
Autunite Ca(UO2)2(PO4)2·10-12H2O
Phosphophyllite Zn2(Fe,Mn)(PO4)2•4H2O
Struvite (NH4)MgPO4·6H2O
Xenotime-Y Y(PO4)
Apatite group Ca5(PO4)3(F,Cl,OH)
Hydroxylapatite Ca5(PO4)3OH
Fluorapatite Ca5(PO4)3F
Chlorapatite Ca5(PO4)3Cl
Bromapatite
Mitridatite group:
Arseniosiderite-mitridatite series (Ca2(Fe3+)3[(O)2|(AsO4)3]·3H2O -- Ca2(Fe3+)3[(O)2|(PO4)3]·3H2O)
Arseniosiderite-robertsite series (Ca2(Fe3+)3[(O)2|(AsO4)3]·3H2O -- Ca3(Mn3+)4[(OH)3|(PO4)2]2·3H2O)
IMA-CNMNC proposes a new hierarchical scheme (Mills et al., 2009). This list uses it to modify the classification of Nickel–Strunz (mindat.org, 10 ed, pending publication).
Abbreviations:
"*" – discredited (IMA/CNMNC status).
"?" – questionable/doubtful (IMA/CNMNC status).
Official source
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Related concepts (4)
Hydroxyapatite
Hydroxyapatite (HA), is a naturally occurring mineral form of calcium apatite with the formula , but it is usually written to denote that the crystal unit cell comprises two entities. Hydroxylapatite is the hydroxyl endmember of the complex apatite group. The ion can be replaced by fluoride, chloride, producing fluorapatite or chlorapatite. It crystallizes in the hexagonal crystal system. Pure hydroxylapatite powder is white. Naturally occurring apatites can, however, also have brown, yellow, or green colorations, comparable to the discolorations of dental fluorosis.
Apatite
Apatite is a group of phosphate minerals, usually hydroxyapatite, fluorapatite and chlorapatite, with high concentrations of OH−, F− and Cl− ion, respectively, in the crystal. The formula of the admixture of the three most common endmembers is written as Ca10(PO4)6(OH,F,Cl)2, and the crystal unit cell formulae of the individual minerals are written as Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2, Ca10(PO4)6F2 and Ca10(PO4)6Cl2.
Mineralogy
Mineralogy is a subject of geology specializing in the scientific study of the chemistry, crystal structure, and physical (including optical) properties of minerals and mineralized artifacts. Specific studies within mineralogy include the processes of mineral origin and formation, classification of minerals, their geographical distribution, as well as their utilization. History of mineralogy Early writing on mineralogy, especially on gemstones, comes from ancient Babylonia, the ancient Greco-Roman world, ancient and medieval China, and Sanskrit texts from ancient India and the ancient Islamic world.