Brianite

Brianite
General
Category Phosphate minerals
Formula
(repeating unit)		 Na2CaMg(PO4)2
Strunz classification 8.AC.30
Crystal system Monoclinic
Crystal class Prismatic (2/m)
H-M symbol: (2/m)
Space group P21/a
Unit cell a = 13.36 Å, b = 5.23 Å,
c = 9.13 Å, β = 91.2°; Z = 4
Identification
Color Colorless
Crystal habit Anhedral grains with lamellar structur visible under polarized light
Twinning Polysynthetic on {100}
Mohs scale hardness 4-5
Luster Vitreous
Diaphaneity Transparent
Specific gravity 3.0-3.1
Optical properties biaxial (-)
Refractive index nα = 1.598, nβ = 1.605, nγ = 1.608
Birefringence 0.010
2V angle 63° to 65°
Extinction 2 to 3° from lamellae
References [1][2][3][4]

Brianite is a phosphate mineral with the chemical formula Na2CaMg(PO4)2.[3] It was first identified in an iron meteorite.[2] This mineral is named after Brian Harold Mason (1917–2009), a pioneer in meteoritics.[2]

It was first reported from the Dayton meteorite in Montgomery County, Ohio in 1966.[2] It occurs in phosphate nodules within the meteorite. Associated minerals include: panethite, whitlockite, albite, enstatite, schreibersite, kamacite, taenite, graphite, sphalerite and troilite.[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Mineralienatlas
  2. 1 2 3 4 Brianite mineral information and data on Mindat
  3. 1 2 Brianite data on Webmin
  4. 1 2 Brianite data from the Handbook of Mineralogy


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