wavellite
Also known as bialite
Wavellite is an aluminium basic phosphate mineral with formula Al3(PO4)2(OH, F)3·5H2O. Distinct crystals are rare, and it normally occurs as translucent green radial or spherical clusters.
Key facts
- Mineral.name
- Wavellite
- Mineral.category
- Phosphate minerals
- Mineral.image
- Wavellite-162460.jpg
- Mineral.caption
- Wavellite cluster from Mauldin Mountain Quarries, Mauldin Mt., Montgomery County, Arkansas
- Mineral.formula
- Al3(PO4)2(OH,F)3·5H2O
- Mineral.IMAsymbol
- Wav
- Mineral.strunz
- 8.DC.50
- Mineral.system
- Orthorhombic
- Mineral.class
- Dipyramidal (mmm) H-M symbol: (2/m 2/m 2/m)
- Mineral.symmetry
- Pcmn
- Mineral.unit cell
- a = 9.621 Å b = 17.363 Å, c = 6.994 Å; Z = 4
- Mineral.color
- Green to yellowish-green and greenish blue and blue. and yellow, brown, white and colorless
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Article
4 sectionsContents
- Discovery and occurrence
- See also
- References
- External links
Wavellite is an aluminium basic phosphate mineral with formula Al3(PO4)2(OH, F)3·5H2O. Distinct crystals are rare, and it normally occurs as translucent green radial or spherical clusters.
== Discovery and occurrence == thumb|left|Wavellite from the Avant Mine, Garland County, Arkansas, showing spherical structure (size: 3.4 x 2.0 x 1.1 cm) Wavellite was first described in 1805 for an occurrence at High Down, Filleigh, Devon, England and named by William Babington in 1805 in honor of Dr. William Wavell (1750–1829), a Devon-based physician, botanist, historian, and naturalist, who brought the mineral to the attention of fellow mineralogists.