Brianite Explained

Brianite
Category:Phosphate minerals
Formula:Na2CaMg(PO4)2
Imasymbol:Bne[1]
Strunz:8.AC.30
System:Monoclinic
Class:Prismatic (2/m)
(same H-M symbol)
Symmetry:P21/a
Unit Cell:a = 13.36 Å, b = 5.23 Å,
c = 9.13 Å, β = 91.2°; Z = 4
Color:Colorless
Habit:Anhedral grains with lamellar structure visible under polarized light
Twinning:Polysynthetic on
Mohs:4-5
Luster:Vitreous
Diaphaneity:Transparent
Gravity:3.0-3.1
Opticalprop:biaxial (-)
Refractive:nα = 1.598, nβ = 1.605, nγ = 1.608
Birefringence:0.010
2V:63° to 65°
Extinction:2 to 3° from lamellae
References:[2]

Brianite is a phosphate mineral with the chemical formula Na2CaMg(PO4)2.[3] It was first identified in an iron meteorite.[4] This mineral is named after Brian Harold Mason (1917–2009), a pioneer in meteoritics.[4]

It was first reported from the Dayton meteorite in Montgomery County, Ohio in 1966.[4] It occurs in phosphate nodules within the meteorite. Associated minerals include: panethite, whitlockite, albite, enstatite, schreibersite, kamacite, taenite, graphite, sphalerite and troilite.[5]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Warr. L.N.. 2021. IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine. 85. 3. 291–320. 10.1180/mgm.2021.43. 2021MinM...85..291W. 235729616. free.
  2. https://www.mineralienatlas.de/lexikon/index.php/MineralData?mineral=Brianite Mineralienatlas
  3. http://webmineral.com/data/Brianite.shtml Brianite data on Webmin
  4. http://www.mindat.org/min-771.html Brianite mineral information and data on Mindat
  5. Web site: Brianite data from the Handbook of Mineralogy . 2015-01-31 . 2015-09-24 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150924050529/http://www.handbookofmineralogy.com/pdfs/brianite.pdf . dead .