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Diaspore

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Mugla Province, Aegean Region, Turkey
© Rob Lavinsky

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Formula:
AlO(OH)
System:OrthorhombicColour:white, brown, ...
Hardness:6½ - 7
Member of:Diaspore Group
Name:From the Greek διασπείρειυ, to scatter, in allusion to the usual decrepitaton in the blowpipe flame.


Diaspore Group.

Beware! Certain dealers (especially on ebay) have been offering samples of a whitish-metallic feathery material as "diaspore". It appears to be metallic aluminium plumes formed from metal dripping from smelters, and is not a mineral.

Visit gemdat.org for gemological information about Diaspore. Currently in public beta-test.

Classification of Diaspore

IMA status:Valid - first described prior to 1959 (pre-IMA) - "Grandfathered"
Strunz 8th edition ID:4/F.06-10
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:4.FD.10

4 : OXIDES (Hydroxides, V[5,6] vanadates, arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites, iodates)
F : Hydroxides (without V or U)
D : Hydroxides with OH, without H2O; chains of edge-sharing octahedra
Dana 8th edition ID:6.1.1.1

6 : HYDROXIDES AND OXIDES CONTAINING HYDROXYL
1 : XO(OH)
Hey's CIM Ref.:7.6.2

7 : Oxides and Hydroxides
6 : Oxides of Al
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Type Occurrence of Diaspore

Type Locality:Mramorskii (Mramorsk) Zavod, Kosoi Brod Village, Ekaterinburg (Sverdlovsk), Sverdlovskaya Oblast', Middle Urals, Urals Region, Russia
Year of Discovery:1801

Occurrences of Diaspore

Geological Setting:With other minerals in bauxite deposits.

Physical Properties of Diaspore

Lustre:Vitreous, Pearly
Diaphaneity (Transparency):Transparent, Translucent
Comment:Pearly on cleavage
Colour:white, brown, colourless, pale yellow, greyish, greenish grey, lilac, pinkish
Streak:white
Hardness (Mohs):6½ - 7
Tenacity:Very brittle
Cleavage:Perfect
{010} perfect; {110} distinct; {100} in traces
Fracture:Conchoidal
Density (measured):3.2 - 3.5 g/cm3
Density (calculated):3.38 g/cm3

Crystallography of Diaspore

Crystal System:Orthorhombic
Class (H-M):mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) - Dipyramidal
Cell Parameters:a = 4.4007(6) Å, b = 9.4253(13) Å, c = 2.8452(3) Å
Ratio:a:b:c = 0.467 : 1 : 0.302
Unit Cell Volume:V 118.01 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:4
Morphology:Crystals commonly thin platy {010} and elongated [001]; acicular at times [001]; tabular {100}, rare. Faces in zone [010] striated [010]; in zone [001] striated [001]; and in zone [012] striated [012]. Foliated massive; thin scales. Stalactitic at times.
Twinning:n {61, or on {021}, uncommon, with a reentrant angle of about 60°±, producing psedohexagonal aggregates, normal to the pseudhexagonal axis a[100].
Crystal Atlas:
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Diaspore no.5 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
Diaspore no.8 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)

About Crystal Atlas

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The mindat.org Crystal Atlas allows you to view a selection of crystal drawings of real and idealised crystal forms for this mineral and, in certain cases, 3d rotating crystal objects. You need Java to see these. You can download Java for free - click here to download Java

The 3d models and java code are kindly provided by www.smorf.nl. You can control the movement of the models by holding down the left mouse-button over the 3d model and moving your mouse. Keyboard controls are:

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Optical Data of Diaspore

Type:Biaxial (+)
RI values: nα = 1.682 - 1.706 nβ = 1.705 - 1.725 nγ = 1.730 - 1.752
2V:Measured: 84° to 86°, Calculated: 80° to 84°
Maximum Birefringence:δ = 0.048

Chart shows birefringence interference colour range (at 30µm thickness) and does not take into account mineral colouration.
Surface Relief:High
Dispersion:weak r
Pleochroism:Strong
Comments:In thick plates
1st. direction: violet-blue
2nd. direction: plum-red
3rd. direction: pale asparagus-green

Chemical Properties of Diaspore

Formula:
AlO(OH)
Essential elements:Al, H, O
All elements listed in formula:Al, H, O
Common Impurities:Fe,Mn,Cr,Si

Relationship of Diaspore to other Species

Member of:Diaspore Group
Other Members of Group:

- +
Bracewellite
CrO(OH)
Goethite
α-Fe
3+
 
O(OH)
Groutite
Mn
3+
 
O(OH)
Montroseite
(V
3+
 
,Fe
3+
 
)O(OH)
Tsumgallite
GaO(OH)
Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):

- +
4.FD.05Spertiniite
Cu(OH)
 
2
4.FD.10Bracewellite
CrO(OH)
4.FD.10Goethite
α-Fe
3+
 
O(OH)
4.FD.10Groutite
Mn
3+
 
O(OH)
4.FD.10Guyanaite
CrO(OH)
4.FD.10Montroseite
(V
3+
 
,Fe
3+
 
)O(OH)
4.FD.10Tsumgallite
GaO(OH)
4.FD.15Manganite
Mn
3+
 
O(OH)
4.FD.20Yttrotungstite-(Y)
YW
 
2
O
 
6
(OH)
 
3
4.FD.20Yttrotungstite-(Ce)
(Ce,Nd,Y)W
 
2
O
 
6
(OH)
 
3
4.FD.20Unnamed (Nd-analogue of Yttrotungstite-(Ce) )
(Nd,Ce, La)W
 
2
O
 
6
(OH)
 
3
4.FD.25Frankhawthorneite
Cu
 
2
Te
6+
 
O
 
4
(OH)
 
2
4.FD.30Khinite
Pb
2+
 
Cu
2+
3
Te
6+
 
O
 
6
(OH)
 
2
4.FD.30Parakhinite
Pb
2+
 
Cu
2+
3
Te
6+
 
O
 
6
(OH)
 
2
Related Minerals - Hey's Index Grouping:

- +
7.6.1Corundum
Al
 
2
O
 
3
7.6.2Böhmite
AlO(OH)
7.6.4Gibbsite
Al(OH)
 
3
7.6.5Bayerite
Al(OH)
 
3
7.6.6Nordstrandite
Al(OH)
 
3
7.6.7Doyleite
Al(OH)
 
3
7.6.8Akdalaite
4Al
 
2
O
 
3
 · H
 
2
O

Other Names for Diaspore

Synonyms:
DiasporiteDiasporogeliteEmpholiteKayseriteTanatar
Tanatarite
Other Languages:
Dutch:Diaspoor
French:Diaspore
German:Diaspor
Blättricher Hydrargillit
Diasporit
Diasporogelit
Empholit
Kayserit
Tanatarit
Italian:Diasporo
Japanese:ダイアスポア
Polish:Diaspor
Russian:Диаспор
Simplified Chinese:一水硬铝石
Slovak:Diaspor
Spanish:Diáspora
Diasporita
Diasporogelita
Empholita
Kayserita
Tanatarita
Ukrainian:Діаспор
Varieties:
Colour-change diasporeMangan-diaspore

Other Information

Health Warning:No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.

References for Diaspore

Reference List:

- +
Ewing (1935), Journal Chem. Phys.: 3: 203.

Palache, Charles, Harry Berman & Clifford Frondel (1944), The System of Mineralogy of James Dwight Dana and Edward Salisbury Dana Yale University 1837-1892, Volume I: Elements, Sulfides, Sulfosalts, Oxides. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York. 7th edition, revised and enlarged: 675-679.

Physics and Chemistry of Minerals: 5: 179-200.

Isetti G., Penco A.M. (1968) - Studio sul pleocroismo infrarosso del diasporo. Periodico di mineralogia – Roma, pp. 31-43.

Pawley, A.R., Redfern, S.A.T., and Holland, T.J.B. (1996), Volume behavior of hydrous minerals at high pressures and temperatures: 1. Thermal expansion of lawsonite, zoisite, clinozoisite, and diaspore. American Mineralogist: 81: 335-340.

Internet Links for Diaspore

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  • Raman and XRD data at RRUFF project
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  • Diaspore details from Handbook of Mineralogy (PDF)
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