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Diaspore

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Mugla Province, Aegean Region, Turkey
© Rob Lavinsky

Show Diaspore Photos (47)
Formula:
AlO(OH)
System:OrthorhombicColour:white, brown, ...
Hardness:6½ - 7
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.

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), Ekaterinburgskaya (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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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 Group:
Diaspore Group:
M
3+
 
O(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,Fe)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
[(OH)
 
2
|TeO
 
4
]
4.FD.30Khinite
Pb
2+
 
Cu
2+
3
(TeO
 
6
)(OH)
 
2
4.FD.30Parakhinite
Pb
2+
 
Cu
2+
3
TeO
 
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
TanatariteZultanite
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
Slovak:Diaspor
Spanish:Diáspora
Diasporita
Diasporogelita
Empholita
Kayserita
Tanatarita
Ukrainian:Діаспор
Varieties:
Mangan-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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    Localities for Diaspore

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