Ruifrancoite
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About Ruifrancoite
Formula:
Ca2(◻,Mn)2(Fe3+,Mn,Mg)4Be4(PO4)6(OH)4(OH,H2O)2 · 4H2O
Colour:
reddish brown
Lustre:
Vitreous
Hardness:
4½
Specific Gravity:
2.88
Crystal System:
Monoclinic
Member of:
Name:
Named in honour of Professor Rui Ribeiro Franco (9 June 1916 - 20 February 2008), in recognition of his outstanding contributions to Brazilian mineralogy and geology.
Classification of Ruifrancoite
Approved
Approval Year:
2006
7/D.01-52
8.DA.10
8.DA.10
8 : PHOSPHATES, ARSENATES, VANADATES
D : Phosphates, etc. with additional anions, with H2O
A : With small (and occasionally larger) cations
8 : PHOSPHATES, ARSENATES, VANADATES
D : Phosphates, etc. with additional anions, with H2O
A : With small (and occasionally larger) cations
42.7.7.4
42 : HYDRATED PHOSPHATES, ETC.CONTAINING HYDROXYL OR HALOGEN
7 : (AB)2(XO4)Zq·xH2O
42 : HYDRATED PHOSPHATES, ETC.CONTAINING HYDROXYL OR HALOGEN
7 : (AB)2(XO4)Zq·xH2O
Physical Properties of Ruifrancoite
Vitreous
Transparency:
Transparent
Colour:
reddish brown
Streak:
orange-brown
Hardness:
4½ on Mohs scale
Hardness Data:
Estimated
Density:
2.88 g/cm3 (Measured) 2.859 g/cm3 (Calculated)
Chemical Properties of Ruifrancoite
Formula:
Ca2(◻,Mn)2(Fe3+,Mn,Mg)4Be4(PO4)6(OH)4(OH,H2O)2 · 4H2O
IMA Formula:
Ca2(◻,Mn)2(Fe3+,Mn,Mg)4Be4(PO4)6(OH)6 · 4H2O
Crystallography of Ruifrancoite
Crystal System:
Monoclinic
Class (H-M):
2/m - Prismatic
Space Group:
B2/b
Cell Parameters:
a = 15.911 Å, b = 11.894 Å, c = 6.625 Å
β = 94.5°
β = 94.5°
Ratio:
a:b:c = 1.338 : 1 : 0.557
Unit Cell V:
1250 ų
Z:
2
X-Ray Powder Diffraction
Powder Diffraction Data:
| d-spacing | Intensity |
|---|---|
| 9.485 | (44) |
| 5.943 | (100) |
| 4.816 | (65) |
| 3.169 | (44) |
| 3.117 | (25) |
| 3.065 | (22) |
| 2.777 | (41) |
| 2.643 | (42) |
Type Occurrence of Ruifrancoite
General Appearance of Type Material:
needles or laths 1 to 2 microns thick, and up to 100 microns long in fan-shaped boyryoids
Place of Conservation of Type Material:
Museu de Geosciencias, Instituto de Geosciencas, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Brazil (cat.no. DR587). Cotype deposited in the Mineralogical Collection , Technische Universitat Bergakademie Freiberg, Germany (catalog no. 81420)
Associated Minerals at Type Locality:
Synonyms of Ruifrancoite
Relationship of Ruifrancoite to other Species
Member of:
Other Members of this group:
| Atencioite | Ca2Fe2+3Mg2Be4(PO4)6(OH)4 · 6H2O | |
| Footemineite | Ca2Mn2+Mn2+2Mn2+2Be4(PO4)6(OH)4 · 6H2O | Tric. 1 : P1 |
| Greifensteinite | Ca2Fe2+5Be4(PO4)6(OH)4 · 6H2O | Mon. |
| Guimarãesite | Ca2Be4Zn5(PO4)6(OH)4 · 6H2O | Mon. 2/m : B2/b |
| Okruschite | Ca2Mn2+5Be4(AsO4)6(OH)4·6H2O | Mon. 2/m : B2/b |
| Roscherite | Ca2Mn2+5Be4(PO4)6(OH)4 · 6H2O | Mon. 2/m : B2/m |
| Zanazziite | Ca2Mg5Be4(PO4)6(OH)4 · 6H2O | Mon. 2/m : B2/b |
Common Associates
Associated Minerals Based on Photo Data:
| Childrenite | 21 photos of Ruifrancoite associated with Childrenite on mindat.org. |
| Quartz | 14 photos of Ruifrancoite associated with Quartz on mindat.org. |
| Beryllonite | 6 photos of Ruifrancoite associated with Beryllonite on mindat.org. |
| Feldspar Group | 4 photos of Ruifrancoite associated with Feldspar Group on mindat.org. |
| Mica Group | 4 photos of Ruifrancoite associated with Mica Group on mindat.org. |
| Hydroxylherderite | 4 photos of Ruifrancoite associated with Hydroxylherderite on mindat.org. |
| Meurigite-K | 3 photos of Ruifrancoite associated with Meurigite-K on mindat.org. |
| Muscovite | 3 photos of Ruifrancoite associated with Muscovite on mindat.org. |
| Berlinite | 2 photos of Ruifrancoite associated with Berlinite on mindat.org. |
| Childrenite-Eosphorite Series | 1 photo of Ruifrancoite associated with Childrenite-Eosphorite Series on mindat.org. |
Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping
| 8.DA.05 | Bearsite | Be2(AsO4)(OH) · 4H2O | Mon. |
| 8.DA.05 | Moraesite | Be2(PO4)(OH) · 4H2O | Mon. |
| 8.DA.10 | Roscherite | Ca2Mn2+5Be4(PO4)6(OH)4 · 6H2O | Mon. 2/m : B2/m |
| 8.DA.10 | Zanazziite | Ca2Mg5Be4(PO4)6(OH)4 · 6H2O | Mon. 2/m : B2/b |
| 8.DA.10 | Greifensteinite | Ca2Fe2+5Be4(PO4)6(OH)4 · 6H2O | Mon. |
| 8.DA.10 | Atencioite | Ca2Fe2+3Mg2Be4(PO4)6(OH)4 · 6H2O | |
| 8.DA.10 | Guimarãesite | Ca2Be4Zn5(PO4)6(OH)4 · 6H2O | Mon. 2/m : B2/b |
| 8.DA.10 | Footemineite | Ca2Mn2+Mn2+2Mn2+2Be4(PO4)6(OH)4 · 6H2O | Tric. 1 : P1 |
| 8.DA.15 | Uralolite | Ca2Be4(PO4)3(OH)3 · 5H2O | Mon. |
| 8.DA.20 | Weinebeneite | CaBe3(PO4)2(OH)2 · 4H2O | Mon. |
| 8.DA.25 | Tiptopite | K2(Na,Ca)2Li3Be6(PO4)6(OH)2 · H2O | Hex. |
| 8.DA.30 | Veszelyite | (Cu,Zn)2Zn(PO4)2 · 2H2O | Mon. 2/m : P21/b |
| 8.DA.35 | Kipushite | (Cu,Zn)5Zn(PO4)2(OH)6 · H2O | Mon. |
| 8.DA.35 | Philipsburgite | (Cu,Zn)6(AsO4,PO4)2(OH)6 · H2O | Mon. |
| 8.DA.40 | Spencerite | Zn4(PO4)2(OH)2 · 3H2O | Mon. 2/m : P2/b |
| 8.DA.45 | Glucine | CaBe4(PO4)2(OH)4 · 0.5H2O | |
| 8.DA.50 | Ianbruceite | [Zn2(OH)(H2O)(AsO4)](H2O)2 | Mon. 2/m : P21/b |
Related Minerals - Dana Grouping (8th Ed.)
| 42.7.7.1 | Roscherite | Ca2Mn2+5Be4(PO4)6(OH)4 · 6H2O | Mon. 2/m : B2/m |
| 42.7.7.3 | Zanazziite | Ca2Mg5Be4(PO4)6(OH)4 · 6H2O | Mon. 2/m : B2/b |
Other Information
Health Risks:
No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.
References for Ruifrancoite
Reference List:
Sort by Year (asc) | by Year (desc) | by Author (A-Z) | by Author (Z-A)
D. Atencio, et al. (2007): Ruifrancoite, a new Fe3+-dominant monoclinic member of the roscherite group from Galileia, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Canadian Mineralogist, 45, 1263-1273.
Internet Links for Ruifrancoite
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-29066.html
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External Links:
Mineral Dealers:
Specimens:
The following Ruifrancoite specimens are currently listed for sale on minfind.com.
Localities for Ruifrancoite
ⓘ - Click for further information on this occurrence.
? - Indicates mineral may be doubtful at this locality.
- Good crystals or important locality for species.
- World class for species or very significant.
(TL) - Type Locality for a valid mineral species.
(FRL) - First Recorded Locality for everything else (eg varieties).
Struck out - Mineral was erroneously reported from this locality.
Faded * - Never found at this locality but inferred to have existed at some point in the past (eg from pseudomorphs.)
All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.
- Good crystals or important locality for species.
- World class for species or very significant.
(TL) - Type Locality for a valid mineral species.
(FRL) - First Recorded Locality for everything else (eg varieties).
All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.
Brazil (TL) | |
| Atencio,K. et al (2007): Ruifrancoite, a new Fe3+-dominant monoclinic member of the roscherite group from Galileia, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Canadian Mineralogist. 45, 1263-1273. |
| Pavel M. Kartashov analysis |
Sapucaia mine, Sapucaia do Norte, Galiléia, Minas Gerais, Brazil