Triplite

Phosphate mineral

Triplite

Triplite from Alchuri, Shigar Valley, Baltistan, Pakistan (1.2 × 1 × 0.9 cm)

General
Category| Phosphate minerals
Formula| (Mn,Fe)2(PO4)(F,OH)
IMA symbol| Trl[1]
Strunz classification| 8.BB.10
Crystal system| Monoclinic
Crystal class| Prismatic (2/m)
(same H-M symbol)
Space group| I2/a (no. 15)
Unit cell| a = 11.97 Å, b = 6.52 Å
c = 10.09 Å; β = 105.62°; Z = 8
Identification
Color| Chestnut to reddish brown, flesh-red, salmon-pink
Crystal habit| Prismatic, massive to nodular
Cleavage| Good on {001}, fair on {010}, poor on {100}
Fracture| Uneven to subconchoidal
Mohs scale hardness| 5 to 5.5
Luster| Vitreous to resinous
Streak| White to brown
Diaphaneity| Translucent to opaque
Specific gravity| 3.5 – 3.9
Optical properties| Biaxial (+)
Refractive index| nα=1.643–1.684, nβ=1.647–1.693, nγ=1.668–1.703
Pleochroism| Distinct; yellow-brown to reddish brown
2V angle| 25 – 76°
Dispersion| r > v, moderate to strong
Alters to| Alters to brownish black
References| [2][3][4][5]

Triplite is a rare phosphate mineral with formula: (Mn, Fe)2PO4(F, OH). It occurs in phosphate-rich granitic pegmatites typically as irregular brown opaque masses. Triplite was first described in 1813 for an occurrence in Chanteloube, Limousin, France.[6] The name is from the Greek triplos for triple, in reference to the three cleavage directions.[3] In color and appearance, it is very similar to rhodocrosite, another manganese bearing mineral. Chemically, it is also quite similar to triploidite the difference being that triplite is fluorine dominant while triploidite is hydroxide dominant.

## Occurrence

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Triplite from Colorado

Triplite is a rare fluoro-hydroxide phosphate mineral that forms in phosphate rich granite pegmatites and high temperature hydrothermal veins. It has been found in the United States in California, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, South Dakota, Virginia, Connecticut, and Maine. Other occurrences include the Shigar Valley, Pakistan; China; Bavaria, Germany; Kimito, Finland and Karibib, Namibia.[3]

## References

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1. ^ Warr, L.N. (2021). "IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols". Mineralogical Magazine. 85 (3): 291–320\. Bibcode:2021MinM...85..291W. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43. S2CID 235729616.
2. ^ Handbook of Mineralogy
3. ^ a b c Mindat.org
4. ^ Webmineral data
5. ^ Vignola, Pietro; Gatta, G. Diego; Hatert, Frédéric; Guastoni, Alessandro; Bersani, Danilo (April 2014). "ON THE CRYSTAL-CHEMISTRY OF A NEAR-ENDMEMBER TRIPLITE, Mn 2+ 2 (PO 4 )F, FROM THE CODERA VALLEY (SONDRIO PROVINCE, CENTRAL ALPS, ITALY)" (PDF). The Canadian Mineralogist. 52 (2): 235–245\. Bibcode:2014CaMin..52..235V. doi:10.3749/canmin.52.2.235.
6. ^ Triplite Crystals from Colorado, C. W. Wolf and E. Wm. Heinrich, American Mineralogist, Volume 32, pages 518–526, 1947

## External links

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Media related to Triplite at Wikimedia Commons

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Manganese minerals

Borates|

* Sussexite
* Tusionite

Carbonates|

* Ankerite
* Kutnohorite
* Rhodochrosite
* Manganoan calcite

Oxides|

| Simple|

* Hausmannite
* Manganite
* Manganosite
* Nsutite
* Pyrolusite

|

Mixed|

* Birnessite
* Bixbyite
* Ferrocolumbite
* Ferrotantalite
* Galaxite
* Jacobsite
* Manganotantalite
* Psilomelane (calvonigrite)
* Romanèchite
* Tantalite
* Todorokite
* Umber

Phosphates|

* Childrenite
* Graftonite
* Lithiophilite
* Natrophilite
* Purpurite
* Triplite
* Triploidite
* Zanazziite

Silicates|

* Babingtonite
* Braunite
* Brownleeite
* Calderite
* Chloritoid
* Eudialyte
* Glaucochroite
* Jeffersonite
* Knebelite
* Ottrelite
* Piemontite
* Pyroxferroite
* Rhodonite
* Spessartine
* Sugilite
* Tephroite
* Zakharovite
* Zircophyllite

Sulfides|

* Alabandite
* Hauerite
* Rambergite

Other|

* Axinite (borosilicate)
* Geigerite (arsenate)
* Manganese nodule (various)
* Samsonite (sulfosalt)
* Zincobotryogen (sulfate)
* Wolframite (tungstate)
* Hübnerite (tungstate)

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