What is the structure of apatite?

Apatite has the composition Ca5[PO4]3(OH,F,Cl) and is the major primary mineral source of phosphorous to most soils. It has a hexagonal crystal system and variable composition. Fluorine, hydroxyls, chlorine, and others may substitute in the structure freely, thus forming fluorapatite, hydroxyapatite, chlorapatite, etc.

How do you identify apatite in the thin section?

Due to the phosphate content, apatite crystals are usually small and can be hard to detect in thin section. The apatite crystal is very small and elongated. Its high relief allows it to stick out from the other colorless minerals. Under cross-polars apatite exhibits a first order gray color.

What are the minerals of apatite?

Apatite is a phosphate mineral (and is the most abundant phosphorous-bearing mineral). The name actually covers three different minerals (fluorapatite, chlorapatite and hydroxylapatite) depending on the predominance of either fluorine, chlorine or the hydroxyl group.

What is a fact about apatite?

Apatite is a group of phosphate minerals with high concentrations of OH−, F−, Cl− or ions, respectively, in the crystal. Apatite is characteristic of biological systems. It is one of a few minerals produced and used by biological micro-environmental systems. It hardness defines 5 on the Mohs scale.

Is apatite water soluble?

The solubility of apatite increased as the pH of water and the particle size of apatite crystals were decreased. The concentrations of dissolved ortho-PO4 3− increased in proportion to the amount of apatite added to water and apatite generally increased the pH of water at low slurry densities.

Is apatite a rock or mineral?

rock phosphate mineral
Apatite is identified by the chemical formula Ca5(PO4). It forms in hexagonal crystals and is a rock phosphate mineral. Apatite can exist in many different forms, along with other minerals, as long as the base of apatite calcium (Ca5) and phosphorous (PO4) exist together.