Allactite
A valid IMA mineral species - grandfathered
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About Allactite
Formula:
Mn2+7(AsO4)2(OH)8
Colour:
Brown, dark to light purplish red, brownish red, colourless to white
Lustre:
Vitreous, Greasy
Hardness:
4½
Specific Gravity:
3.83
Crystal System:
Monoclinic
Member of:
Name:
Named by Stens Anders Hjalmar Sjogren in 1884 from the Greek αλλάκτειν ("allaktein"), "to change," alluding to its marked pleochroism.
Isostructural with:
The arsenate analogue of argandite and waterhouseite.
In the structure there are 4 fully occupied hydrogen sites and at least 9 energetically favourable mono-, bi- and trifurcated hydrogen bonds (Gatta et al., 2016).
In the structure there are 4 fully occupied hydrogen sites and at least 9 energetically favourable mono-, bi- and trifurcated hydrogen bonds (Gatta et al., 2016).
Unique Identifiers
Mindat ID:
122
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:122:7
IMA Classification of Allactite
Approved, 'Grandfathered' (first described prior to 1959)
IMA Formula:
Mn2+7(As5+O4)2(OH)8
Classification of Allactite
8.BE.30
8 : PHOSPHATES, ARSENATES, VANADATES
B : Phosphates, etc., with additional anions, without H2O
E : With only medium-sized cations, (OH, etc.):RO4 > 2:1
8 : PHOSPHATES, ARSENATES, VANADATES
B : Phosphates, etc., with additional anions, without H2O
E : With only medium-sized cations, (OH, etc.):RO4 > 2:1
41.2.1.1
41 : ANHYDROUS PHOSPHATES, ETC.CONTAINING HYDROXYL OR HALOGEN
2 : (AB)7(XO4)2Zq
41 : ANHYDROUS PHOSPHATES, ETC.CONTAINING HYDROXYL OR HALOGEN
2 : (AB)7(XO4)2Zq
20.8.6
20 : Arsenates (also arsenates with phosphate, but without other anions)
8 : Arsenates of Mn
20 : Arsenates (also arsenates with phosphate, but without other anions)
8 : Arsenates of Mn
Mineral Symbols
As of 2021 there are now IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.
Please only use the official IMA–CNMNC symbol. Older variants are listed for historical use only.
Please only use the official IMA–CNMNC symbol. Older variants are listed for historical use only.
| Symbol | Source | Reference for Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Ala | IMA–CNMNC | Warr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43 |
| All | The Canadian Mineralogist (2019) | The Canadian Mineralogist (2019) The Canadian Mineralogist list of symbols for rock- and ore-forming minerals (December 30, 2019). download |
Pronunciation of Allactite
Pronunciation:
| Play | Recorded by | Country |
|---|---|---|
| Jolyon Ralph | United Kingdom |
Physical Properties of Allactite
Vitreous, Greasy
Transparency:
Translucent
Comment:
Lustre somewhat greasy on fracture surfaces.
Colour:
Brown, dark to light purplish red, brownish red, colourless to white
Streak:
Grayish to faint brown
Hardness:
4½ on Mohs scale
Tenacity:
Brittle
Cleavage:
Distinct/Good
On {001}, distinct.
On {001}, distinct.
Fracture:
Irregular/Uneven
Density:
3.83 g/cm3 (Measured) 3.94 g/cm3 (Calculated)
Optical Data of Allactite
Type:
Biaxial (-)
RI values:
nα = 1.755 - 1.761 nβ = 1.772 - 1.786 nγ = 1.774 - 1.787
2V:
Calculated: 36°
Birefringence:
0.022
Max. Birefringence:
δ = 0.019 - 0.026
Based on recorded range of RI values above.
Based on recorded range of RI values above.
Interference Colours:
The colours simulate birefringence patterns seen in thin section under crossed polars. They do not take into account mineral colouration or opacity.
Michel-Levy Bar The default colours simulate the birefringence range for a 30 µm thin-section thickness. Adjust the slider to simulate a different thickness.
Grain Simulation You can rotate the grain simulation to show how this range might look as you rotated a sample under crossed polars. Each grain retains its interference colour (retardation) while its brightness falls to black at extinction and reaches a maximum between extinction positions.
The colours simulate birefringence patterns seen in thin section under crossed polars. They do not take into account mineral colouration or opacity.
Michel-Levy Bar The default colours simulate the birefringence range for a 30 µm thin-section thickness. Adjust the slider to simulate a different thickness.
Grain Simulation You can rotate the grain simulation to show how this range might look as you rotated a sample under crossed polars. Each grain retains its interference colour (retardation) while its brightness falls to black at extinction and reaches a maximum between extinction positions.
Surface Relief:
Very High (positive)
Relative to Canada balsam mounting medium (n ≈ 1.537).
Relative to Canada balsam mounting medium (n ≈ 1.537).
This shows the grain boundary and Becke line effect under plane-polarised
light, based on the contrast between this mineral's average refractive
index and the mounting medium. It does not take into account mineral
colouration.
In focus
Interference Figure:
This shows the idealized biaxial acute bisectrix (Bxa) interference figure
- the conoscopic view for a grain cut perpendicular to the acute bisectrix, using
this mineral's 2V. The two small white dots mark the melatopes - the points
where the two optic axes emerge - and are shown only when they fall within the
field of view. The coloured bands are isochromatics, and the dark bands are
isogyres.
Rotate the stage: at 0°/90° the isogyres form a cross through the melatopes; at 45° they pull apart into curved hyperbolas. That splitting on rotation - absent in a uniaxial figure - is the standard diagnostic test for telling biaxial minerals from uniaxial ones. If 2V is large, the melatopes may fall outside the field of view, as they often do at the microscope too.
Rotate the stage: at 0°/90° the isogyres form a cross through the melatopes; at 45° they pull apart into curved hyperbolas. That splitting on rotation - absent in a uniaxial figure - is the standard diagnostic test for telling biaxial minerals from uniaxial ones. If 2V is large, the melatopes may fall outside the field of view, as they often do at the microscope too.
Dispersion:
r > v, distinct to strong
Optical Extinction:
X ^ c = 51°, Y = b
Pleochroism:
Visible
Comments:
nX = Blood-red
nY = Light yellow
nZ = Sea-green
nY = Light yellow
nZ = Sea-green
Chemistry of Allactite
Mindat Formula:
Mn2+7(AsO4)2(OH)8
Element Weights:
Elements listed:
Crystallography of Allactite
Crystal System:
Monoclinic
Class (H-M):
2/m - Prismatic
Space Group:
P21/b
Setting:
P21/a
Cell Parameters:
a = 11.03 Å, b = 12.12 Å, c = 5.5 Å
β = 114.1°
β = 114.1°
Ratio:
a:b:c = 0.91 : 1 : 0.454
Unit Cell V:
671.17 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:
2
Morphology:
As terminated prisms elongated on [010] , or bladed and tabular on {100} , with many forms, yielding complex wedgelike terminations. In divergent or subparallel rosette-like aggregates, to 6 mm; may be in druses.
Comment:
P21/c setting (P21/n setting also possible)
Crystallographic forms of Allactite
Crystal Atlas:
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Allactite no.1 - {100} - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
3d models and HTML5 code kindly provided by
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Crystal Structure
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Data courtesy of the American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database. Click on an AMCSD ID to view structure
| ID | Species | Reference | Link | Year | Locality | Pressure (GPa) | Temp (K) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0000169 | Allactite | Moore P B (1968) Crystal chemistry of the basic manganese arsenate minerals: II. The crystal structure of allactite American Mineralogist 53 733-741 |  | 1968 | 0 | 293 |
CIF Raw Data - click here to close
X-Ray Powder Diffraction
Powder Diffraction Data:
| d-spacing | Intensity |
|---|---|
| 4.95 Å | (45) |
| 3.71 Å | (65) |
| 3.39 Å | (45) |
| 3.28 Å | (55) |
| 3.23 Å | (50) |
| 3.06 Å | (100) |
| 2.929 Å | (50) |
Comments:
ICDD 17-748
Geological Environment
Paragenetic Mode(s):
| Paragenetic Mode | Earliest Age (Ga) |
|---|---|
| High-? alteration and/or metamorphism | |
| 32 : Ba/Mn/Pb/Zn deposits, including metamorphic deposits |
Geological Setting:
in a metamorphosed stratiform zinc orebody (Franklin, New Jersey, USA)
Type Occurrence of Allactite
General Appearance of Type Material:
Pink bladed crystals in groups
Geological Setting of Type Material:
As a rare secondary mineral in veinlets through metamorphosed manganese deposits
Associated Minerals at Type Locality:
Synonyms of Allactite
Other Language Names for Allactite
Relationship of Allactite to other Species
Member of:
Other Members of Allactite Group:
Common Associates
Associations Based on Photo Data:
| 18 photos of Allactite associated with Native Lead | Pb |
| 17 photos of Allactite associated with Pyrochroite | Mn(OH)2 |
| 16 photos of Allactite associated with Calcite | CaCO3 |
| 12 photos of Allactite associated with Hydrocerussite | Pb3(CO3)2(OH)2 |
| 11 photos of Allactite associated with Roxbyite | Cu58S32 |
| 7 photos of Allactite associated with Chlorophoenicite | (Mn,Mg)3Zn2(AsO4)(OH,O)6 |
| 6 photos of Allactite associated with Franklinite | Zn2+Fe3+2O4 |
| 5 photos of Allactite associated with Hematolite | (Mn,Mg,Al,Fe3+)15(As5+O4)2(As3+O3)(OH)23 |
| 4 photos of Allactite associated with Holdawayite | Mn6(CO3)2(OH)7(Cl,OH) |
| 4 photos of Allactite associated with Willemite | Zn2SiO4 |
Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping
| 8.BE.05 | Augelite | Al2(PO4)(OH)3 |
| 8.BE.10 | Grattarolaite | Fe3+3(PO4)O3 |
| 8.BE.15 | Cornetite | Cu3(PO4)(OH)3 |
| 8.BE.20 | Clinoclase | Cu3(AsO4)(OH)3 |
| 8.BE.25 | Gilmarite | Cu3(AsO4)(OH)3 |
| 8.BE.25 | Arhbarite | Cu2Mg(AsO4)(OH)3 |
| 8.BE.30 | Flinkite | Mn2+2Mn3+(AsO4)(OH)4 |
| 8.BE.30 | Argandite | Mn7(VO4)2(OH)8 |
| 8.BE.30 | Raadeite | Mg7(PO4)2(OH)8 |
| 8.BE.35 | 'Mineral E (of Dunn, et. al., 1982)' | |
| 8.BE.35 | Chlorophoenicite | (Mn,Mg)3Zn2(AsO4)(OH,O)6 |
| 8.BE.35 | Magnesiochlorophoenicite | (Mg,Mn)3Zn2(AsO4)(OH,O)6 |
| 8.BE.40 | Gerdtremmelite | (Zn,Fe)(Al,Fe)2(AsO4)(OH)5 |
| 8.BE.45 | Dixenite | CuMn2+14Fe2+(SiO4)2(As5+O4)(As3+O3)5(OH)6 |
| 8.BE.45 | Mcgovernite | Mn19Zn3(AsO4)3(AsO3)(SiO4)3(OH)21 |
| 8.BE.45 | Hematolite | (Mn,Mg,Al,Fe3+)15(As5+O4)2(As3+O3)(OH)23 |
| 8.BE.45 | Turtmannite | (Mn,Mg)22.5Mg3-3x((V5+,As5+)O4)3(As3+O3)x(SiO4)3O5-5x(OH)20+x |
| 8.BE.45 | Carlfrancisite | Mn2+3(Mn2+,Mg,Fe3+,Al)42[As3+O3]2(As5+O4)4[(Si,As5+)O4]6[(As5+,Si)O4]2(OH)42 |
| 8.BE.45 | Arakiite | (Zn,Mn2+)(Mn2+,Mg)12(Fe3+,Al)2(As5+O4)2(As3+O3)(OH)23 |
| 8.BE.45 | Kraisslite | Zn3(Mn,Mg)25(Fe3+,Al)(As3+O3)2[(Si,As5+)O4]10(OH)16 |
| 8.BE.50 | Synadelphite | Mn2+9(As5+O4)2(As3+O3)(OH)9 · 2H2O |
| 8.BE.55 | Holdenite | (Mn2+,Mg)6Zn3(AsO4)2(SiO4)(OH)8 |
| 8.BE.60 | Kolicite | Mn2+7Zn4(AsO4)2(SiO4)2(OH)8 |
| 8.BE.65 | Sabelliite | (Cu,Zn)2Zn(AsO4,SbO4)(OH)3 |
| 8.BE.70 | Jarosewichite | Mn2+3Mn3+(AsO4)(OH)6 |
| 8.BE.75 | Theisite | Cu5Zn5(AsO4,SbO4)2(OH)14 |
| 8.BE.80 | Coparsite | Cu4(AsO4,VO4)O2Cl |
| 8.BE.85 | Waterhouseite | Mn2+7(PO4)2(OH)8 |
| 8.BE.90 | Vasilseverginite | Cu9O4(AsO4)2(SO4)2 |
Fluorescence of Allactite
Not fluorescent
Other Information
IR Spectrum:
OH stretching bands are present at 3236, 3288, 3387, 3446, 3484, 3562 and 3570 cm-1
Notes:
Readily soluble in HCl.
Health Risks:
No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.
Internet Links for Allactite
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-122.html
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References for Allactite
Reference List:
Sjögren, Anton (1884) Mineralogiska notiser VII. Allaktit, ett nytt manganarseniat från Mossgrufvan å Nordmarksfältet. Geologiska Föreningen i Stockholm Förhandlingar, 7 (2) 109-111 doi:10.1080/11035898409444127
Sjögren, Hj. (1884) Kristallografiska studier: VIII. Allaktit från Nordmarken. Geologiska Föreningen i Stockholm Förhandlingar, 7 (4) 220-236 doi:10.1080/11035898409443537as Allaktit
Sjögren, Anton (1884) Mineralogiska notiser VII. Allaktit, ett nytt manganarseniat från Mossgrufvan å Nordmarksfältet. Geologiska Föreningen i Stockholm Förhandlingar, 7 (2) 109-111 doi:10.1080/11035898409444127
Sjögren, Hj. (1885) Ueber die Manganarseniate von Nordmarken in Wennland. Zeitschrift für Kristallographie, 10 (1-6). p.113-155. doi:10.1524/zkri.1885.10.1.113
Moore, Paul B. (1968) Crystal chemistry of the basic manganese arsenate minerals: II. The crystal structure of allactite. American Mineralogist, 53 (5-6) 733-741
Gatta, G. Diego, Bosi, Ferdinando, Fernandez Diaz, Maria Teresa, Hålenius, Ulf (2016) H-bonding scheme in allactite: a combined single-crystal X-ray and neutron diffraction, optical absorption spectroscopy, FTIR and EPMA-WDS study. Mineralogical Magazine, 80 (5) 719-732 doi:10.1180/minmag.2016.080.020
Localities for Allactite
Showing 15 localities.
symbol to view information about a locality.
The Locality List
- This locality has map coordinates listed.
- This locality has estimated coordinates.
ⓘ - Click for references and 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).
All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.
Australia | |
| Francis (2010) |
Sweden | |
| Fontan +6 other references |
| Sjögren (1886) +2 other references |
| Sjögren (1886) | |
| Holtstam et al. (1999) | |
| NRM collection # 250111 | |
| Gatedal (n.d.) +1 other reference | |
| Magnusson (1929) +2 other references | |
| Nysten (1987) | |
| Holtstam et al. (1998) | |
| Sjögren (1884) +2 other references | |
| Nysten (2004) |
USA | |
| Palache (1935) +2 other references |
| Palache (1935) +3 other references |
| Peter Chin |
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Moss mine, Nordmark Odal Field, Filipstad, Värmland County, Sweden