Struvite
A valid IMA mineral species - grandfathered
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About Struvite
Heinrich C. G. Struve
Formula:
(NH4)Mg(PO4) · 6H2O
Colour:
Colourless, white (dehydrated), yellow or brownish, light grey; colourless in transmitted light.
Lustre:
Vitreous
Hardness:
1½ - 2
Specific Gravity:
1.711
Crystal System:
Orthorhombic
Member of:
Name:
Named after Heinrich Christoph Gottfried Struve (10 January 1772, Regensburg, Germany - 9 January 1851, Hamburg, Germany) of the Russian diplomatic service, Consul at Hamburg (Germany). He was a co-founder of a natural science museum in Hamburg.
[For comment on name see http://www.mindat.org/mesg-7-284821.html]
[For comment on name see http://www.mindat.org/mesg-7-284821.html]
Type Locality:
Isostructural with:
Struvite Group.
The ammonium analogue of Struvite-(K).
A mineral commonly found as a product of organic decay in putrescent matter, canned foods or other bacterial action on organic compounds, and as a constituent of human kidney and bladder stones in alkaline and infected urines.
The ammonium analogue of Struvite-(K).
A mineral commonly found as a product of organic decay in putrescent matter, canned foods or other bacterial action on organic compounds, and as a constituent of human kidney and bladder stones in alkaline and infected urines.
Unique Identifiers
Mindat ID:
3811
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:3811:5
Similar Names
| Starovaite | A valid IMA mineral species | KCu5O(VO4)3 |
| Struvite-(K) | A valid IMA mineral species | KMg(PO4) · 6H2O |
IMA Classification of Struvite
Approved, 'Grandfathered' (first described prior to 1959)
IMA Formula:
(N3-H4)MgPO4·6H2O
Classification of Struvite
8.CH.40
8 : PHOSPHATES, ARSENATES, VANADATES
C : Phosphates without additional anions, with H2O
H : With large and medium-sized cations, RO4:H2O < 1:1
8 : PHOSPHATES, ARSENATES, VANADATES
C : Phosphates without additional anions, with H2O
H : With large and medium-sized cations, RO4:H2O < 1:1
40.1.1.1
40 : HYDRATED NORMAL PHOSPHATES,ARSENATES AND VANADATES
1 : AB(XO4)·xH2O
40 : HYDRATED NORMAL PHOSPHATES,ARSENATES AND VANADATES
1 : AB(XO4)·xH2O
19.3.23
19 : Phosphates
3 : Phosphates of Be and Mg
19 : Phosphates
3 : Phosphates of Be and Mg
Mineral Symbols
As of 2021 there are now IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.
| Symbol | Source | Reference for Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Suv | IMA–CNMNC | Warr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43 |
Physical Properties of Struvite
Vitreous
Transparency:
Transparent, Translucent
Colour:
Colourless, white (dehydrated), yellow or brownish, light grey; colourless in transmitted light.
Streak:
White
Hardness:
1½ - 2 on Mohs scale
Tenacity:
Brittle
Cleavage:
Distinct/Good
On {001}, good; on {100}, poor.
On {001}, good; on {100}, poor.
Fracture:
Irregular/Uneven, Sub-Conchoidal
Density:
1.711 g/cm3 (Measured) 1.705 g/cm3 (Calculated)
Optical Data of Struvite
Type:
Biaxial (+)
RI values:
nα = 1.495 nβ = 1.496 nγ = 1.504
2V:
Measured: 37° , Calculated: 40°
Max. Birefringence:
δ = 0.009
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.
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.
Surface Relief:
Moderate
Dispersion:
relatively weak
Chemistry of Struvite
Mindat Formula:
(NH4)Mg(PO4) · 6H2O
Element Weights:
Crystallography of Struvite
Crystal System:
Orthorhombic
Class (H-M):
mm2 - Pyramidal
Space Group:
Pmn21
Cell Parameters:
a = 6.941(2) Å, b = 6.137(2) Å, c = 11.199(4) Å
Ratio:
a:b:c = 1.131 : 1 : 1.825
Unit Cell V:
477.04 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:
2
Morphology:
Crystals equant; wedge-shaped (due to large and unequally developed {101} and {101}), coffin-shaped (when viewed along [100]); short prismatic [001], [010], or [100]; thick tabular {100}. The distribution of the pyramidal or domical faces is often irregular. Crystals commonly distinct, to 2.5 cm (1 inch), with a distinct hemimorphic habit.
Twinning:
On {001}. The acute poles of [001] unite in the composition plane {001}, with deep re-entrant angles.
Comment:
Data from Whitaker and Jeffery (1970). Ferraris et al. (1986) give a = 6.955(1), b= 6.142(1), c = 11.218(2) Å.
Crystallographic forms of Struvite
Crystal Atlas:
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Struvite no.36 - {110} - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
Struvite no.47 - {101} - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
3d models and HTML5 code kindly provided by
www.smorf.nl.
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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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0019944 | Struvite | Abbona F, Calleri M, Ivaldi G (1984) Synthetic struvite MgNH4PO4*6H2O: Correct polarity and surface features of some complementary forms Acta Crystallographica B40 223-227 |  | 1984 | synthetic | 0 | 293 |
| 0020109 | Struvite | Whitaker A, Jeffery J W (1970) The crystal structure of struvite, MgNH4PO4*6H2O Acta Crystallographica B26 1429-1440 | | 1970 | synthetic | 0 | 293 |
| 0009807 | Struvite | Ferraris G, Fuess H, Joswig W (1986) Neutron diffraction study of MgNH4PO4*6H2O (struvite) and survey of water molecules donating short hydrogen bonds Acta Crystallographica B42 253-258 | | 1986 | 0 | 293 |
CIF Raw Data - click here to close
X-Ray Powder Diffraction
Loading XRD data...
Data courtesy of RRUFF project at University of Arizona, used with permission.
Powder Diffraction Data:
| d-spacing | Intensity |
|---|---|
| 5.905 Å | (40) |
| 5.601 Å | (60) |
| 4.257 Å | (100) |
| 4.139 Å | (40) |
| 2.919 Å | (55) |
| 2.690 Å | (50) |
| 2.660 Å | (45) |
Geological Environment
Paragenetic Mode(s):
| Paragenetic Mode | Earliest Age (Ga) |
|---|---|
| Stage 10a: Neoproterozoic oxygenation/terrestrial biosphere | <0.6 |
| 49 : Oxic cellular biomineralization (see also #44) | <0.54 |
| 52 : Guano- and urine-derived minerals | <0.4 |
Geological Setting:
Guano or dung deposits; peat beds; organically rich sediments.
Type Occurrence of Struvite
Place of Conservation of Type Material:
Mineralogisch-Petrographisches Institut, Hamburg, Germany, Tresor des Museum.
Geological Setting of Type Material:
Medieval sewers
Synonyms of Struvite
Other Language Names for Struvite
Relationship of Struvite to other Species
Member of:
Other Members of Struvite Group:
| Hazenite | KNaMg2(PO4)2 · 14H2O | Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m) |
| Struvite-(K) | KMg(PO4) · 6H2O | Orth. mm2 : Pmn21 |
Common Associates
Associations Based on Photo Data:
| 7 photos of Struvite associated with Newberyite | Mg(PO3OH) · 3H2O |
| 1 photo of Struvite associated with Schertelite | (NH4)2MgH2(PO4)2 · 4H2O |
| 1 photo of Struvite associated with 'Biogenic calculus' | |
| 1 photo of Struvite associated with Brushite | Ca(PO3OH) · 2H2O |
Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping
| 8.CH.05 | Natrowalentaite | [Fe3+0.5Na0.5(H2O)6][NaAs3+2(Fe3+2.33W6+0.67)(PO4)2O7] |
| 8.CH.05 | Walentaite | Fe3+3(P0.84As0.16O4)2(O,OH)6As3+2.56Ca0.42Na0.28Mn2+0.35Fe2+0.30O6.1(OH)0.9(H2O)0.9 |
| 8.CH.05 | Halilsarpite | [Mg(H2O)6][CaAs3+2(Fe3+2.67Mo6+0.33)(AsO4)2O7] |
| 8.CH.10 | Anapaite | Ca2Fe2+(PO4)2 · 4H2O |
| 8.CH.15 | Picropharmacolite | Ca4Mg(AsO4)2(HAsO4)2 · 11H2O |
| 8.CH.20 | Dittmarite | (NH4)Mg(PO4) · H2O |
| 8.CH.20 | Niahite | (NH4)Mn2+(PO4) · H2O |
| 8.CH.25 | Taranakite | K3Al5(PO3OH)6(PO4)2 · 18H2O |
| 8.CH.25 | Francoanellite | K3Al5(PO3OH)6(PO4)2 · 12H2O |
| 8.CH.25 | Macivorite | (NH4)3Al5(PO3OH)6(PO4)2 · 18H2O |
| 8.CH.30 | Schertelite | (NH4)2MgH2(PO4)2 · 4H2O |
| 8.CH.35 | Hannayite | (NH4)2Mg3H4(PO4)4 · 8H2O |
| 8.CH.40 | Hazenite | KNaMg2(PO4)2 · 14H2O |
| 8.CH.40 | Struvite-(K) | KMg(PO4) · 6H2O |
| 8.CH.45 | Rimkorolgite | (Mg,Mn)5(Ba,Sr,Ca)(PO4)4 · 8H2O |
| 8.CH.50 | Bakhchisaraitsevite | Na2Mg5(PO4)4 · 7H2O |
| 8.CH.55 | Smolyaninovite | Co3Fe3+2(AsO4)4 · 11H2O |
| 8.CH.55 | Fahleite | CaZn5Fe3+2(AsO4)6 · 14H2O |
| 8.CH.60 | Barahonaite-(Fe) | (Ca,Cu,Na,Fe3+,Al)12Fe3+2(AsO4)8(OH,Cl)x · nH2O |
| 8.CH.60 | Barahonaite-(Al) | (Ca,Cu,Na,Fe3+,Al)12Al2(AsO4)8(OH,Cl)x · nH2O |
| 8.CH.70 | Epifanovite | NaCaCu5(PO4)4[AsO2(OH)2] · 7H2O |
| 8.CH.75 | Esdanaite-(Ce) | NaMnCe(PO4)2 · 4H2O |
Other Information
Electrical:
Pyroelectric. Piezoelectric.
Thermal Behaviour:
In a closed tube gives off water and ammonia and becomes opaque.
Notes:
Readily soluble in acids. Very slightly soluble in water.
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 Struvite
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-3811.html
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References for Struvite
Reference List:
Goldschmidt, Victor (1891) Index der Krystallformen der Mineralien Vol. 3. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. doi:10.1007/978-3-662-25554-4 p.167
Bøgghild, Ove Balthasar (1907) Struvit fra Limfjorden [Struvite from Limfjorden]. Meddelelser fra Dansk Geologisk Forening, 3. 25-32
Whitaker, A., Jeffery, J. W. (1970) The crystal structure of struvite, MgNH4PO4.6H2O. Acta Crystallographica Section B Structural Crystallography and Crystal Chemistry, 26 (10) 1429-1440 doi:10.1107/s0567740870004284
Abbona, F., Lundager Madsen, H.E., Boistelle, R. (1982) Crystallization of two magnesium phosphates, struvite and newberyite: Effect of pH and concentration. Journal of Crystal Growth, 57 (1). 6-14 doi:10.1016/0022-0248(82)90242-1
Abbona, F., Calleri, M., Ivaldi, G. (1984) Synthetic struvite, MgNH4PO4.6H2O: correct polarity and surface features of some complementary forms. Acta Crystallographica Section B Structural Science, 40 (3) 223-227 doi:10.1107/s0108768184002020
Ferraris, G., Fuess, H., Joswig, W. (1986) Neutron diffraction study of MgNH4PO4.6H2O (struvite) and survey of water molecules donating short hydrogen bonds. Acta Crystallographica Section B Structural Science, 42 (3) 253-258 doi:10.1107/s0108768186098269
Frost, Ray L., Weier, Matt L., Martens, Wayde N., Henry, Dermot A., Mills, Stuart J. (2005) Raman spectroscopy of newberyite, hannayite and struvite. Spectrochimica Acta Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy, 62 (1) 181-188 doi:10.1016/j.saa.2004.12.024
Cahil, A., Šoptrajanov, B., Najdoski, M., Lutz, H.D., Engelen, B., Stefov, V. (2008) Infrared and Raman spectra of magnesium ammonium phosphate hexahydrate (struvite) and its isomorphous analogues. Part VI: FT-IR spectra of isomorphously isolated species. ions isolated in MKPO4·6H2O (M=Mg; Ni) and ions isolated in MgNH4AsO4·6H2O. Journal of Molecular Structure, 876 (1) 255-259 doi:10.1016/j.molstruc.2007.06.023
Localities for Struvite
Showing 39 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.
Antarctica | |
| Barczuk A. & Tatur A. 2003: BIOGENIC ... |
| Tatjir et al. (1984) |
| Tatur et al. (1985) | |
Australia | |
| Everard et al. (1997) +1 other reference |
| Bottrill et al. (2008) |
| Palache et al. (1951) +1 other reference |
| |
Botswana | |
| Anthony et al. (2016) |
Canada | |
| HORVÁTH et al. (2000) |
| Palache et al. (1951) |
| Traill (1983) |
Chile | |
| Gerhard Möhn collection +1 other reference |
Denmark | |
| Johnstrup +3 other references |
Falkland Islands | |
France | |
| Palache et al. (1951) | |
Germany (TL) | |
| Palache et al. (1951) |
| Palache et al. (1951) |
| Wittern (2001) |
India | |
| Deepthi et al. (2015) |
Ireland | |
| Farley +1 other reference |
Kosovo | |
| Féraud J. (1979) |
Malaysia | |
| Bridge et al. (1983) |
Namibia | |
| Mineralogical Society of America - ... |
| Anthony et al. (2000) |
Netherlands | |
| Wevers et al. (1981) |
New Zealand | |
| CULLEN (1988) |
Russia | |
| Galina Gubko (2009) |
South Africa | |
| Martini et al. (1978) |
| Martini et al. (1978) |
| Martini et al. (1978) | |
| Cairncross et al. (1995) |
Spain | |
| Benavente +2 other references |
USA | |
| Kampf et al. (2019) |
| Kampf et al. (2019) +1 other reference | |
| Cohen et al. (1966) +5 other references |
| Eckel et al. (1997) |
| King et al. (1994) |
Venezuela | |
| Urbani (1996) |
| Franco Urbani (2009) |
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Falkland Islands