- Lithiophilite
Lithiophilite is a mineral containing the element
lithium . It is lithiummanganese (II)phosphate with formula: LiMnPO4. It occurs inpegmatites often associated with triphylite to which it is closely related. Triphylite being virtually the same mineral except thatiron (II) substitutes for manganese giving it the formula LiFePO4. Lithiophylite and triphylite form a solid solution series, a mineral with intermediate composition is known as sicklerite (Li(Mn,Fe)PO4).Lithiophylite is a resinous reddish to yellowish brown mineral crystallizing in the
orthorhombic system often as slender prisms. TheMohs hardness is 4.5 and thespecific gravity is 3.35.It is usually associated with
lepidolite ,beryl ,quartz ,albite ,amblygonite , andspodumene of pegmatitic origin. It rather readily weathers to a variety of secondary manganese phosphates and oxides. The type locality isFairfield County, Connecticut where it was first reported in 1878.External links
* [http://webmineral.com/data/Lithiophilite.shtml Webmineral]
* [http://www.mindat.org/min-2418.html Mindat w/location data]
* [http://mineral.galleries.com/minerals/phosphat/lithioph/lithioph.htm Mineral galleries]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.