Constituent
Name
Calcium phosphate
IMA name
Apatite
Class
non-silicate mineral
Compound type
phosphate
Comments
Apatite is one of the possible form of calcium phosphate
There are 3 endmembers: Apatite-(CaF) [Ca5(PO4)3F], Apatite-(CaCl) [Ca5(PO4)3Cl] and Apatite-(CaOH) [Ca5(PO4)3(OH)]
Constituent abundance in material
Relevance
main - minor
Arrangement
heterogeneous in multi-phases
Chemical composition
Formula
(Ca5)(PO4)3(OH,F,Cl)
Chemical formula
Ca5(PO4)3(OH,F,Cl)
Elemental formula
Ca5 P3 O3 (O-)9-10 (H)0-1 (F)0-1 (Cl)0-1
Isotope mixture type
terrestrial abundance
  Formula Name Family Number min-max Isotope mole fraction State Relevance
Ca Calcium element 5 constituent element main
(PO4)3− Phosphate anion chemical function 3 anionic radical main
(OH)− Hydroxide anion chemical function 0 - 1 anionic radical main
F Fluorine element 0 - 1 constituent element main
Cl Chlorine element 0 - 1 constituent element main
Chemical functions
  Function Number
(PO4)3− 3
Chemical bonds
  Bond Number
−⃛ 4
Oxides
Formula CaO P_{2}O_{5} H_{2}O F Cl
Mass fraction (%) 55.07 34.28 0.59 1.24 2.32
Oxides comments
values for x=y=0.33, Cl_2O=-0.52%, F_2O=-0.52%

Strunz

Class
phosphates - arsenates - vanadates (08)
Division
phosphates, etc. with additional anions, without H2O (08.B)
Family
with only large cations, (OH, etc.):RO4 = 0.33:1 (08.BN)
Code
08.BN.05

Dana

Major class
phosphates, arsenates, vanadates (VII)
Class
anhydrous phosphates containing hydroxyl or halogen (41)
Type
where (A)5 (XO4)3 Zq (41.08)
Group
Apatite group (41.08.01)
Code
41.08.01.00
Phase type
crystalline
Crystal system
hexagonal
Crystal class
dipyramidal
Crystal class symbol
6/m (C6h)
Crystal spacegroup
P6(3)/m
Molar mass
502.31 - 520.76 g/mol
Density
3.08 - 3.2 g/cm^3
Refringence type
uniaxial
Refringence sign
negative
Birefringence
0.0025 - 0.0075
Refraction index n_{\alpha}
1.630 - 1.675
Refraction index n_{\beta}
1.6325 - 1.6675
Color
colorless, white, gray, yellow, yellowish green
Diaphaneity
transparent to opaque
Luster
vitreous