APATITE

Chemical properties

Color variable.

Physical properties

Habit: prismatic, colloform, massive, granular, earthy.
Color: white, yellow, green, red, or blue (the color is often due to the presence of rare earths).
Diaphaneity: transparent to translucent.
Luster: subresinous.
Streak: white. Cleavage: (0001) indistinct, (1010) indistinct.
Fracture: conchoidal.
Chemical: soluble in HCl, and HNO3.
Occurrence: found in all type of rocks (igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic).

The Uses of APATITE

Source of phosphorus and phosphoric acid, manufacture of fertilizers, laser crystals.

Definition

A natural calcium phosphate (usually containing fluorine) occurring in the earth’s crust as phosphate rock. It is also the chief component of the bony structure of teeth.

Definition

A naturally occurring phosphate of calcium, CaF₂.Ca₃(PO₄)₃.

Agricultural Uses

Apatite is a highly complex hexagonal structured mineral form of calcium phosphate [Ca₅(PO₄)₃.(OH,F,Cl)]₂. It is the most common of all phosphate minerals. Depending upon the dominance of fluorine, chlorine or hydroxide, apatite is called fluorapatite, chlorapatite or hydroxyapatite, respectively.
Apatite often occurs widely as an accessory mineral with igneous rocks, such as pegmatite. It also occurs in regional and contact metamorphic rock, especially limestone. Large deposits of apatite are found in Russia.
Apatite, a major source of phosphorus, is used in the production of fertilizers. Enamel of the teeth is composed chiefly of apatite.