purpurite Min.
(ˈpɜːpjʊəraɪt)
[f. L. purpur-a purple a. and n. + -ite1.]
A phosphate of trivalent manganese and trivalent iron, (Mn,Fe)PO4, occurring as red or purple orthorhombic crystals (sometimes altered to dark brown or black) and differing from heterosite in containing more manganese.
| 1905 Graton & Schaller in Amer. Jrnl. Sci. CLXX. 146 Chemical analysis shows that the material is a new mineral, being a hydrous manganic ferric phosphate—the only manganic phosphate known. The most striking feature of this mineral is its purple or dark red color, and for this reason it has been named purpurite. 1951 [see heterosite]. 1971 Mineral. Abstr. XXII. 226/1 A review of phosphate minerals from Brazilian pegmatites... The minerals described are..roscherite, purpurite, saléeite, [etc.]. |