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Apatite

Chemical Formula

Ca5(F,OH,Cl)(PO4)3

Chemical Class

Phosphates

Properties

It has prismatic habit, often finished in pyramids. Its most common colors are blue and green, but it also exists in brown, colorless, and more rarely, rose color. It is a hardness 5 mineral in Mohs scale.

Origin

Conselheiro Pena, MG.

Curiosities

Name used in 1788, from Greek origin, apatao, meaning deceitful, as it was mistaken for beryls and other hexagon minerals.

Use

Apatite is the most relevant phosphorous source, used in chemical and pharmaceutical industries. However, is main use is fertilizer input.

ABC of mining