| Minerals of the Chickering Mine Walpole, NH MONTEBRASITE (Li,Na)AlPO4(OH,F) Back to Chickering front page. | |
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Specimen owner ID's (capitals): TM = Tom Mortimer, BW = Bob Wilken, BJ = Bob Janules, PC = Peter Cristofono, AW = Anna Wilken Photographer ID's (lower case). Identification: MON_1, MON_2 => fusability and fusion after heating (see discussion). EDS analysis was performed by Excalibur Mineral Corp. for a Chickering Mine specimen. Analysis report stated: "isolation of phosphate mineral suggests montebrasite rather than amblygonite due to the low fluorine content found in the samples analyzed." MON_3 => K Day EDS analysis BJ14 (0.04 mm clear xl) MON_4 => K Day EDS analysis BJ15 (0.04 mm clear xl) Discussion: Montebrasite is another common phosphate at the Chickering Mine. On the mine dump, it may easily be mistaken for feldspar, but lacks feldspar's cleavage. A grain of montebrasite easily fuses in a tourch flame, while feldspar does not. After heating, the fused areas are fluorescent bright-white in both long and short wave UV. EDS analysis required to distinguish montebrasite from amblygonite. |
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