Canaphite structure: Pyrophosphate anion, viewed along a-axis Left: atoms, phosphor: violet, oxygen: blue right: coordination polyhedra Daten von: Roland C. Rouse, Donald R. Peacor, Robert L. Freed (1988): Pyrophosphate groups in the structure of canaphite, CaNa2P2O7.4H2O: The first occurrence of a condensed phosphate as a mineral, American Mineralogist 73, pp. 168-171 Image calculation: Larry W. Finger, Martin Kroeker, and Brian H. Toby, DRAWxtl, an open-source computer program to produce crystal-structure drawings, J. Applied Crystallography V40, pp. 188-192, 2007 http://www.lwfinger.net/drawxtl/ Rendering: POVRAY — Photo: Bubenik · CC BY-SA 4.0
Canaphite
Canaphite is an IMA-recognized mineral species in the phosphate class, with the chemical formula Na₂CaP₂O₇·4H₂O.
It crystallizes in the monoclinic crystal system (space group Pc).
Key properties: Mohs hardness 2; specific gravity 2.24; White streak; Vitreous luster; optically biaxial.
IMA symbol Cnp, IMA status: approved, named in 1983.
On a museum micromount specimen presumably from a trap-rock quarry (Haledon, New Jersey, USA); in recent lake-bed sediments (La Cruz Lake, Spain).
It is found associated with Stilbite, quartz (Haledon, New Jersey, USA).
The name refers to CAlcium, sodium, NAtrium, and PHosphate in the composition.