Lithiophilite

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title: "Lithiophilite" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["lithium-minerals", "manganese(ii)-minerals", "phosphate-minerals", "orthorhombic-minerals", "minerals-in-space-group-62", "gemstones"] description: "Mineral" topic_path: "general/lithium-minerals" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithiophilite" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Mineral ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox mineral"]

Field	Value
name	Lithiophilite
category	Phosphate minerals
image	Lithiophilite-mu04a.jpg
imagesize	200px
formula
IMAsymbol	Lhp
strunz	8.AB.10
system	Orthorhombic
class	Dipyramidal (mmm)
H-M symbol: (2/m 2/m 2/m)
symmetry	Pmnb (if holohedral)
color	Clove-brown, yellowish brown, honey-yellow, salmon-pink, blue-gray, gray
habit	Prismatic – crystals shaped like slender prisms, stout prismatic, large single crystals, massive, oriented overgrowths
twinning	Rare contact twins on {130}
cleavage	[100] perfect, [110] and [011] poor
fracture	uneven to conchoidal
mohs	4–5
luster	Vitreous to subresinous
refractive	nα = 1.669, nβ = 1.673, nγ = 1.682
opticalprop	Biaxial (+), 2V = 65°
birefringence	δ = 0.0130
pleochroism	None to weak
streak	White to grayish white
gravity	3.445–3.50
diaphaneity	Transparent to translucent
references
::

| name = Lithiophilite | category = Phosphate minerals | boxwidth = | boxbgcolor = | image = Lithiophilite-mu04a.jpg | imagesize = 200px | caption = | formula = | IMAsymbol = Lhp | molweight = | strunz = 8.AB.10 | system = Orthorhombic | class = Dipyramidal (mmm) H-M symbol: (2/m 2/m 2/m) | symmetry = Pmnb (if holohedral) | color = Clove-brown, yellowish brown, honey-yellow, salmon-pink, blue-gray, gray | habit = Prismatic – crystals shaped like slender prisms, stout prismatic, large single crystals, massive, oriented overgrowths | twinning = Rare contact twins on {130} | cleavage = [100] perfect, [110] and [011] poor | fracture = uneven to conchoidal | mohs = 4–5 | luster = Vitreous to subresinous | polish = | refractive = nα = 1.669, nβ = 1.673, nγ = 1.682 | opticalprop = Biaxial (+), 2V = 65° | birefringence = δ = 0.0130 | pleochroism = None to weak | fluorescence= | absorption = | streak = White to grayish white | gravity = 3.445–3.50 | density = | melt = | fusibility = | diagnostic = | solubility = | diaphaneity = Transparent to translucent | other = | references =

Lithiophilite is a mineral containing the element lithium. It is lithium manganese(II) phosphate with chemical formula . It occurs in pegmatites often associated with triphylite, the iron end member in a solid solution series. The mineral with intermediate composition is known as sicklerite and has the chemical formula ). The name lithiophilite is derived from the Greek philos (φιλός) "friend", as lithiophilite is usually found with lithium.

Lithiophylite is a resinous reddish to yellowish brown mineral crystallizing in the orthorhombic system often as slender prisms. It is usually associated with lepidolite, beryl, quartz, albite, amblygonite, and spodumene of pegmatitic origin. It rather readily weathers to a variety of secondary manganese phosphates and oxides. It is a late-stage mineral in some complex granite pegmatites. Members of the triphylite-lithiophilite series readily alter to secondary minerals.

The type locality is the Branchville Quarry, Branchville, Fairfield County, Connecticut where it was first reported in 1878.

The synthetic form of triphylite, lithium iron phosphate, is a promising material for the production of lithium-ion batteries.

References

Bibliography

• Palache, P.; Berman H.; Frondel, C. (1960). "Dana's System of Mineralogy, Volume II: Halides, Nitrates, Borates, Carbonates, Sulfates, Phosphates, Arsenates, Tungstates, Molybdates, Etc. (Seventh Edition)" John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, pp. 665–669.

References

1. Warr, L.N.. (2021). "IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols". Mineralogical Magazine.
2. [http://webmineral.com/data/Lithiophilite.shtml Lithiophilite at WebMineral]
3. [http://www.mindat.org/min-2418.html Lithiophilite at Mindat.org]
4. [http://rruff.geo.arizona.edu/doclib/hom/lithiophilite.pdf Lithiophilite in Handbook of Mineralogy]
5. P. C. Rickwood. (1981). "The largest crystals". American Mineralogist.

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