The Arsenate, Vanadate and Antimonate Subclasses of the Phosphate Class of Minerals

Including the Uranyl Asenates and the Arsenites.




The Arsenate subclass, and to a lesser extent the Vanadate Subclass, of the Phosphate Class almost perfectly mirrors the true phosphates in many ways including structure, diversity and properties. The only major difference is the arsenate or vanadate ion replacing the phosphate ion. The ions have the same charge and roughly the same size and therefore can usually substitute for each other in the structure of minerals. In fact many solid solution series exist between minerals that contain the phosphate ion as their principle anion and those that contain the arsenate and/or vanadate ion as their principle anion.


Subclass: Arsenates


The Uranyl Arsenates


Subclass: Vanadates


The Arsenites


Subclass: Antimonates

 



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