Abstract:
Apatite, the most common phosphate mineral, is generally described by the formula Ca5(PO 4) 3(OH,F,Cl) or, more completely with regard to its usual description in P63/m symmetry, by the unit cell content [Ca4][Ca6][(PO 4)6][OH,F,Cl] 2. An earlier volume of the Reviews series has dealt with the mineralogy and crystallography of apatite sensu stricto and the diverse compounds that adopt apatite or apatite-like structures.