Beryllium mineral stabilities in the model system cao-beo-sio₂-P₂O₅-F₂O_-1 and the breakdown of beryl

Mineral incompatibilities (based on a complete review of natural occurrences), relevant experimental data, and a computer program ( ″REACTION″ ) have been used to model the probable stabilities of beryllium-bearing minerals in the system CaO-BeO-SiO//2-P//2O//5-F//2O// minus //1, in terms of the chemical potentials of the Lewis acid components P//2O//5 and F//2O// minus //1. When Al//2O//3 is added to the model system, the resulting diagrams show the breakdown reactions of beryl, Be//3Al//2Si//6O//1//8, to phenakite plus topaz in the fluorite stability field, or to herderite plus topaz in the fluorapatite stability field. Refs.