[3][4] Consistent with phyllosilicates, franklinphilite is composed of long flat sheets of linked silicon-oxygen and aluminium-oxygen tetrahedra bounded by an octahedral layer containing either potassium or manganese and is isostructural with lennilienapeite.
It was later described in 1984 by Pete J. Dunn, Donald R. Peacor and William B. Simmons as a Mn dominant stilpnomelane similar to parsettensite.
In 1992, franklinphilite was revisited by Dunn, Peacor and Shu-Chu Su and given an International Mineral Association recognized name.
[7] Although all franklinphilite specimens originated exclusively from the Buckwheat dump, large amounts of manganese silicates in the area suggest a high probability of other assemblages.
[7] Franklinphilite was named for the type locality (Franklin) and the Greek word φιλόϛ (philos) meaning friend.