Trimagnesium phosphate describes inorganic compounds with formula Mg3(PO4)2.xH2O.
[2] The octahydrate forms upon reaction of stoichiometric quantities of monomagnesium phosphate (tetrahydrate) with magnesium hydroxide.
The octahydrate is found in nature as the mineral bobierrite.
[3] The anhydrous compound is obtained by heating the hydrates to 400 °C.
The metal ions occupy both octahedral (six-coordinate) and pentacoordinate sites in a 1:2 ratio.