Ashanite Mineral Data

General Ashanite Information

Chemical Formula:

(Nb,Ta,U,Fe,Mn)4O8

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 574.20 gm

La,Ce,Pr,Nd,Sm, 2.51 % RE 2.93 % REE₂O₃

Uranium 20.73 % U 23.51 % UO₂

Tantalum 18.91 % Ta 23.09 % Ta₂O₅

Manganese 2.87 % Mn 3.71 % MnO

Niobium 25.89 % Nb 37.03 % Nb₂O₅

Iron 6.81 % Fe 8.76 % FeO

Oxygen 22.29 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 99.02 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Nb_1.6Fe²⁺_0.7Mn²⁺_0.3Ta_0.6U_0.5REE_0.1O₈

Environment:

In the central part of pegmatite in albitized two-mica granite.

IMA Status:

Discredited IMA 1998

Locality:

From an undefined locality in the Altai Mountains, Sinkiang Uighur Autonomous Province, northwestern China. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

From Altai and SHAN, Chinese for "mountains," for the occurrence in the Altai Mountains, China.

Name Pronunciation:

Ashanite

Synonym:

Discredited

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Ashanite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =1.2043:1:1.0703

Cell Dimensions:

a = 5.869, b = 4.873, c = 5.216, Z = 1; V = 149.18 Den(Calc)= 6.39

Crystal System:

Orthorhombic - DipyramidalH-M Symbol (2/m 2/m 2/m) Space Group: Pcan

$Help on X Ray Diffraction:$ X Ray Diffraction:

By Intensity(I/I_o): 2.95(1), 3.65(0.5), 2.51(0.3),

Physical Properties of Ashanite

Cleavage:

None

Color:

Dark brown, Black.

Density:

6.61

Diaphaneity:

Opaque

Fracture:

Conchoidal - Fractures developed in brittle materials characterized by smoothly curving surfaces, (e.g. quartz).

Hardness:

6-6.5 - Orthoclase-Pyrite

Luster:

Sub Metallic

Streak:

brown

Optical Properties of Ashanite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.105 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.144 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2118,KPDmeas= 0.2047,KC= 0.1852
Ncalc = 2.18 - 2.22

Optical Data:

Biaxial (+), a=2.31, b=2.35, g=2.4, bire=0.0900, 2V(Calc)=86, 2V(Meas)=70-75.

Pleochroism (x):

light brownish red.

Pleochroism (z):

dark brownish red.

RL Color:

Pale bluish gray.

Reflectivity

**Standardized Intensity (100%) Reflection Spectra of Ashanite in Air**
λ	R₁	R₂	∑ R₁(λ)	∑ R₂(λ)
440 nm	12.10	12.10
460 nm	11.40	11.50
480 nm	11.20	11.30
500 nm	11.00	11.00
520 nm	11.00	11.00
540 nm	10.90	10.90
560 nm	10.90	10.80
580 nm	10.80	10.80
600 nm	10.80	10.70
620 nm	10.70	10.70
640 nm	10.70	10.60
660 nm	10.60	10.60
680 nm	10.60	10.60
700 nm	10.60	10.60

**Calculated Relative Intensity Colors of Ashanite in Air**
Relative Intensity	0%	90%	100%	180%	270%	360%	450%	540%	630%	720%	810%	820%
R₁
R₂

Calculated Properties of Ashanite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=5.78 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Ashanite =6.61 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0077313074
Boson Index = 0.9922686926

Photoelectric:

PE_Ashanite= 821.10 barns/electron
U=PE_Ashanite x r_electron=4,748.80 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 1,548,145.27 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Ashanite per GRapi unit = 645.93 (PPB)

Ashanite is Radioactive as defined in 49 CFR 173.403. Greater than 70 Bq / gram.

Estimated Maximum U.S. Postal Shipping Size (10 mRem/hr limit, Unshielded 10 cm box) 19.65 ± 4.91 grams of pure Ashanite .
Estimated Maximum U.S. Postal Shipping Size (10 mRem/hr limit, Unshielded 100 cm box) 1964.7 ±491.18 grams of pure Ashanite .

**Estimated Radioactivity from Ashanite** - very strong
Specimen Size Weight/Volume (Sphere) *	Calculated Activity Becquerels (Bq)	Calculated Activity Curies (Ci)	Estimated Activity GR(api)	Estimated Exposure (mRem**)/hr If Held in Hand For One Hour
1000 gm / 6.61 cm	37,157,524	1.00E-03	1,548,145.27	508.98
100 gm / 3.07 cm	3,715,752	1.00E-04	154,814.53	50.90
10 gm / 1.42 cm	371,575	1.00E-05	15,481.45	5.09
1 gm / 6.61 mm	37,158	1.00E-06	1,548.15	0.51
0.1 gm / 3.07 mm	3,716	1.00E-07	154.81	0.05
0.01 gm / 1.42 mm	372	1.00E-08	15.48	0.01
0.001 gm / 0.66 mm	37	1.00E-09	1.55	0.00

Weight of pure Ashanite in grams (gm) and Calculated Diameter of a Sphere with a Density of 6.61 gm/cc.*
Goverment Estimate of Average Annual Exposure ( 360 mRem) **
Note: 10 microsieverts/hr = 1 mRem/hr **
Max Permissable Adult Dose 50,000 mRem/yr (hands), 15,000 mRem/yr (eyes)
Lethal Dose LD(50) Exposure 400,000 to 500,000 mRem
Estimated Thorium Activity ( 0.13 % Th) From Sum REE Elements ( 2.51 % REE)

Ashanite Classification

Dana Class:

04.00.00.00 (04)Oxide Minerals

(04.00)Without Dana Classification Numbers

(04.00.00)Oxide

04.00.00.00 Ashanite? (Nb,Ta,U,Fe,Mn)4O8 Pcan 2/m 2/m 2/m

04.00.00.00 Chubutite* Pb7O6Cl2 Unk Ortho

04.00.00.00 Clinobirnessite* Na4Mn14O27•9(H2O) Mono

04.00.00.00 Donathite? (Fe,Mg)(Cr,Fe)2O4 P 4/nnm 4/m 2/m 2/m

04.00.00.00 IMA2008-022 UO2(OH)2 pseudo-orthorhombic Mono

04.00.00.00 Krasnogorite* WO3 Pmnb 2/m 2/m 2/m

04.00.00.00 Mengxianminite* (Ca,Na)3(Fe,Mn)2Mg2(Sn,Zn)5Al8O29 Unk Ortho

04.00.00.00 Romanite* (Fe,U,Pb)2(Ti,Fe)O4 Trig ? Trig

04.00.00.00 Tantalowodginite* (Mn2,[])4Ta4Ta8O32 C 2/c 2/m

04.00.00.00 Ungursaite* NaCa5(Ta,Nb)24O65(OH) P 6₃/m,P 6₃ Hex

04.00.00.00 Wolframoixiolite* (Fe,Mn,Nb)(Nb,W,Ta)O4 Pc m

Strunz Class:

04.XX.00 04 - OXIDES (Hydroxides, V[5,6] vanadates, arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites, iodate

04.X - Unclassified Strunz OXIDES (Hydroxides, V[5,6] vanadates, arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, telluri

04.XX -Oxide

04.XX.00 Ashanite? (Nb,Ta,U,Fe,Mn)4O8 Pcan 2/m 2/m 2/m

04.XX.00 Methane hydrate-I! 46(H2O)•2(S)•6(L) P m3n 4/m 3 2/m

04.XX.00 Clinobirnessite* Na4Mn14O27•9(H2O) Mono

04.XX.00 Chubutite* Pb7O6Cl2 Unk Ortho

04.XX.00 Kleberite* FeTi6O13•4(H2O)(?) P 6₃mcm ? 6mm

04.XX.00 Hongquiite* TiO F m3m 4/m 3 2/m

04.XX.00 Psilomelane? (Ba,H2O)2Mn5O10 A2/m 2/m

04.XX.00 Struverite? (Ti,Ta,Fe)O2 P 4/mnm 4/m 2/m 2/m

04.XX.00 Ungursaite* NaCa5(Ta,Nb)24O65(OH) P 6₃/m,P 6₃ Hex

04.XX.00 Uhligite? Ca3(Ti,Al,Zr)9O20 Unk Cubic

04.XX.00 Scheteligite? (Ca,Y,Sb,Mn)2(Ti,Ta,Nb,W)2O6(O,OH) Unk Ortho

04.XX.00 Allendeite! Sc4Zr3O12 R 3 3

04.XX.00 IMA2000-016! (Ti,Fe,Mg,Mn)1-xTi2O5 Pban 2/m 2/m 2/m

04.XX.00 Methane hydrate-II! 136(H2O)•16(S)•8(L) F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

04.XX.00 IMA2000-026! (Mn,Li)4(Ta,Sn)4(Ta,Nb)8O32 C 2/c 2/m

04.XX.00 Methane hydrate-H! 34(H2O)•3(S)•2(M)•1(L) P 6/mmm 6/m 2/m 2/m

Other Ashanite Information

References:

NAME( AntBidBlaNic3) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(AntBidBlaNic3)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Ashanite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Athena
3 - EUROmin Project
4 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
5 - GeoScienceWorld
6 - Google Images
7 - Google Scholar
8 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
9 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
10 - MinDAT
11 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
12 - Online Mineral Museum
13 - QUT Mineral Atlas
14 - Ruff.Info
15 - Uranium Minerals

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Print or Cut-and-Paste your Ashanite Specimen Label here :

Ashanite

(Nb,Ta,U,Fe,Mn)4O8
Dana No: 04.00.00.00 Strunz No: 04.XX.00
Locality:

Notes: