Microlite Mineral Data

[Fine Minerals] [What's New] [Mineral Galleries] [My Collection] [Mineral Auctions]
Dan Weinrich Fine Minerals
Full-time professional mineral dealer with over 31 years experience in mineral collecting
And 15 years selling mineral specimens on the internet and at major mineral shows

General Microlite Information

Chemical Formula:

(Na,Ca)2Ta2O6(O,OH,F)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 529.02 gm

Sodium 6.52 % Na 8.79 % Na₂O

Calcium 3.79 % Ca 5.30 % CaO

Tantalum 68.41 % Ta 83.53 % Ta₂O₅

Hydrogen 0.06 % H 0.51 % H₂O

Oxygen 20.87 % O

Fluorine 0.36 % F 0.36 % F

- % F -0.15 % -O=F₂

______ ______

100.00 % 98.34 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Na_1.5Ca_0.5Ta₂O_6.6(OH)_0.3F_0.1

Environment:

Granitic rocks.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1835

Locality:

Isalnd of Uto, State of Stockholm, Sweden. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

From the Greek mikros - "small" and lithos - "stone."

Name Pronunciation:

Microlite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

Scandium microlite - Sc-bearing microlite

Microlite Image

Images:

Microlite

Comments: Brown crystal of microlite 10 mm in an albite matrix.
Location: Morefield Mine, Winterham, Amelia Co., Virginia, USA. Scale: 5x4x3 cm.
© John Betts - Fine Minerals

Images:

Microlite

Comments: Golden-colored microlite octahedrons on white albite.
Location: Maxixe Mine, Itinga, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Scale: Crystal size .5 cm.
© John Veevaert

Microlite Crystallography

Cell Dimensions:

a = 10.41, Z = 8; V = 1,128.11 Den(Calc)= 6.23

Crystal System:

Isometric - HexoctahedralH-M Symbol (4/m 3 2/m) Space Group: F d3m

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 2.98(1), 1.563(0.8), 1.836(0.8),

Forms:

Mouse
Dbl Clk - Start-Stop Rotation
RMB - Cycle Display Modes
Drag1 - Manipulate Crystal
Drag2 - Resize
Keyboard
S - Stereo
I - Indicies
<space> - Start-Stop Rotation
F - Fit to Screen
M - Menu
Help on Above

Forms: ( 1 1 1) ( 0 1 1)

Warning: this large pop-up is very compute intensive and may not work well with some computers.

Crystal Structure:

Mouse
drag1 - LMB Manipulate Structure
drag2 - RMB Resize/Rotate
Keyboard
S - Stereo Pair on/off
H - Help Screen
I - Data Info
A - Atoms On/Off
P - Polyhedra On/Off
B - Bonds On/Off
Help on Above

Gasperin M , Comptes Rendus Hebdomadaires des Seances de l Academie des Sciences , 240 (1955) p.2340-2342, Synthese et identification de deux oxydes doubles de tantale et d etain, Sample: synthetic

Physical Properties of Microlite

Cleavage:

{111} Indistinct, {111} Indistinct, {111} Indistinct

Color:

Yellowish brown, Reddish brown, Greenish brown, Green, Gray.

Density:

4.2 - 6.4, Average = 5.3

Diaphaneity:

Subtranslucent to opaque

Fracture:

Sub Conchoidal - Fractures developed in brittle materials characterized by semi-curving surfaces.

Habit:

Disseminated - Occurs in small, distinct particles dispersed in matrix.

Habit:

Pseudo Octohedral - Crystals show an octohedral outline.

Hardness:

5-5.5 - Apatite-Knife Blade

Luminescence:

Non-fluorescent.

Luster:

Vitreous - Resinous

Magnetism:

Nonmagnetic

Streak:

light yellow

Optical Properties of Microlite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.332 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.133 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1766,KPDmeas= 0.2075,KC= 0.1559
Ncalc = 1.65 - 2

Optical Data:

Isotropic, n=2-2.2.

Calculated Properties of Microlite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=5.39 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Microlite =6.23 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0002334809
Boson Index = 0.9997665191

Photoelectric:

PE_Microlite= 814.71 barns/electron
U=PE_Microlite x rElectron Density=4,392.35 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Microlite is Not Radioactive

Microlite Classification

Dana Class:

08.02.02.01 (08)Multiple Oxides with Nb, Ta, and Ti

(08.02)where (A)2 (B2O6) (O,OH,F)

(08.02.02)Pyrochlore Group (Microlite Subgroup; Ta>Nb;(Ta+Nb)>2(Ti)

08.02.02.01 Microlite (Na,Ca)2Ta2O6(O,OH,F) F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

08.02.02.02 Bariomicrolite Ba(Ta,Nb)2(O,OH)7 F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

08.02.02.03 Plumbomicrolite (Pb,Ca,U)2Ta2O6(OH) F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

08.02.02.04 Uranmicrolite (U,Ca)2(Ta,Nb)2O6(OH) F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

08.02.02.05 Bismutomicrolite (Bi,Ca)(Ta,Nb)2O6(OH) F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

08.02.02.06 Stannomicrolite (Sn,Fe,Mn)(Ta,Nb,Sn)2(O,OH)7 F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

08.02.02.07 Stibiomicrolite (Sb,Ca,Na)2(Ta,Nb)2(O,OH)7 F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

08.02.02.08 Fluornatromicrolite! (Na,Ca,Bi)2Ta2O6F F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

Strunz Class:

04.DH.15 04 - OXIDES (Hydroxides, V[5,6] vanadates, arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites, iodate

04.D - Metal:Oxygen = 1:2 and similar

04.DH -With large (± medium-sized) cations; sheets of edge-sharing octahedra

04.DH.15 Alumotungstite (W,Al)(O,OH)3(?) Unk Cubic

04.DH.15 Betafite (Ca,U)2(Ti,Nb,Ta)2O6(OH) F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

04.DH.15 Ferritungstite (K,Ca,Na)(W,Fe)2(O,OH)6•(H2O) F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

04.DH.15 Cesstibtantite (Cs,Na)SbTa4O12 F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

04.DH.15 Bismutomicrolite (Bi,Ca)(Ta,Nb)2O6(OH) F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

04.DH.15 Ceriopyrochlore-(Ce) (Ce,Ca,Y)2(Nb,Ta)2O6(OH,F) F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

04.DH.15 Bariopyrochlore (Ba,Sr)(Nb,Ti)2(O,OH)7 F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

04.DH.15 Bariomicrolite Ba(Ta,Nb)2(O,OH)7 F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

04.DH.15 Calciobetafite Ca2(Ti,Nb)2(O,OH)7 F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

04.DH.15 Jixianite Pb(W,Fe)2(O,OH)7 F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

04.DH.15 Plumbomicrolite (Pb,Ca,U)2Ta2O6(OH) F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

04.DH.15 Kalipyrochlore (H2O,Sr)(Nb,Ti)(O,OH)6•(H2O,K) F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

04.DH.15 Plumbopyrochlore (Pb,Y,U,Ca)2-xNb2O6(OH) F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

04.DH.15 Strontiopyrochlore* Sr2Nb2(O,OH)7 F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

04.DH.15 Uranmicrolite (U,Ca)2(Ta,Nb)2O6(OH) F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

04.DH.15 Pyrochlore (Na,Ca)2Nb2O6(OH,F) F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

04.DH.15 Microlite (Na,Ca)2Ta2O6(O,OH,F) F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

04.DH.15 Natrobistantite (Na,Cs)Bi(Ta,Nb,Sb)4O12 F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

04.DH.15 Plumbobetafite (Pb,U,Ca)(Ti,Nb)2O6(OH,F) F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

04.DH.15 Stibiomicrolite (Sb,Ca,Na)2(Ta,Nb)2(O,OH)7 F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

04.DH.15 Stannomicrolite (Sn,Fe,Mn)(Ta,Nb,Sn)2(O,OH)7 F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

04.DH.15 Stibiobetafite (Sb,Ca)2(Ti,Nb,Ta)2(O,OH)7 F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

04.DH.15 Uranpyrochlore (U,Ca,Ce)2(Nb,Ta)2O6(OH,F) F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

04.DH.15 Bismutopyrochlore! (Bi,U,Ca,Pb)1x(Nb,Ta)2O6(OH)•n(H2O) F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

04.DH.15 Fluornatromicrolite! (Na,Ca,Bi)2Ta2O6F F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

04.DH.15 Yttrobetafite-(Y) (Y,U,Ce)2(Ti,Nb,Ta)2O6(OH) F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

04.DH.15 Yttropyrochlore-(Y) (Y,Na,Ca,U)1-2(Nb,Ta,Ti)2(O,OH)7 F d3m 2/m 3

04.DH.15 Elsmoreite! WO3•0.5(H2O) F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

Other Microlite Information

References:

NAME( Duda&Rejl90) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Mason68)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Microlite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery
3 - Athena
4 - EUROmin Project
5 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
6 - Google Images
7 - Google Scholar
8 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
9 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
10 - MinDAT
11 - MinMax(Deutsch)
12 - MinMax(English)
13 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
14 - QUT Mineral Atlas
15 - Ruff.Info
16 - Scandinavian mineral gallery
17 - WWW-MINCRYST

Search for Microlite using:

[ALTAVISTA] [AOL] [All-The-Web] [HotBot] [Ixquick] [MAMMA] [MSN.COM] [Netscape] [Scirus] [Teoma] [Wikipedia] [YAHOO]

Visit our Advertisers for Microlite :

AA Mineral Specimens

B & L Fine Minerals

Crystalarium.com

Dan Weinrich Fine Minerals

Dan Weinrich Auctions

Dakota Matrix

Desert Winds Gems and Minerals

John Betts Fine Minerals

Mason's Minerals

Mineral News

Mineral of the Month Club

Wrights Rock Shop

Translate Microlite Mineral Data :

Ask about Microlite here :
Ask-A-Mineralogist from the Mineralogical Society of America
Mindat.org's Discussion Groups
Original Rockhounds Discussion Group
Rockhounds Discussion Group on Yahoo Groups
Mineral Discussion Forum from Fabre Minerals - also available in Español

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

Microlite

(Na,Ca)2Ta2O6(O,OH,F)
Dana No: 08.02.02.01 Strunz No: 04.DH.15
Locality:

Notes: