Vigezzite Mineral Data

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General Vigezzite Information

Chemical Formula:

(Ca,Ce)(Nb,Ta,Ti)2O6

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 372.21 gm

Calcium 8.61 % Ca 12.05 % CaO

Cerium 7.53 % Ce 8.82 % Ce₂O₃

Tantalum 29.17 % Ta 35.62 % Ta₂O₅

Titanium 6.43 % Ti 10.73 % TiO₂

Niobium 22.46 % Nb 32.14 % Nb₂O₅

Oxygen 25.79 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 99.36 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Ca_0.8Ce_0.2Nb_0.9Ta_0.6Ti_0.5O₆

Environment:

Miarolitic cavities in an albitized pegmatite in amphibolite and biotite gneiss.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1979

Locality:

Orcesco, on Alpe Rosso, Val Vigezzo, Italy. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for the locality.

Name Pronunciation:

Vigezzite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

ICSD 69217

PDF 34-1316

Vigezzite Image

Images:

Vigezzite

Comments: Translucent brown vigezzite microcrystal in marble.
Location: Alpe Rosso, Val Vigezzo, Orcesco, Novara, Piemonte, Italy. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Vigezzite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.6854:1:0.486

Cell Dimensions:

a = 7.559, b = 11.028, c = 5.36, Z = 4; V = 446.81 Den(Calc)= 5.53

Crystal System:

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

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 2.974(1), 3.03(1), 4.821(0.9),

Crystal Structure:

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drag1 - LMB Manipulate Structure
drag2 - RMB Resize/Rotate
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H - Help Screen
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Giuseppetti G , Tadini P , Neues Jahrbuch fur Mineralogie, Monatshefte , 1990 (1990) p.301-308, The crystal structure of vigezzite, (Ca,Ce)(Nb,Ta,Ti)2O6,, intermediate term of the aeschynite series, Locality: Vigezzo Valley, Novara, Italy

Physical Properties of Vigezzite

Cleavage:

{100} Distinct

Color:

Orange, Bright yellow orange.

Density:

5.54

Diaphaneity:

Subtranslucent to Opaque

Fracture:

Brittle - Conchoidal - Very brittle fracture producing small, conchoidal fragments.

Habit:

Euhedral Crystals - Occurs as well-formed crystals showing good external form.

Habit:

Prismatic - Crystals Shaped like Slender Prisms (e.g. tourmaline).

Habit:

Striated - Parallel lines on crystal surface or cleavage face.

Hardness:

4.5-5 - Near Apatite

Luster:

Sub Metallic

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Vigezzite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.007 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.009 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.222,KPDmeas= 0.2216,KC= 0.2201
Ncalc = 2.22

Optical Data:

Biaxial (+), a=2.14, g=2.315, bire=0.1750, 2V(Meas)=large. Dispersion extreme.

Calculated Properties of Vigezzite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=4.98 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Vigezzite =5.54 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0085915604
Boson Index = 0.9914084396

Photoelectric:

PE_Vigezzite= 410.44 barns/electron
U=PE_Vigezzite x r_electron=2,044.09 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 7,219.41 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Vigezzite per GRapi unit = 138.52 (PPM)

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

**Estimated Radioactivity from Vigezzite** - mild
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 / 7.01 cm	168,647	4.56E-06	7,219.41	2.37
100 gm / 3.25 cm	16,865	4.56E-07	721.94	0.24
10 gm / 1.51 cm	1,686	4.56E-08	72.19	0.02
1 gm / 7.01 mm	169	4.56E-09	7.22	0.00
0.1 gm / 3.25 mm	17	4.56E-10	0.72	0.00
0.01 gm / 1.51 mm	2	4.56E-11	0.07	0.00
0.001 gm / 0.70 mm	0	4.56E-12	0.01	0.00

Weight of pure Vigezzite in grams (gm) and Calculated Diameter of a Sphere with a Density of 5.54 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 ( 0.38 % Th) From Sum REE Elements ( 7.53 % REE)

Vigezzite Classification

Dana Class:

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

(08.03)where A (B2O6)

(08.03.07)Dana Group

08.03.07.01 Vigezzite (Ca,Ce)(Nb,Ta,Ti)2O6 Pmnb 2/m 2/m 2/m

08.03.07.02 Rynersonite Ca(Ta,Nb)2O6 Pmnb 2/m 2/m 2/m

Strunz Class:

04.DF.05 04 - OXIDES (Hydroxides, V[5,6] vanadates, arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites, iodate

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

04.DF -With large (± medium-sized) cations; dimers and trimers of edge-sharing octahedra

04.DF.05 Aeschynite-(Ce) (Ce,Ca,Fe)(Ti,Nb)2(O,OH)6 Pmnb 2/m 2/m 2/m

04.DF.05 Aeschynite-(Nd) (Nd,Ce)(Ti,Nb)2(O,OH)6 Pmnb ? 2/m 2/m 2/m

04.DF.05 Aeschynite-(Y) (Y,Ca,Fe)(Ti,Nb)2(O,OH)6 Pbnm 2/m 2/m 2/m

04.DF.05 Nioboaeschynite-(Ce) (Ce,Ca)(Nb,Ti)2(O,OH)6 Pbnm 2/m 2/m 2/m

04.DF.05 Nioboaeschynite-(Nd)! (Nd,Ce)(Nb,Ti)2(O,OH)6 Pbnm 2/m 2/m 2/m

04.DF.05 Rynersonite Ca(Ta,Nb)2O6 Pmnb 2/m 2/m 2/m

04.DF.05 Tantalaeschynite-(Y) (Y,Ce,Ca)(Ta,Ti,Nb)2O6 Pbnm 2/m 2/m 2/m

04.DF.05 Vigezzite (Ca,Ce)(Nb,Ta,Ti)2O6 Pmnb 2/m 2/m 2/m

04.DF.05 Nioboaeschynite-(Y)! [(Y,REE),Ca,Th,Fe](Nb,Ti,Ta)2(O,OH)6 Pbnm 2/m 2/m 2/m

Other Vigezzite Information

References:

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

See Also:

Links to other databases for Vigezzite :
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 - WWW-MINCRYST

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Ask about Vigezzite here :
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Print or Cut-and-Paste your Vigezzite Specimen Label here :

Vigezzite

(Ca,Ce)(Nb,Ta,Ti)2O6
Dana No: 08.03.07.01 Strunz No: 04.DF.05
Locality:

Notes: