Zirconolite Mineral Data

Zirconolite Mineral Data +

[Current Minerals] [Order Status] [Policies] [e-Bay Items]
B & L Minerals, Fine Mineral specimens for sale for collectors of all levels

General Zirconolite Information

Chemical Formula:

(Ca,Ce)Zr(Ti,Nb,Fe+++)2O7

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 363.87 gm

Calcium 8.81 % Ca 12.33 % CaO

Cerium 7.70 % Ce 9.02 % Ce₂O₃

Zirconium 25.07 % Zr 33.86 % ZrO₂

Titanium 19.74 % Ti 32.93 % TiO₂

Niobium 2.55 % Nb 3.65 % Nb₂O₅

Aluminum 0.74 % Al 1.40 % Al₂O₃

Iron 4.60 % Fe 5.92 % FeO

Oxygen 30.78 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 99.12 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Ca_0.8Ce_0.2ZrTi_1.5Fe²⁺_0.3Nb_0.1Al_0.1O₇

Environment:

In pegmatites.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1989

Locality:

Fredriksvarn, Norway. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for the composition.

Synonym:

Polymignite-metamict

Search for Zirconolite Images

Images:

Image not yet available on Webmineral.com

Try searching images.google.com or Mindat Picture Gallary for mineral pictures. Caution: The images retrieved may not be appropriate.

Zirconolite Crystallography

Crystal System:

Amorphous- No Crystals

Physical Properties of Zirconolite

Color:

Black, Brown.

Density:

4.8

Fracture:

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

Habit:

Massive - Uniformly indistinguishable crystals forming large masses.

Habit:

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

Habit:

Striated - Parallel lines on crystal surface or cleavage face.

Hardness:

6.5 - Pyrite

Streak:

dark brown

Optical Properties of Zirconolite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.036 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
KPDmeas= 0.2542,KC= 0.2636

Optical Data:

Isotropic, n=2.22.

Calculated Properties of Zirconolite

Electron Density:

r_electron=4.48 gm/cc
note: r_Zirconolite=4.80 gm/cc.

Fermion Index

Fermion Index = 0.05489
Boson Index = 0.94511

Photoelectric:

PE_Zirconolite= 82.46 barns/electron
U=PE_Zirconolite x r_electron= 369.40 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 7,666.97 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)

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

**Estimated Radioactivity from Zirconolite** - mild
Specimen Size Weight/Volume (Sphere) *	Calculated Activity Bequerols (Bq)	Calculated Activity Curies (Ci)	Estimated Activity GR(api)	Estimated Exposure (mRem**)/hr If Held in Hand For One Hour
1000 gm / 7.36 cm	172,512	4.66E-06	7,666.97	2.52
100 gm / 3.41 cm	17,251	4.66E-07	766.70	0.25
10 gm / 1.58 cm	1,725	4.66E-08	76.67	0.03
1 gm / 7.36 mm	173	4.66E-09	7.67	0.00
0.1 gm / 3.41 mm	17	4.66E-10	0.77	0.00
0.01 gm / 1.58 mm	2	4.66E-11	0.08	0.00
0.001 gm / 0.74 mm	0	4.66E-12	0.01	0.00

Weight of pure Zirconolite in grams (gm) and Calculated Diameter of a Sphere with a Density of 4.80 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 ( 0.39 % Th) From Sum REE Elements ( 7.70 % REE)

Zirconolite Classification

Dana Class:

8.2.5.5 (8)Multiple Oxides with Nb, Ta, and Ti

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

(8.2.5)Dana Group

8.2.5.1 Zirkelite (Ca,Th,Ce)Zr(Ti,Nb)2O7 F m3m 4/m 3 2/m

8.2.5.2 Zirconolite-3O (Ca,Fe,Y,Th)2Fe(Ti,Nb)3Zr2O7 C mca 2/m 2/m 2/m

8.2.5.3 Zirconolite-2M CaZrTi2O7 C 2/c 2/m

8.2.5.4 Zirconolite-3T CaZrTi2O7 P 3₁2 3 2

8.2.5.5 Zirconolite (Ca,Ce)Zr(Ti,Nb,Fe)2O7 None

Strunz Class:

IV/C.15-20 IV - Oxides

IV/C - Oxides with metal : oxygen = 2:3 (M2O3 and related compounds)

IV/C.15 - Pyrochlore group, Zirkelite - Zirconolite series

IV/C.15-10 Zirkelite (Ca,Th,Ce)Zr(Ti,Nb)2O7 F m3m 4/m 3 2/m

IV/C.15-20 Zirconolite (Ca,Ce)Zr(Ti,Nb,Fe)2O7 None

IV/C.15-20* Zirconolite-2M CaZrTi2O7 C 2/c 2/m

IV/C.15-20** Zirconolite-3O (Ca,Fe,Y,Th)2Fe(Ti,Nb)3Zr2O7 C mca 2/m 2/m 2/m

IV/C.15-20*** Zirconolite-3T CaZrTi2O7 P 3₁2 3 2

Other Zirconolite Information

References:

NAME( Dana8) PHYS. PROP.(Dana8) OPTIC PROP.(Dana8)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Zirconolite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Athena
3 - Google Images
4 - Google Scholar
5 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
6 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
7 - MinDAT
8 - MinMax(Deutsch)
9 - MinMax(English)
10 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
11 - QUT Mineral Atlas
12 - Ruff.Info
13 - Uranium Minerals
14 - WWW-MINCRYST

Search for Zirconolite using:

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

Visit our Advertisers for Zirconolite :

AA Mineral Specimens

B & L Fine Minerals

Dan Weinrich Fine Minerals

Dan Weinrich Auctions

John Betts Fine Minerals

Mason's Minerals

Mineral News

Mineral of the Month Club

MineralsWeb Fine Minerals

The GeoZone

Wrights Rock Shop

Translate Zirconolite Mineral Data :

Ask about Zirconolite 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 Zirconolite Specimen Label here :

Zirconolite

(Ca,Ce)Zr(Ti,Nb,Fe+++)2O7
Dana No: 8.2.5.5 Strunz No: IV/C.15-20
Locality:

Notes: