Zirkelite Mineral Data

Zirkelite Mineral Data +

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General Zirkelite Information

Chemical Formula:

(Ca,Th,Ce)Zr(Ti,Nb)2O7

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 382.76 gm

Calcium 6.28 % Ca 8.79 % CaO

Cerium 3.66 % Ce 4.29 % Ce₂O₃

Thorium 6.06 % Th 6.90 % ThO₂

Zirconium 23.83 % Zr 32.19 % ZrO₂

Titanium 18.76 % Ti 31.30 % TiO₂

Niobium 12.14 % Nb 17.36 % Nb₂O₅

Oxygen 29.26 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.84 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Ca_0.6Th_0.1Ce_0.1ZrTi_1.5Nb_0.5O₇

Environment:

Found with baddeleyite in decomposed magnetite-pyroxenite. Dimorphous with calciobetafite.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1960

Locality:

Jacupiranga, San Palo, Brazil. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for Ferdinand Zirkel (1838-1912), German petrographer, Professor of Mineralogy, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.

Synonym:

ICSD 31198

PDF 38-450

Polymignite-metamict

Zirkelite Image

Images:

Zirkelite

Comments: Sub-metallic zirkelite crystal aggregate.
Location: Jacupiranga Mine, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Images:

Zirkelite

Comments: Black, massive aggregate of zirkelite with minor brown biotite and a thin vein of white calcite.
Location: Palabora Open Pit mine, Loolekop, Phalaborwa, Limpopo Province, Transvaal, Republic of South Africa. Scale: Picture size 1.5 cm.
© Paul M. Schumacher

Zirkelite Crystallography

Cell Dimensions:

a = 5.05, Z = 2; V = 128.79 Den(Calc)= 9.87

Crystal System:

Isometric - HexoctahedralH-M Symbol (4/m 3 2/m) Space Group: F m3m

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 2.98(1), 1.82(0.5), 2.53(0.3),2.84(0.2), 1.51(0.1), 2.3(0.1),

Forms:

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Forms: [ 1 2 0] [ 1 3 1] [ 0 1 0] [ 1 1 1] [ 1 1 0] [ 1 0 0] [ 0 0 1]

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Crystal Structure:

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Sinclair W , Eggleton R A , American Mineralogist , 67 (1982) p.615-620, Structure refinement of zirkelite from Kaiserstuhl, West Germany

View Additional jPOWD Structure files for Zirkelite
[1]

Physical Properties of Zirkelite

Cleavage:

None

Color:

Black, Reddish brown.

Density:

4.7

Diaphaniety:

Subtranslucent to opaque

Fracture:

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

Habit:

Crystalline - Fine - Occurs as well-formed fine sized crystals.

Habit:

Metamict - Mineral originally crystalline, now amorphous due to radiation damage.

Habit:

Pseudo Cubic - Crystals show a cubic outline.

Hardness:

5.5 - Knife Blade

Luminescence:

Radioactive.

Luster:

Resinous

Streak:

brownish gray

Optical Properties of Zirkelite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.075 (Fair) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.559 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1206,KPDmeas= 0.2532,KC= 0.2736

Optical Data:

Isotropic, n=2.19.

Calculated Properties of Zirkelite

Electron Density:

r_electron=4.33 gm/cc
note: r_Zirkelite=4.70 gm/cc.

Fermion Index

Fermion Index = 0.05122
Boson Index = 0.94878

Photoelectric:

PE_Zirkelite= 212.71 barns/electron
U=PE_Zirkelite x r_electron= 920.97 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 119,140.13 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)

Zirkelite 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) 255.30 ± 63.83 grams of pure Zirkelite .

**Estimated Radioactivity from Zirkelite** - strong
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 / 7.41 cm	2,715,915	7.34E-05	119,140.13	39.17
100 gm / 3.44 cm	271,592	7.34E-06	11,914.01	3.92
10 gm / 1.60 cm	27,159	7.34E-07	1,191.40	0.39
1 gm / 7.41 mm	2,716	7.34E-08	119.14	0.04
0.1 gm / 3.44 mm	272	7.34E-09	11.91	0.00
0.01 gm / 1.60 mm	27	7.34E-10	1.19	0.00
0.001 gm / 0.74 mm	3	7.34E-11	0.12	0.00

Weight of pure Zirkelite in grams (gm) and Calculated Diameter of a Sphere with a Density of 4.70 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

Zirkelite Classification

Dana Class:

8.2.5.1 (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.15-10 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 Zirkelite Information

References:

NAME( Ford32) PHYS. PROP.(AntBidBlaNic3) OPTIC PROP.(AntBidBlaNic3)

See Also:

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

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Zirkelite

(Ca,Th,Ce)Zr(Ti,Nb)2O7
Dana No: 8.2.5.1 Strunz No: IV/C.15-10
Locality:

Notes: