Zirkelite Mineral Data

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.

Name Pronunciation:

Zirkelite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

ICSD 31198

PDF 38-450

Polymignite - metamict

Uhligite - perovskite or zirkelite (?)

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

Diaphaneity:

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
Ncalc = 2.29 - 3.7

Optical Data:

Isotropic, n=2.19.

Calculated Properties of Zirkelite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=4.33 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Zirkelite =4.70 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.05
Boson Index = 0.95

Photoelectric:

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

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 119,140.21 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Zirkelite per GRapi unit = 8.39 (PPM)

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 Becquerels (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	2,715,916	7.34E-05	119,140.21	39.17
100 gm / 3.44 cm	271,592	7.34E-06	11,914.02	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:

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

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

(08.02.05)Zirconolite Group

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

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

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

08.02.05.04 Zirconolite-3T CaZrTi2O7 P 3₁2 3 2

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

Strunz Class:

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

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

04.DL -With large (± medium-sized) cations; fluorite-type structures

04.DL.05 Cerianite-(Ce) (Ce,Th)O2 F m3m 4/m 3 2/m

04.DL.05 Zirkelite (Ca,Th,Ce)Zr(Ti,Nb)2O7 F m3m 4/m 3 2/m

04.DL.05 Thorianite ThO2 F m3m 4/m 3 2/m

04.DL.05 Uraninite UO2 F m3m 4/m 3 2/m

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 - 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
16 - WWW-MINCRYST

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

Zirkelite

(Ca,Th,Ce)Zr(Ti,Nb)2O7
Dana No: 08.02.05.01 Strunz No: 04.DL.05
Locality:

Notes: