Cassiterite Mineral Data

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General Cassiterite Information

Chemical Formula:

SnO2

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 150.71 gm

Tin 78.77 % Sn 100.00 % SnO₂

Oxygen 21.23 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

SnO₂

Environment:

Granite pegmatites and alluvial placer deposits.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1832

Locality:

Cornwall, Wales, Great Britain. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

From the Greek kassiteros - "tin."

Name Pronunciation:

Cassiterite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

ICSD 39173

PDF 41-1445

Staringite - Mixture with ferrotapiolite

Tin Ore

Wood Tin

Cassiterite Image

Images:

Cassiterite

Comments: Very brilliant black crystals of cassiterite on white mica.
Location: Xue Bao Diang, Sichuan, China. Scale: Size Not Given.
© Fabre Minerals

Images:

Cassiterite

Comments: Gemmy, doubly terminated cassiterite on quartz-mica matrix.
Location: Langcangjiang river area, Yunnan, China. Scale: 2.7 x 2.2 x 1.8 cm.
© Fabre Minerals

Cassiterite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:c = 1:0.65808

Cell Dimensions:

a = 4.738, c = 3.118, Z = 2; V = 69.99 Den(Calc)= 7.15

Crystal System:

Tetragonal - Ditetragonal DipyramidalH-M Symbol (4/m 2/m 2/m) Space Group: P 4/mnm

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 3.351(1), 2.644(0.81), 1.765(0.63),

Forms:

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

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Crystal Structure:

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Baur W H , Acta Crystallographica , 9 (1956) p.515-520, Uber die verfeinerung der kristallstrukturbestimmung einiger vertreter, des rutiltyps: TiO2, SnO2, GeO2 und MgF2

View Additional jPOWD Structure files for Cassiterite
[1] [2]

Physical Properties of Cassiterite

Cleavage:

{100} Perfect, {110} Indistinct

Color:

Brown, Brownish black, Colorless, Green, Gray.

Density:

6.8 - 7, Average = 6.9

Diaphaneity:

Transparent to translucent to opaque

Fracture:

Irregular - Flat surfaces (not cleavage) fractured in an irregular pattern.

Habit:

Botryoidal - "Grape-like" rounded forms (e.g.. malachite).

Habit:

Massive - Uniformly indistinguishable crystals forming large masses.

Habit:

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

Hardness:

6-7 - Orthoclase-Quartz

Luminescence:

Non-fluorescent.

Luster:

Adamantine

Streak:

brownish white

Optical Properties of Cassiterite

Dichroism (e):

yellow.

Dichroism (w):

red brown.

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.062 (Fair) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.025 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1466,KPDmeas= 0.1519,KC= 0.143
Ncalc = 1.97 - 2.02

Optical Data:

Uniaxial (+), w=1.99-2.01, e=2.093-2.1, bire=0.0900-0.1030.

RL Anisotrophism:

Strong.

RL Color:

Light gray with white to brownish internal reflections.

RL Pleochroism:

Strong to very weak.

Reflectivity

**Standardized Intensity (100%) Reflection Spectra of Cassiterite in Air**
λ	R₁	R₂	∑ R₁(λ)	∑ R₂(λ)
400 nm	11.70	13.20
420 nm	11.60	13.00
440 nm	11.50	12.80
460 nm	11.40	12.60
480 nm	11.30	12.50
500 nm	11.20	12.40
520 nm	11.00	12.20
540 nm	11.00	12.10
560 nm	10.90	12.00
580 nm	10.90	12.00
600 nm	10.80	12.00
620 nm	10.80	12.00
640 nm	10.70	12.00
660 nm	10.70	12.00
680 nm	10.60	12.00
700 nm	10.60	12.00

**Calculated Relative Intensity Colors of Cassiterite in Air**
Relative Intensity	0%	90%	100%	180%	270%	360%	450%	540%	630%	720%	810%
R₁
R₂

Calculated Properties of Cassiterite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=6.26 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Cassiterite =7.15 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.13
Boson Index = 0.87

Photoelectric:

PE_Cassiterite= 247.66 barns/electron
U=PE_Cassiterite x rElectron Density=1,550.92 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

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

Cassiterite Classification

Dana Class:

04.04.01.05 (04)Simple Oxides

(04.04)with a cation charge of 4+ (A++++ O2)

(04.04.01)Rutile group (Tetragonal: P4/mnm)

04.04.01.01 Rutile TiO2 P 4/mnm 4/m 2/m 2/m

04.04.01.02 Ilmenorutile (Ti,Nb,Fe)O2 P 4/mnm 4/m 2/m 2/m

04.04.01.03 Struverite? (Ti,Ta,Fe)O2 P 4/mnm 4/m 2/m 2/m

04.04.01.04 Pyrolusite MnO2 P 4/mnm 4/m 2/m 2/m

04.04.01.05 Cassiterite SnO2 P 4/mnm 4/m 2/m 2/m

04.04.01.06 Plattnerite PbO2 P 4/mnm 4/m 2/m 2/m

04.04.01.07 Argutite GeO2 P 4/mnm 4/m 2/m 2/m

04.04.01.08 Squawcreekite? (Fe,Sb,W)O4•(H2O) P 4/mnm 4/m 2/m 2/m

04.04.01.09 Stishovite SiO2 P 4/mnm 4/m 2/m 2/m

Strunz Class:

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

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

04.DB -With medium-sized cations; chains of edge-sharing octahedra

04.DB.05 Argutite GeO2 P 4/mnm 4/m 2/m 2/m

04.DB.05 Cassiterite SnO2 P 4/mnm 4/m 2/m 2/m

04.DB.05 Rutile TiO2 P 4/mnm 4/m 2/m 2/m

04.DB.05 Pyrolusite MnO2 P 4/mnm 4/m 2/m 2/m

04.DB.05 Plattnerite PbO2 P 4/mnm 4/m 2/m 2/m

04.DB.05 Varlamoffite* (Sn,Fe)(O,OH)2 P 4₁/mnm 4/m 2/m 2/m

04.DB.05 Squawcreekite? (Fe,Sb,W)O4•(H2O) P 4/mnm 4/m 2/m 2/m

04.DB.05 Tugarinovite MoO2 P 2₁/n 2/m

04.DB.05 Tripuhyite FeSbO4 P 4₁/mnm 4/m 2/m 2/m

Other Cassiterite Information

References:

NAME( Duda&Rejl90) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(AntBidBlaNic1)

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

Cassiterite

SnO2
Dana No: 04.04.01.05 Strunz No: 04.DB.05
Locality:

Notes: