General Cassiterite Information
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Chemical Formula: |
SnO2 |
Composition: |
Molecular Weight = 150.71 gm |
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Tin 78.77 % Sn 100.00 % SnO2 |
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Oxygen 21.23 % O |
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______ ______ |
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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." |
Synonym: |
ICSD 39173 |
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PDF 41-1445 |
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Staringite-mixture with ferrotapiolite |
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Tin Ore |
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Wood Tin |
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Cassiterite Image |
Images:
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Cassiterite
Comments: Very brilliant black crystals of cassiterite on white mica.
Location: Xue Bao Diang, Sichuan, China.
Scale: Size Not Given.
© Fabre Minerals |
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Images:
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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 |
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Cassiterite Crystallography
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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 |
X Ray Diffraction: |
By Intensity(I/Io): 3.351(1), 2.644(0.81), 1.765(0.63), |
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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]
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Physical Properties of Cassiterite
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Cleavage: |
[100] Perfect, [110] Indistinct |
Color: |
Brown, Brownish black, Colorless, Green, Gray. |
Density: |
6.8 - 7, Average = 6.9 |
Diaphaniety: |
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: |
None. |
Luster: |
Adamantine |
Streak: |
brownish white |
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Optical Properties of Cassiterite
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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 |
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 |
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∑ R1(λ) |
∑ R2(λ) |
| 400 nm |
11.70 |
13.20 |

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| 420 nm |
11.60 |
13.00 |

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| 440 nm |
11.50 |
12.80 |

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| 460 nm |
11.40 |
12.60 |

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| 480 nm |
11.30 |
12.50 |

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| 500 nm |
11.20 |
12.40 |

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| 520 nm |
11.00 |
12.20 |

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| 540 nm |
11.00 |
12.10 |

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| 560 nm |
10.90 |
12.00 |

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| 580 nm |
10.90 |
12.00 |

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| 600 nm |
10.80 |
12.00 |

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| 620 nm |
10.80 |
12.00 |

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| 640 nm |
10.70 |
12.00 |

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| 660 nm |
10.70 |
12.00 |

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| 680 nm |
10.60 |
12.00 |

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| 700 nm |
10.60 |
12.00 |

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Calculated Relative Intensity Colors of Cassiterite in Air
Relative Intensity |
0% |
90% |
100% |
180% |
270% |
360% |
450% |
540% |
630% |
720% |
810% |
| R1 |
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| R2 |
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Calculated Properties of Cassiterite
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Electron Density: |
relectron=6.26 gm/cc note: rCassiterite =7.15 gm/cc. |
Fermion Index |
Fermion Index = 0.13101 Boson Index = 0.86899 |
Photoelectric: |
PECassiterite = 247.66 barns/electron U=PECassiterite x relectron=1,550.92 barns/cc. |
Radioactivity: |
GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units) Cassiterite is Not Radioactive |
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Cassiterite Classification
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Dana Class: |
4.4.1.5 (4)Simple Oxides |
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(4.4)with a cation charge of 4+ (A++++ O2) |
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(4.4.1)Rutile group (Tetragonal: P4/mnm) |
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4.4.1.1 Rutile TiO2 P 4/mnm 4/m 2/m 2/m |
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4.4.1.2 Ilmenorutile (Ti,Nb,Fe)O2 P 4/mnm 4/m 2/m 2/m |
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4.4.1.3 Struverite (Ti,Ta,Fe)O2 P 4/mnm 4/m 2/m 2/m |
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4.4.1.4 Pyrolusite MnO2 P 4/mnm 4/m 2/m 2/m |
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4.4.1.5 Cassiterite SnO2 P 4/mnm 4/m 2/m 2/m |
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4.4.1.6 Plattnerite PbO2 P 4/mnm 4/m 2/m 2/m |
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4.4.1.7 Argutite GeO2 P 4/mnm 4/m 2/m 2/m |
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4.4.1.8 Squawcreekite? (Fe,Sb,W)O4·(H2O) P 4/mnm 4/m 2/m 2/m |
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4.4.1.9 Stishovite SiO2 P 4/mnm 4/m 2/m 2/m |
Strunz Class: |
IV/D.02-40 IV - Oxides |
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IV/D - Oxides with metal : oxygen = 1:2 (MO2 and related compounds) |
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IV/D.02 - Rutile group, Rutile - Cassiterite - Platnerite series |
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IV/D.02-10 Rutile TiO2 P 4/mnm 4/m 2/m 2/m |
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IV/D.02-20 Pyrolusite MnO2 P 4/mnm 4/m 2/m 2/m |
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IV/D.02-30 Squawcreekite? (Fe,Sb,W)O4·(H2O) P 4/mnm 4/m 2/m 2/m |
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IV/D.02-40 Cassiterite SnO2 P 4/mnm 4/m 2/m 2/m |
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IV/D.02-45 Argutite GeO2 P 4/mnm 4/m 2/m 2/m |
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IV/D.02-50 Paratellurite TeO2 P 41212,P 43212 4 2 2 |
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IV/D.02-60 Plattnerite PbO2 P 4/mnm 4/m 2/m 2/m |
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Other Cassiterite Information
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References: |
NAME( Duda&Rejl90) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(AntBidBlaNic1) |
See Also: |
Links to other databases for Cassiterite :
1 -Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery
3 - Applied Mineralogy
4 -Athena
5 - Crocoite.com Mineral Locations
6 - EUROmin Project
7 - Glendale Community College
8 -Google Images
9 -Google Scholar
10 -Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
11 - HyperPhysics
12 -MinDAT
13 -MinMax(Deutsch)
14 -MinMax(English)
15 -Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
16 - Philatelic Mineralogy
17 -QUT Mineral Atlas
18 - Scandinavian mineral gallery
19 - Tradeshop.com - The Rainbow of Gems
20 -University of Colorado - Mineral Structure Data
21 - WWW-MINCRYST
22 -theimage
23 -École des Mines de Paris
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Print or Cut-and-Paste your Cassiterite Specimen Label here :
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Cassiterite
SnO2
Dana No: 4.4.1.5 Strunz No: IV/D.02-40
Locality:
Notes:
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