Tantalite-(Fe) Mineral Data

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General Tantalite-(Fe) Information

Chemical Formula:

Fe++Ta2O6

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 513.74 gm

Tantalum 70.44 % Ta 86.02 % Ta₂O₅

Iron 10.87 % Fe 13.98 % FeO

Oxygen 18.69 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Fe²⁺Ta₂O₆

Environment:

Accessory mineral in granite pegmatites.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1989

Locality:

Upper Bear Gulch, Lawrence Co, South Dakota, USA Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for the FERROus iron and from the Greek, Tantalos = father of Niobe.

Synonym:

Coltan

Columbite-Tantalite

Ferrotantalite - Renamed to Tantalite-(Fe) by Mineralogical Record, v39 (2008), p 131

Tantalite-(Fe) Image

Images:

Tantalite-(Fe)

Comments: Rounded black crystal of ferrotantalite.
Location: Mount Surprise, Queensland, Australia. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Images:

Tantalite-(Fe)

Comments: Blocky, crystalline aggregate of ferrotantalite crystals weighing over one kilogram.
Location: Ecuador, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Scale: 10 x 6 x 5 cm.
© Rob Lavinsky

Tantalite-(Fe) Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.4023:1:0.3567

Cell Dimensions:

a = 5.73, b = 14.24, c = 5.08, Z = 4; V = 414.50 Den(Calc)= 8.23

Crystal System:

Orthorhombic - DipyramidalH-M Symbol (2/m 2/m 2/m) Space Group: Pcan

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 2.96(1), 3.66(0.5), 1.721(0.2),

Physical Properties of Tantalite-(Fe)

Cleavage:

{010} Distinct

Color:

Brownish black, Black.

Density:

8.2

Diaphaneity:

Opaque

Fracture:

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

Hardness:

6-6.5 - Orthoclase-Pyrite

Luster:

Sub Metallic

Streak:

black brown

Optical Properties of Tantalite-(Fe)

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.052 (Good) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.048 (Good) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1636,KPDmeas= 0.1642,KC= 0.1562
Ncalc = 2.28 - 2.29

Optical Data:

Biaxial (+), a=2.26, b=2.3-2.4, g=2.43, bire=0.1700

Calculated Properties of Tantalite-(Fe)

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=7.05 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Tantalite-(Fe) =8.23 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0024788106
Boson Index = 0.9975211894

Photoelectric:

PE_{Tantalite-(Fe)}= 850.67 barns/electron
U=PE_{Tantalite-(Fe)} x rElectron Density=5,996.10 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Tantalite-(Fe) is Not Radioactive

Tantalite-(Fe) Classification

Dana Class:

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

(08.03)where A (B2O6)

(08.03.02)Tantalite - Columbite Series

08.03.02.01 Tantalite-(Fe) FeTa2O6 Pcan 2/m 2/m 2/m

08.03.02.02 Columbite-(Fe) FeNb2O6 Pcan 2/m 2/m 2/m

08.03.02.03 Tantalite-(Mn) MnTa2O6 Pcan 2/m 2/m 2/m

08.03.02.04 Columbite-(Mn) (Mn,Fe)(Nb,Ta)2O6 Pcan 2/m 2/m 2/m

08.03.02.05 Columbite-(Mg) (Mg,Fe,Mn)(Nb,Ta)2O6 Pcan 2/m 2/m 2/m

08.03.02.06 Tantalite-(Mg)! (Mg,Fe)(Ta,Nb)2O6 P bcn 2/m 2/m 2/m

Strunz Class:

04.DB.35 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.35 Columbite-(Mg) (Mg,Fe,Mn)(Nb,Ta)2O6 Pcan 2/m 2/m 2/m

04.DB.35 Tantalite-(Fe) FeTa2O6 Pcan 2/m 2/m 2/m

04.DB.35 Columbite-(Fe) FeNb2O6 Pcan 2/m 2/m 2/m

04.DB.35 Columbite-(Mn) (Mn,Fe)(Nb,Ta)2O6 Pcan 2/m 2/m 2/m

04.DB.35 Qitianlingite Fe2Nb2WO10 P bcn 2/m 2/m 2/m

04.DB.35 Tantalite-(Mn) MnTa2O6 Pcan 2/m 2/m 2/m

04.DB.35 Tantalite-(Mg)! (Mg,Fe)(Ta,Nb)2O6 P bcn 2/m 2/m 2/m

Other Tantalite-(Fe) Information

References:

PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Tantalite-(Fe) :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Athena
3 - GeoScienceWorld
4 - Google Images
5 - Google Scholar
6 - MinDAT
7 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
8 - Online Mineral Museum
9 - QUT Mineral Atlas
10 - Ruff.Info

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Tantalite-(Fe)

Fe++Ta2O6
Dana No: 08.03.02.01 Strunz No: 04.DB.35
Locality:

Notes: