Sep 26 2013
Cabriite was named after Dr. Louis J. Cabri, a Canadian mineralogist working at the Canadian Centre for Mineral and Energy Technology, Ottawa, Canada. He is recognized for his contribution in providing detailed descriptions of many platinum group minerals.
Properties of Cabriite
The following are the key properties of Cabriite:
- Cell Data
- Space group: Pmmm.
- a = 7.88(5)
- b = 7.88(5)
- c = 3.94(2)
- Z = 4
- Crystal Data
- Orthorhombic
- Point group: 2/m 2/m 2/m
- As grains, to 4 mm, in massive mooihoekite
- Twinning: Polysynthetic
- X-ray powder pattern: 2.29 (10), 2.17 (9), 1.230 (8), 1.217 (4), 1.840 (3b), 1.434 (3b), 1.182 (3)
- Chemical Composition
| Elements |
Content 1 |
Content 2 |
Content 3 |
| Pd |
52.1 |
50.7 |
53.87 |
| Sn |
30 |
28.1 |
30.05 |
| Cu |
16.2 |
15.5 |
16.08 |
| Pt |
2.6 |
4.9 |
- |
| Sb |
- |
0.8 |
- |
| Total |
100.9 |
100 |
100 |
- Optical Properties
- Pleochroism: Detectable.
- Anisotropism: Intense, grayish-brown to golden to deep steel-blue colors.
- R1–R2: (400) 40.5–40.7, (420) 41.1–41.8, (440) 41.7–42.0, (460) 42.8–42.1, (480) 44.4–42.6, (500) 46.1–43.3, (520) 47.8–44.0, (540) 49.5–44.9, (560) 51.3– 45.7, (580) 53.3–47.0, (600) 55.6–48.6, (620) 58.2–50.6, (640) 61.2–52.9, (660) 64.1–55.4, (680) 66.8–57.9, (700) 69.1–60.2
- Estimated Properties
| Electron density |
Bulk density (electron density) = 9.29 gm/cm3
note: Specific gravity of Cabriite = 10.7 gm/cm3. |
| Photoelectric |
PECabriite = 233.56 barns/electron
U = PECabriite x ρelectron density=2,169.28 barns/cm3. |
| Fermion index |
Fermion index = 0.17
Boson index = 0.83 |
|
Radioactivity
|
Cabriite is not radioactive. |
How to Identify Cabriite
Cabriite can be identified in the field by its grayish white color and opaque form. It has a metallic lustre. The density of cabriite is 10.7 gm/cm3 with a hardness of 4 to 4.5 between fluorite and apatite.
Global Distribution
Globally, cabriite can be found in the following locations:
- Russia - Oktyabr mine, Talnakh area, Norilsk region, western Siberia.
- USA - Minnamax Cu–Ni sulfide deposit, Duluth Gabbro complex, near Hibbing, St. Louis Co., Minnesota.
- Canada –Muskox intrusion, Northwest Territories, and at Thetford Mines, Quebec.
- South Africa - Onverwacht mine, in the Merensky Reef, Bushveld complex, Transvaal.
Occurrence of Cabriite and Useful Mineral Association
Cabriite occurs in the huge mooihoekite ore, and also in the galena–chalcopyrite veins. It is often associated with minerals such as mooihoekite, putoranite, talnakhite, paolovite, sobolevskite, sperrylite, geeversite, polarite, auricupride, cassiterite, stannite, chalcopyrite, valeriite, galena, froodite, magnetite, silver, and sphalerite.
References