May 16 2013
Osbornite is named after George Osborn who discovered the meteorite in which this species was found.
Chemical Formula – TiN
Properties of Osbornite
The following are the key properties of Osbornite
- Cell Data
- Space Group: F4/m 3 2/m (synthetic).
- a = 4.24173
- Z = 4
- Crystal Data
- Cubic
- Point Group: 4/m 3 2/m
- Octahedra to about 0.1 mm in oldhamite and as dendritic and globular inclusions in corundum
- X-ray powder pattern: 2.1207 (100), 2.4492 (72), 1.4997 (45), 1.2789 (19), 0.9485 (14), 1.2245 (12), 0.8658 (12)
- Chemical Composition
| Elements |
Content % |
| Ti |
77.37% |
| N |
22.63% |
- Optical Properties
- Optical Class: Isotropic
- R: (440) 20.3, (460) 25.0, (480) 31.6, (500) 38.6, (520) 45.3, (540) 45.3, (560) 55.7, (580) 60.0,
- (600) 63.5, (620) 66.4, (640) 68.8, (660) 70.8, (680) 72.6, (700) 74.3
- Estimated Properties
| Electron density |
Bulk density (electron density)= 5.07 g/cm3
note: Specific gravity of osbornite= 5.41 g/cm3 |
| Photoelectric |
PEOsbornite = 12.97 barns/electron
U=PEOsbornite x ρElectron Density= 65.76 barns/cc. |
| Fermion index |
Fermion Index = 0.32
Boson Index = 0.68 |
| Radioactivity |
Osbornite is not radioactive |
How to Identify Osbornite
Osbornite is opaque, golden yellow and metallic in appearance.
Global Distribution
Osbornite is present in the Bustee meteorite. In Russia, it is distributed from an undefined locality “near the junction of the Azov block with the Donbas”.
Occurrence of Osbornite and Useful Mineral Association
Osbornite is embedded in oldhamite in an achondrite meteorite (Bustee meteorite); as inclusions in corundum, in weathered detritus from a pipelike body containing breccias with analkalic ultramafic cement. It is associated with diopside, oldhamite, corundum, iron, perovskite and iron silicides.
References