Oct 11 2013
Calciobetafite was first discovered in 1983 from Monte di Procida, Campi Flegrei, near Naples, Campania, Italy. It is member of the pyrochlore group of minerals and its name comes from the fact it has a betafite structure and a high calcium content.
Properties of Calciobetafite
The following are the key properties of Calciobetafite:
- Cell Data
- Space Group: Fd3m
- a = 10.2978(5)
- Z = 8
- Crystal Data
- Cubic; may be metamict
- Point Group: 4/m 3 2/m
- As octahedra, to 0.2 mm
- X-ray Powder Pattern: 2.973 (100), 1.820 (53), 1.552 (45), 2.574 (27), 1.181 (16), 1.151 (13), 1.051 (12)
- Chemical Composition
| Elements |
Content 1 |
Content 2 |
| Nb2O5 |
27.5 |
32.9 |
| CaO |
16 |
16 |
| TiO2 |
14.3 |
15 |
| CeO2 |
4 |
4 |
| FeO |
1.9 |
2 |
| Na2O |
1.7 |
1.7 |
| F |
1.3 |
- |
| Nd2O3 |
1.2 |
1.4 |
| ZrO2 |
1.1 |
1 |
| La2O3 |
0.7 |
0.7 |
| Y2O3 |
0.6 |
0.6 |
| -O = F2 |
0.5 |
- |
| UO2 |
- |
4.8 |
| ThO2 |
- |
4.5 |
| Ta2O5 |
- |
2.4 |
| Pr2O3 |
- |
0.6 |
| Total |
69.8 |
87.6 |
- Optical Properties
- Optical Class: Isotropic
- n = n.d.
- Estimated Properties
| Electron density |
Bulk density (electron density)=4.42 g/cm3
note: Specific gravity of Calciobetafite =4.80 g/cm3 |
| Photoelectric |
PECalciobetafite = 375.93 barns/electron
U= PECalciobetafite x ρ Electron density= 1660.33 barns/cm3 |
| Fermion index |
Fermion index = 0.02
Boson index = 0.98 |
| Radioactivity |
Calciobetafite is radioactive |
How to Identify Calciobetafite
Calciobetafite is a reddish brown mineral with resinous luster and subtranslucent to opaque appearance. It exhibits uneven fractures producing small, conchoidal fragments. It can be formed as ametamict. The average density of the mineral is 4.34 g/cm3, and its hardness ranges from 4.5 to 5.5.
Global Distribution
Calciobetafite is distributed in the following places:
- Monte di Procida, Campi Flegrei, near Naples, Campania, Italy
- Hybla, Ontario, Canada
Occurrence of Calciobetafite and Useful Mineral Association
Calciobetafite occurs in a subvolcanic rock, locally termed “sanidinite”, present in a phreatomagmatic explosion breccia. It is closely associated with titanite, apatite, magnetite, biotite, clinopyroxene, magnesian hastingsitic amphibole, zirconolite, zirkelite, polymignite, plagioclase and sanidine.
References