Jun 11 2014
Calzirtite was named after the elements in its composition - CALcium and ZIRconium.
Properties of Calzirtite
The following are the key properties of calzirtite:
- Cell Data
- Space group: I 41/acd
- a = 15.094(2)
- c = 10.043(2)
- Z = 8
- Crystal Data
- Tetragonal
- Point group: 4/m2/m2/m
- Single crystals exhibit a prismatic dipyramidal habit
- Commonly in complex pseudotrapezohedral trillings, outwardly similar to garnet crystals, or with deep re-entrants, to 5mm
- Twinning: Cyclic, on an unknown law
- X-ray powder pattern: 2.945 (10), 1.801 (10), 1.537 (9), 1.170 (7), 2.552 (6), 0.9807 (6), 0.8597 (6)
- Chemical Composition
| Elements |
Content 1 |
Content 2 |
Content 3 |
| ZrO2 + HfO2 |
70.56 |
66.09 |
69.38 |
| TiO2 |
16.04 |
17.62 |
17.99 |
| CaO |
11.26 |
12.22 |
12.63 |
| Fe2O3 |
1.64 |
0.75 |
- |
| Nb2O5 |
0.10 |
1.58 |
- |
| SiO2 |
0.41 |
0.80 |
- |
| LOI |
0.17 |
0.65 |
- |
| Re + ThO2 |
- |
0.15 |
- |
| P2O5 |
- |
0.05 |
- |
| Total |
100.18 |
99.91 |
100.00 |
- Optical Properties
- Anisotropism: Pronounced
- Optical class: Uniaxial (+)
- ω = 2.19–2.27
- ε = 2.26–2.36
- Estimated Properties
| Electron density |
Bulk density (electron density) = 4.76 g/cm3
note: Specific gravity of calzirtite = 5.14 g/cm3 |
| Photoelectric |
PECalzirtite = 77.81 barns/electron
U = PECalzirtite x ρ electron density = 370.20 barns/cm3 |
| Fermion index |
Fermion index = 0.07
Boson index = 0.93 |
Radioactivity
|
Calzirtite is not radioactive
|
How to Identify Calzirtite
Calzirtite can be identified in the field by its color variations, such as brown-green, light brown, light green, dark brown, and black-brown. Its transparent to sub-opaque form has good cleavage. This mineral has an adamantine–greasy luster, with white streak. The fracture on this mineral is brittle.
The density of calzirtite is 5.01 g/cm3, with a hardness of 6 to 7 - between orthoclase and quartz.
Global Distribution
Calzirtite is distributed in the following places:
- Russia - From the Ozernyi massif, near Lake Gornoye, Aldan, Sakha; in the Guli ultrabasic pluton, and the Kugda, Magan, and Odikhincha massifs, between the Maimecha and Kotui rivers, far northern Siberia; in the Tazheranskii alkalic massif, west of Lake Baikal, eastern Siberia; and the Seblyavr pluton, Kola Peninsula
- Italy - Found near Chiesa, Val Malenco, Lombardy
- Germany - In the Kaiserstuhl, Baden-Wurttemberg
- Brazil - From the Jacupiranga carbonatite, Sao Paulo
- Uganda - In the Bukusu carbonatite complex, south-eastern Uganda
Occurrence of Calzirtite and Useful Mineral Association
Calzirtite occurs in a characteristic accessory mineral in alkalic, and ultramafic complexes associated with carbonatites; and is typically found in residual soils and alluvium.
It is often associated with minerals such as forsterite, pyroxene, magnetite, zirconolite, phlogopite, niobian perovskite, calcite, apatite, anatase, baddeleyite, and rutile.
References