Tantite
{{Infobox mineral
| name = Tantite
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| category = Oxide minerals
| molweight = 441.89 g/mol
| strunz = 4.EA.05
| dana = 04.06.06.01
| system = Triclinic
| class = Pedial (1)
(same H-M symbol)
| symmetry = P1
| unit cell = a = 3.8 Å, b = 3.79 Å
c = 35.74 Å; β = 90.18°; Z = 6
| color = Colorless
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| cleavage = None
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| mohs = 7
| luster = Adamantine
| streak = White
| diaphaneity = Transparent
| gravity = 8.55
| density = {{val|8.45|ul=g/cm3}}
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| opticalprop = Biaxial
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| references = {{cite web|title=Tantite mineral information and data|url=http://www.mindat.org/min-3884.html|publisher=Mindat.org|accessdate=2011-11-01}}{{cite web|title=Tantite Mineral Data|url=http://www.webmineral.com/data/Tantite.shtml|publisher=Webmineral.com|accessdate=2011-11-01}}
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Tantite is a rare tantalum oxide mineral with formula: Ta2O5. Tantite forms transparent microscopic colorless triclinic - pedial crystals with an adamantine luster. It has a Mohs hardness of 7 and a high specific gravity of 8.45. Chemical analyses show minor inclusion (1.3%) of niobium oxide.
It was first described in 1983 for an occurrence in a pegmatite in the Kola peninsula, Russia. It has also been reported from a pegmatite complex in Florence County, Wisconsin. Associated mineral species include elbaite, lepidolite, spodumene, columbite-tantalite, wodginite, and microlite.
References
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- [https://web.archive.org/web/20060910171820/http://www.uwrf.edu/~wc01/tantite.htm Wisconsin minerals] Accessed March 31, 2006.
- [http://rruff.geo.arizona.edu/doclib/hom/tantite.pdf American Mineralogist data sheet] PDF Accessed March 31, 2006.
Category:Minerals in space group 1
Category:Minerals described in 1983
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