polarite
{{Short description|Palladium bismuthide mineral}}
{{infobox mineral
| name = Polarite
| boxwidth =
| boxbgcolor =
| image = Palarstanide,_Plumbopalladinite,_Polarite_&_Atokite.jpg
| imagesize =
| alt =
| caption =
| category = Alloys with PGE
| formula = {{chem2|Pd,(Bi,Pb)}}
| molweight =
| strunz = 02.AC.40
| dana =
| system = Orthorhombic
| class = Pyramidal (mm2)
(same H-M symbol)
| symmetry = Ccm21
| unit cell = a = 7.19 Å, b = 8.69 Å,
c = 10.68 Å; Z = 16
| color = White with yellowish tint
| colour =
| habit = Disseminated grains (microscopic)
| twinning =
| cleavage =
| fracture =
| tenacity =
| mohs = 3.5 - 4
| luster = Metallic
| streak = White
| diaphaneity = Opaque
| gravity = 12.51
| density =
| polish =
| opticalprop =
| refractive =
| birefringence =
| pleochroism =
| 2V =
| dispersion =
| extinction =
| length fast/slow =
| fluorescence =
| absorption =
| melt =
| fusibility =
| diagnostic =
| solubility =
| impurities =
| alteration =
| references = [https://www.mineralienatlas.de/lexikon/index.php/MineralData?mineral=Polarite Mineralienatlas][http://www.mindat.org/min-3251.html Mindat.org]
}}
Polarite, is an opaque, yellow-white mineral with the chemical formula {{chem2|Pd,(Bi,Pb)}}. Its crystals are orthorhombic pyramidal, but can only be seen through a microscope. It has a metallic luster and leaves a white streak. Polarite is rated 3.5 to 4 on the Mohs Scale.[http://webmineral.com/data/Polarite.shtml Webmineral data][http://rruff.geo.arizona.edu/doclib/hom/polarite.pdf Handbook of Mineralogy]
It was first described in 1969 for an occurrence in Talnakh, Norilsk in the Polar Ural Mountains in Russia. It has also been recorded from the Bushveld igneous complex of South Africa and from Fox Gulch, Goodnews Bay, Alaska.