thorite

{{Short description|Nesosilicate mineral}}

{{infobox mineral

|boxbgcolor=#926339| name = Thorite

| boxtextcolor = #fff

| image = Thorite-288916.jpg

| imagesize = 260px

| caption = Thorite crystal from the Kemp uranium mine in Ontario (size: 2.2 x 2.2 x 1.6 cm)

| category = Silicate mineral

| formula = (Th,U)SiO₄

| IMAsymbol = Thr{{Cite journal|last=Warr|first=L.N.|date=2021|title=IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols|journal=Mineralogical Magazine|volume=85|issue=3|pages=291–320|doi=10.1180/mgm.2021.43|bibcode=2021MinM...85..291W|s2cid=235729616|doi-access=free}}

| molweight =

| strunz = 9.AD.30

| dana =

| system = Tetragonal

| class = Ditetragonal dipyramidal (4/mmm)
H-M symbol: (4/m 2/m 2/m)

| symmetry = I4₁/amd

| unit cell = a = 7.13, c = 6.32 [Å]; Z = 4

| color = Yellow-orange, brownish yellow, brownish black, black, green

| colour =

| habit = In square prisms, or pseudo-octahedral crystals; also massive

| twinning =

| cleavage = Distinct on {110}

| fracture = Conchoidal

| tenacity = Brittle

| mohs = 4.5 – 5

| luster = Vitreous to resinous

| streak = Light orange to light brown sometimes even an alien magenta

| diaphaneity = Nearly opaque, transparent in thin fragments

| gravity = 6.63 – 7.20

| density =

| polish =

| opticalprop = Uniaxial (−)

| refractive = n_ω = 1.790 – 1.840 n_ε = 1.780 – 1.820

| birefringence = δ = 0.010 – 0.020

| pleochroism =

| 2V =

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| impurities =

| alteration = Commonly metamict

| other = 25px Radioactive

| prop1 =

| prop1text =

| references = [http://webmineral.com/data/Thorite.shtml Webmineral data][http://www.mindat.org/min-3946.html Mindat.org][http://rruff.geo.arizona.edu/doclib/hom/thorite.pdf Handbook of Mineralogy]

}}

Thorite, (Th,U)SiO₄, is a rare nesosilicate of thorium that crystallizes in the tetragonal system and is isomorphous with zircon and hafnon. It is the most common mineral of thorium and is nearly always strongly radioactive. Thorite was discovered in 1828 on the island of Løvøya, Norway, by the vicar and mineralogist, Hans Morten Thrane Esmark. First specimens of Thorite were sent to his father, Jens Esmark, who was a professor of mineralogy and geology.{{cite journal | doi = 10.1080/14786442908675174 | title = Thorite, a new mineral, and thorina, a new earth | year = 1829 | last1 = Berzelius | first1 = M. | journal = Philosophical Magazine |series=Series 2 | volume = 6 | issue = 35 | pages = 392–393| url = https://zenodo.org/record/1430987 }}{{cite journal | doi = 10.1002/andp.18290920702 | title = Untersuchung eines neuen Minerals und einer darin enthaltenen zuvor unbekannten Erde | year = 1829 | last1 = Berzelius | first1 = J. J. | journal = Annalen der Physik und Chemie | volume = 92 | issue = 7 | pages = 385–415 |bibcode = 1829AnP....92..385B | url = https://zenodo.org/record/1423530 }}{{cite journal | last1 = Marshall | first1 = J.L. | last2 = Marshall | first2 = V.R. | year = 2001 | title = Rediscovery of the Elements- Thorium-Løvøya, Langesundsfjord, Norway | journal = The Hexagon | volume = 93 | pages = 70–73 | url = http://www.chem.unt.edu/Rediscovery/Thorium.pdf | url-status = dead | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20050408114055/http://www.chem.unt.edu/Rediscovery/Thorium.pdf | archivedate = 2005-04-08 }}

It was named in 1829 to reflect its thorium content.