Fersmite Mineral Data

General Fersmite Information

Chemical Formula:

(Ca,Ce,Na)(Nb,Ta,Ti)2(O,OH,F)6

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 390.96 gm

Sodium 0.59 % Na 0.79 % Na₂O

Calcium 7.18 % Ca 10.04 % CaO

Cerium 7.17 % Ce 8.40 % Ce₂O₃

Yttrium 2.27 % Y 2.89 % Y₂O₃

Thorium 2.97 % Th 3.38 % ThO₂

Tantalum 13.89 % Ta 16.95 % Ta₂O₅

Titanium 0.24 % Ti 0.41 % TiO₂

Niobium 40.40 % Nb 57.79 % Nb₂O₅

Hydrogen 0.26 % H 2.30 % H₂O

Oxygen 24.55 % O

Fluorine 0.49 % F 0.49 % F

- % F -0.20 % -O=F₂

______ ______

100.00 % 103.23 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Ca_0.7Ce_0.2Y_0.1Na_0.1Th_0.05Nb_1.7Ta_0.3Ti_0.02O₅(OH)F_0.1

Environment:

Accessory mineral in nepheline syenites and carbonatites.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1946

Locality:

Lake Buldym, Vishnevy-Ilmen Mountains, Southern Ural Mountains, Russia. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for Aleksandr Evgenevich Fersman (1883-1945), eminent Russian mineralogist, geochemist, and gemologist.

Name Pronunciation:

Fersmite

Synonym:

ICSD 77474

PDF 39-1392

Fersmite Image

Images:

Fersmite

Comments: Brown prismatic crystal of fersmite in matrix.
Location: Alpe Rosso, Vigezzo valley, Novara, Piedmont, Italy. Scale: Picture size 1.7 mm.
© Thomas Witzke / Abraxas-Verlag

Fersmite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.3835:1:0.3501

Cell Dimensions:

a = 5.718, b = 14.91, c = 5.221, Z = 2; V = 445.12 Den(Calc)= 2.92

Crystal System:

Orthorhombic - DipyramidalH-M Symbol (2/m 2/m 2/m) Space Group: Pcan

$Help on X Ray Diffraction:$ X Ray Diffraction:

By Intensity(I/I_o): 3.049(1), 3.762(0.21), 1.527(0.15),

Crystal Structure:

Mouse
drag1 - LMB Manipulate Structure
drag2 - RMB Resize/Rotate
Keyboard
S - Stereo Pair on/off
H - Help Screen
I - Data Info
A - Atoms On/Off
P - Polyhedra On/Off
B - Bonds On/Off
Help on Above

Gurbanova O A , Rastsvetaeva R K , Kashaev A A , Smolin A S , Crystallography Reports , 46 (2001) p.194-195, Refined crystal structure of TR-fersmite (TR = Ce)

Physical Properties of Fersmite

Cleavage:

None

Color:

Brownish black, Dark brown, Black.

Density:

4.69 - 4.79, Average = 4.74

Diaphaneity:

Subtranslucent to Opaque

Fracture:

Brittle - Conchoidal - Very brittle fracture producing small, conchoidal fragments.

Habit:

Metamict - Mineral originally crystalline, now amorphous due to radiation damage.

Habit:

Prismatic - Crystals Shaped like Slender Prisms (e.g. tourmaline).

Hardness:

4-4.5 - Between Fluorite and Apatite

Luster:

Vitreous - Resinous

Streak:

grayish brown

Optical Properties of Fersmite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.002 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.62 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.3813,KPDmeas= 0.2349,KC= 0.2354
Ncalc = 1.69 - 2.13

Optical Data:

Biaxial (+), a=2.07, b=2.08, g=2.19, bire=0.1200, 2V(Calc)=36, 2V(Meas)=20-25.

Pleochroism (x):

pale greenish yellow or colorless.

Pleochroism (y):

pale greenish yellow or colorless.

Pleochroism (z):

dark greenish yellow or olive yellow.

Calculated Properties of Fersmite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=4.29 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Fersmite =4.74 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0005485184
Boson Index = 0.9994514816

Photoelectric:

PE_Fersmite= 330.35 barns/electron
U=PE_Fersmite x r_electron=1,418.18 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 57,336.83 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Fersmite per GRapi unit = 17.44 (PPM)

Fersmite is Radioactive as defined in 49 CFR 173.403. Greater than 70 Bq / gram.

Estimated Maximum U.S. Postal Shipping Size (10 mRem/hr limit, Unshielded 10 cm box) 530.49 ±132.62 grams of pure Fersmite .

**Estimated Radioactivity from Fersmite** - weak
Specimen Size Weight/Volume (Sphere) *	Calculated Activity Becquerels (Bq)	Calculated Activity Curies (Ci)	Estimated Activity GR(api)	Estimated Exposure (mRem**)/hr If Held in Hand For One Hour
1000 gm / 7.39 cm	1,329,473	3.59E-05	57,336.83	18.85
100 gm / 3.43 cm	132,947	3.59E-06	5,733.68	1.89
10 gm / 1.59 cm	13,295	3.59E-07	573.37	0.19
1 gm / 7.39 mm	1,329	3.59E-08	57.34	0.02
0.1 gm / 3.43 mm	133	3.59E-09	5.73	0.00
0.01 gm / 1.59 mm	13	3.59E-10	0.57	0.00
0.001 gm / 0.74 mm	1	3.59E-11	0.06	0.00

Weight of pure Fersmite in grams (gm) and Calculated Diameter of a Sphere with a Density of 4.74 gm/cc.*
Goverment Estimate of Average Annual Exposure ( 360 mRem) **
Note: 10 microsieverts/hr = 1 mRem/hr **
Max Permissable Adult Dose 50,000 mRem/yr (hands), 15,000 mRem/yr (eyes)
Lethal Dose LD(50) Exposure 400,000 to 500,000 mRem

Fersmite Classification

Dana Class:

08.03.03.01 (08)Multiple Oxides with Nb, Ta, and Ti

(08.03)where A (B2O6)

(08.03.03)Dana Group

08.03.03.01 Fersmite (Ca,Ce,Na)(Nb,Ta,Ti)2(O,OH,F)6 Pcan 2/m 2/m 2/m

Strunz Class:

04.DG.05 04 - OXIDES (Hydroxides, V[5,6] vanadates, arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites, iodate

04.D - Metal:Oxygen = 1:2 and similar

04.DG -With large (± medium-sized) cations; chains of edge-sharing octahedra

04.DG.05 Fersmite (Ca,Ce,Na)(Nb,Ta,Ti)2(O,OH,F)6 Pcan 2/m 2/m 2/m

04.DG.05 Euxenite-(Y) (Y,Ca,Ce)(Nb,Ta,Ti)2O6 Pcan 2/m 2/m 2/m

04.DG.05 Kobeite-(Y) (Y,U)(Ti,Nb)2(O,OH)6(?) Cubic Cubic

04.DG.05 Loranskite-(Y) (Y,Ce,Ca)ZrTaO6(?) Unk Ortho

04.DG.05 Polycrase-(Y) (Y,Ca,Ce,U,Th)(Ti,Nb,Ta)2O6 Pcan 2/m 2/m 2/m

04.DG.05 Tanteuxenite-(Y) (Y,Ce,Ca)(Ta,Nb,Ti)2(O,OH)6 Pcan 2/m 2/m 2/m

04.DG.05 Uranopolycrase (U,Y)(Ti,Nb,Ta)2O6 P bcn 2/m 2/m 2/m

04.DG.05 Yttrocrasite-(Y) (Y,Th,Ca,U)(Ti,Fe)2(O,OH)6 Unk Ortho

Other Fersmite Information

References:

NAME( AntBidBlaNic3) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Fersmite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Athena
3 - EUROmin Project
4 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
5 - GeoScienceWorld
6 - Google Images
7 - Google Scholar
8 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
9 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
10 - MinDAT
11 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
12 - Online Mineral Museum
13 - QUT Mineral Atlas
14 - Ruff.Info
15 - WWW-MINCRYST

Search for Fersmite using:

[AOL] [Bing] [Dog Pile] [GeoScienceWorld] [HotBot] [Ixquick] [Lycos] [MAMMA] [Scirus] [Teoma] [WebCrawler] [Wikipedia] [YAHOO]

Visit our Advertisers for Fersmite :

A Bijoux Google Search for Fersmite
Adam's Minerals Google Search for Fersmite
Cape Minerals Google Search for Fersmite
Dakota Matrix Minerals Google Search for Fersmite
Excalibur Mineral Corp. Google Search for Fersmite
Exceptional Minerals Google Search for Fersmite
John Betts Fine Minerals Search for Fersmite
McDougall Minerals Google Search for Fersmite
Mineral News Website Link
Rock and Mineral Shows Google Search for Fersmite
Weinrich Minerals, Inc. Google Search for Fersmite

Ask about Fersmite here :
Ask-A-Mineralogist from the Mineralogical Society of America
Mindat.org's Discussion Groups
Original Rockhounds Discussion Group
Rockhounds Discussion Group on Yahoo Groups
Mineral Discussion Forum from Fabre Minerals - also available in Español

Print or Cut-and-Paste your Fersmite Specimen Label here :

Fersmite

(Ca,Ce,Na)(Nb,Ta,Ti)2(O,OH,F)6
Dana No: 08.03.03.01 Strunz No: 04.DG.05
Locality:

Notes: