Zirconolite Mineral Data

General Zirconolite Information

Chemical Formula:

(Ca,Ce)Zr(Ti,Nb,Fe+++)2O7

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 363.87 gm

Calcium 8.81 % Ca 12.33 % CaO

Cerium 7.70 % Ce 9.02 % Ce₂O₃

Zirconium 25.07 % Zr 33.86 % ZrO₂

Titanium 19.74 % Ti 32.93 % TiO₂

Niobium 2.55 % Nb 3.65 % Nb₂O₅

Aluminum 0.74 % Al 1.40 % Al₂O₃

Iron 4.60 % Fe 5.92 % FeO

Oxygen 30.78 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 99.12 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Ca_0.8Ce_0.2ZrTi_1.5Fe²⁺_0.3Nb_0.1Al_0.1O₇

Environment:

In pegmatites.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1989

Locality:

Fredriksvarn, Norway. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for the composition.

Name Pronunciation:

Zirconolite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

Polymignite - metamict

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Zirconolite Crystallography

Crystal System:

Amorphous- No Crystals

Crystal Structure:

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Mazzi F , Munno R , American Mineralogist , 68 (1983) p.262-276, Calciobetafite (new mineral of the pyrochlore group) and related minerals from

Physical Properties of Zirconolite

Color:

Black, Brown.

Density:

4.8

Fracture:

Conchoidal - Fractures developed in brittle materials characterized by smoothly curving surfaces, (e.g. quartz).

Habit:

Massive - Uniformly indistinguishable crystals forming large masses.

Habit:

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

Habit:

Striated - Parallel lines on crystal surface or cleavage face.

Hardness:

6.5 - Pyrite

Streak:

dark brown

Optical Properties of Zirconolite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.036 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
KPDmeas= 0.2542,KC= 0.2636
Ncalc = 2.27

Optical Data:

Isotropic, n=2.22.

Calculated Properties of Zirconolite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=4.48 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Zirconolite =4.80 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.05
Boson Index = 0.95

Photoelectric:

PE_Zirconolite= 82.46 barns/electron
U=PE_Zirconolite x r_electron= 369.40 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 7,666.97 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Zirconolite per GRapi unit = 130.43 (PPM)

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

**Estimated Radioactivity from Zirconolite** - mild
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 / 7.36 cm	172,512	4.66E-06	7,666.97	2.52
100 gm / 3.41 cm	17,251	4.66E-07	766.70	0.25
10 gm / 1.58 cm	1,725	4.66E-08	76.67	0.03
1 gm / 7.36 mm	173	4.66E-09	7.67	0.00
0.1 gm / 3.41 mm	17	4.66E-10	0.77	0.00
0.01 gm / 1.58 mm	2	4.66E-11	0.08	0.00
0.001 gm / 0.74 mm	0	4.66E-12	0.01	0.00

Weight of pure Zirconolite in grams (gm) and Calculated Diameter of a Sphere with a Density of 4.80 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
Estimated Thorium Activity ( 0.39 % Th) From Sum REE Elements ( 7.70 % REE)

Zirconolite Classification

Dana Class:

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

(08.02)where (A)2 (B2O6) (O,OH,F)

(08.02.05)Zirconolite Group

08.02.05.01 Zirkelite (Ca,Th,Ce)Zr(Ti,Nb)2O7 F m3m 4/m 3 2/m

08.02.05.02 Zirconolite-3O (Ca,Fe,Y,Th)2Fe(Ti,Nb)3Zr2O7 C mca 2/m 2/m 2/m

08.02.05.03 Zirconolite-2M CaZrTi2O7 C 2/c 2/m

08.02.05.04 Zirconolite-3T CaZrTi2O7 P 3₁2 3 2

08.02.05.05 Zirconolite (Ca,Ce)Zr(Ti,Nb,Fe)2O7 None

Strunz Class:

04.DH.30 04 - OXIDES (Hydroxides, V[5,6] vanadates, arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites, iodate

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

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

04.DH.30 Zirconolite-3O (Ca,Fe,Y,Th)2Fe(Ti,Nb)3Zr2O7 C mca 2/m 2/m 2/m

04.DH.30 Zirconolite-3T CaZrTi2O7 P 3₁2 3 2

04.DH.30 Zirconolite-2M CaZrTi2O7 C 2/c 2/m

04.DH.30 Zirconolite (Ca,Ce)Zr(Ti,Nb,Fe)2O7 None

Other Zirconolite Information

References:

NAME( Dana8) PHYS. PROP.(Dana8) OPTIC PROP.(Dana8)

See Also:

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

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Zirconolite

(Ca,Ce)Zr(Ti,Nb,Fe+++)2O7
Dana No: 08.02.05.05 Strunz No: 04.DH.30
Locality:

Notes: