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Tantalite

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Big Photo

São Pedro claim, Malacacheta, Mucuri valley, Minas Gerais, Brazil
© John Sobolewski

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Formula:
(Fe,Mn)(Ta,Nb)
 
2
O
 
6


An obsolete group name for minerals with the general formula (Fe,Mn)(Ta,Nb)2O6, equivalent to the Tantalite-(Fe)-Tantalite-(Mn) Series. Many specimens called tantalite are actually columbite series or tapiolite series.

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Classification of Tantalite

IMA status:Discredited
Hey's CIM Ref.:18.1.45

18 : Niobates and Tantalates
1 : Niobates and tantalates containing neither rare earths nor U
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Crystallography of Tantalite

Morphology:Short prismatic [001]; less commonly [100] or [010]; alsom equant. Often rectangular prisms with the pinacoids prominent. Thin tabular {010} or thick tabular {100} at times. Less often pyramidal, and then with {111} dominant. In large groups of parallel or subparallel crystals. Massive.
Twinning:1. Twin plane {201} common. Usually contact twins, heart-shaped and exhibiting a delicate featherlike striation on {010}; also penetration twins. Sometimes repeated yielding pseudohexagonal trillings. 2. Twin plane {203} rare. Heart-shaped contact twins striated on {010}; repeated at times, yielding pseudohexagonal trillings. 3. Twin plane {501}, rare. 4. Twin plane {1·50·0}, rare.

Chemical Properties of Tantalite

Formula:
(Fe,Mn)(Ta,Nb)
 
2
O
 
6
Essential elements:Fe, O, Ta
All elements listed in formula:Fe, Mn, Nb, O, Ta

Relationship of Tantalite to other Species

Related Minerals - Hey's Index Grouping:

- +
18.1.1Lithiotantite
Li(Ta,Nb)
 
3
O
 
8
18.1.2Lueshite
NaNbO
 
3
18.1.3Natroniobite
NaNbO
 
3
18.1.4Franconite
Na
 
2
Nb
 
4
O
 
11
 · 9H
 
2
O
18.1.5Natrotantite
Na
 
2
Ta
 
4
O
 
11
18.1.6Irtyshite
Na
 
2
(Ta,Nb)
 
4
O
 
11
18.1.7Rankamaite
(Na,K)
 
3
(Ta,Nb,Al)
 
11
(O,OH)
 
31
18.1.8Hydropyrochlore
(H
 
2
O,□)
 
2
Nb
 
2
(O,OH)
 
6
(H
 
2
O)
18.1.9Calciotantite
CaTa
 
4
O
 
11
18.1.10Rynersonite
Ca(Ta,Nb)
 
2
O
 
6
18.1.11Microlite Group
18.1.12Belyankinite
Ca
 
1-2
(Ti,Nb)
 
5
O
 
12
 · 9H
 
2
O (?)
18.1.13Latrappite
(Ca,Na)(Nb,Ti,Fe)O
 
3
18.1.14Hochelagaite
(Ca,Na,Sr)(Nb,Ti,Si,Al)
 
4
O
 
11
 · 8H
 
2
O
18.1.15Bariomicrolite (of Hogarth 1977)
18.1.16Parabariomicrolite
BaTa
 
4
O
 
10
(OH)
 
2
 · 2H
 
2
O
18.1.17Bariopyrochlore (of Hogarth 1977)
18.1.18Alumotantite
AlTaO
 
4
18.1.19Simpsonite
Al
 
4
(Ta,Nb)
 
3
O
 
13
(OH,F)
18.1.20Sosedkoite
(K,Na)
 
5
Al
 
2
(Ta,Nb)
 
22
O
 
60
18.1.21Thoreaulite
(Sn
2+
 
,Pb)(Ta,Nb)
 
2
O
 
6
18.1.22Stannomicrolite (of Hogarth 1977)
18.1.23Foordite
(Sn,Pb)(Nb,Ta)
 
2
O
 
6
18.1.24Changbaiite
PbNb
 
2
O
 
6
18.1.25Plumbopyrochlore (of Skorobogatova et al.)
18.1.26Plumbomicrolite (of Hogarth 1977)
18.1.27Stibiocolumbite
Sb(Nb,Ta)O
 
4
18.1.28Stibiotantalite
Sb(Ta,Nb)O
 
4
18.1.29Natrobistantite
18.1.30Cesplumtantite
(Cs,Na)
 
2
(Pb,Sb
3+
 
)
 
3
Ta
 
8
O
 
24
18.1.31Stibiomicrolite (of Groat et al.)
18.1.32Cesstibtantite
18.1.34Bismutotantalite
Bi(Ta,Nb)O
 
4
18.1.35Bismutomicrolite (of Hogarth 1977)
18.1.36Tantalite-(Mn)
MnTa
 
2
O
 
6
18.1.37Gerasimovskite
(Mn,Ca)(Nb,Ti)
 
5
O
 
12
 · 9H
 
2
O
18.1.38Tapiolite-(Mn)
(Mn,Fe)(Ta,Nb)
 
2
O
 
6
18.1.39Columbite-(Mn)
(Mn,Fe)(Nb,Ta)
 
2
O
 
6
18.1.40Wodginite
Mn(Sn,Ta)Ta
 
2
O
 
8
18.1.41Ixiolite
(Ta,Nb,Sn,Fe,Mn)
 
4
O
 
8
18.1.42Columbite-(Fe)
FeNb
 
2
O
 
6
18.1.43Tantalite-(Fe)
FeTa
 
2
O
 
6
18.1.44Columbite
(Fe,Mn)(Nb,Ta)
 
2
O
 
6
18.1.46Tapiolite
(Fe,Mn)(Ta,Nb)
 
2
O
 
6
18.1.47Tapiolite-(Fe)
(Fe,Mn)(Ta,Nb)
 
2
O
 
6
18.1.48Columbite-(Mg)
(Mg,Fe,Mn)(Nb,Ta)
 
2
O
 
6
18.1.50Strüverite
(Ti,Ta,Fe)O
 
2
18.1.51 Staringite
(Fe,Mn)
 
x
(Ta,Nb)
 
2x
Sn
 
6-3x
O
 
12

Other Names for Tantalite

Synonyms:
Ferrocolumbite (of Shepard)IldefonsitePrismatisches TantalerzSiderotantaliteTantale oxidé ferro-manganésifère
Tantalite de Limoges
Other Languages:
German:Harttantalerz
Ildefonsit
Siderotantalit
Tantalit
Spanish:Ildefonsita
Siderotantalita
Tantalita

Other Information

Health Warning:No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.

References for Tantalite

Reference List:

- +
Ekeberg 1802), Ak. Sockholm, Handl.: 23: 80.

Palache, Charles, Harry Berman & Clifford Frondel (1944), The System of Mineralogy of James Dwight Dana and Edward Salisbury Dana Yale University 1837-1892, Volume I: Elements, Sulfides, Sulfosalts, Oxides. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York. 7th edition, revised and enlarged: 780-787.

American Mineralogist 81 (1996), 146.

Mineralogy and Petrology 70 (2000), 165.

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