Tantalcarbide
A valid IMA mineral species - grandfathered
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About Tantalcarbide
Formula:
TaC
Colour:
Bronze
Lustre:
Metallic
Hardness:
6 - 7
Specific Gravity:
14.5 (Calculated)
Crystal System:
Isometric
Name:
Re-named in 1966 by Hugo Strunz in reference to its composition: tantalum and carbon. Originally thought to be native tantalum by Paul Walther in 1909. Re-named tantalum carbide in 1926 by Victor Goldschmidt. The composition was verified in 1962 by Clifford Frondel.
Type Locality:
Isostructural with:
Unique Identifiers
Mindat ID:
7327
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:7327:7
GUID
(UUID V4):
(UUID V4):
5fd034e9-513b-410e-b7b1-cb37caa4495d
IMA Classification of Tantalcarbide
Approved, 'Grandfathered' (first described prior to 1959)
Classification of Tantalcarbide
1.BA.20
1 : ELEMENTS (Metals and intermetallic alloys; metalloids and nonmetals; carbides, silicides, nitrides, phosphides)
B : Metallic Carbides, Silicides, Nitrides, Phosphides and Hydrides
A : Carbides
1 : ELEMENTS (Metals and intermetallic alloys; metalloids and nonmetals; carbides, silicides, nitrides, phosphides)
B : Metallic Carbides, Silicides, Nitrides, Phosphides and Hydrides
A : Carbides
1.1.29.2
1 : NATIVE ELEMENTS AND ALLOYS
1 : Metals, other than the Platinum Group
1 : NATIVE ELEMENTS AND ALLOYS
1 : Metals, other than the Platinum Group
Mineral Symbols
As of 2021 there are now IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.
Symbol | Source | Reference |
---|---|---|
Tcb | IMA–CNMNC | Warr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43 |
Physical Properties of Tantalcarbide
Metallic
Transparency:
Opaque
Colour:
Bronze
Hardness:
6 - 7 on Mohs scale
Cleavage:
None Observed
Density:
14.5 g/cm3 (Calculated)
Optical Data of Tantalcarbide
Type:
Isotropic
Colour in reflected light:
Grayish yellow, dark brownish gray
Chemistry of Tantalcarbide
Mindat Formula:
TaC
Elements listed:
Crystallography of Tantalcarbide
Crystal System:
Isometric
Class (H-M):
m3m (4/m 3 2/m) - Hexoctahedral
Space Group:
Fm3m
Setting:
Fm3m
Cell Parameters:
a = 4.453 Å
Unit Cell V:
88.30 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:
4
Comment:
Space Group: Fm3 - m
Crystal Structure
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Data courtesy of the American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database. Click on an AMCSD ID to view structure
ID | Species | Reference | Link | Year | Locality | Pressure (GPa) | Temp (K) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
0011409 | Tantalcarbide | Wyckoff R W G (1963) Second edition. Interscience Publishers, New York, New York rocksalt structure Crystal Structures 1 85-237 | 1963 | 0 | 293 | ||
0017535 | Tantalcarbide | Schwarz M, Summa O (1933) Die Kristallstruktur von Tantalkarbid _cod_database_code 1010654 Metallwirtschaft, Metallwissenschaft, Metalltechnik 12 298-298 | 1933 | 0 | 293 | ||
0018166 | Tantalcarbide | Becker K, Ebert F (1925) Die Kristallstrukturen einiger binaerer Carbide und Nitride. _cod_database_code 1011324 Zeitschrift fur Physik 31 268-272 | 1925 | 0 | 293 |
CIF Raw Data - click here to close
X-Ray Powder Diffraction
Powder Diffraction Data:
d-spacing | Intensity |
---|---|
2.56 Å | (100) |
2.22 Å | (90) |
1.572 Å | (41) |
1.342 Å | (35) |
0.857 Å | (13) |
0.995 Å | (11) |
1.285 Å | (10) |
Geological Environment
Paragenetic Mode(s):
Paragenetic Mode | Earliest Age (Ga) |
---|---|
Near-surface Processes | |
26 : Hadean detrital minerals |
Type Occurrence of Tantalcarbide
General Appearance of Type Material:
intergrown cube-octahedral and skeletal crystals, to 0.2 mm
Place of Conservation of Type Material:
A.E. Fersman Mineralogical Museum, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia (21298).
Geological Setting of Type Material:
Placer deposit. Possible synthetic material added in to natural placer minerals.
Associated Minerals at Type Locality:
Other Language Names for Tantalcarbide
German:Tantalcarbid
Tantal (in part)
Tantal (in part)
Russian:Танталкарбид
Common Associates
Associated Minerals Based on Photo Data:
6 photos of Tantalcarbide associated with Niobocarbide | (Nb,Ta)C |
Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping
1.BA.05 | Cohenite | Fe3C |
1.BA.10 | Haxonite | (Fe,Ni)23C6 |
1.BA.10 | Isovite | (Cr,Fe)23C6 |
1.BA.15 | Tongbaite | Cr3C2 |
1.BA.20 | Khamrabaevite | (Ti,V,Fe)C |
1.BA.20 | Niobocarbide | (Nb,Ta)C |
1.BA.25 | Qusongite | WC |
1.BA.30 | Yarlongite | Cr4Fe4NiC4 |
1.BA.35 | Edscottite | Fe5C2 |
Other Information
Health Risks:
No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.
Internet Links for Tantalcarbide
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-7327.html
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References for Tantalcarbide
Localities for Tantalcarbide
Locality List
- This locality has map coordinates listed.
- This locality has estimated coordinates.
ⓘ - Click for references and further information on this occurrence.
? - Indicates mineral may be doubtful at this locality.
- Good crystals or important locality for species.
- World class for species or very significant.
(TL) - Type Locality for a valid mineral species.
(FRL) - First Recorded Locality for everything else (eg varieties).
Struck out - Mineral was erroneously reported from this locality.
Faded * - Never found at this locality but inferred to have existed at some point in the past (e.g. from pseudomorphs).
All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.
All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.
Russia (TL) | |
| Novgorodova et al. (1997) +1 other reference |
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Avrorinskii Placer, Aktai River, Baranchinsky Massif, Nizhnii Tagil, Sverdlovsk Oblast, Russia