Hydroxycalciomicrolite, Ca1.5Ta2O6(OH), a new member of the microlite group from Volta Grande pegmatite, Nazareno, Minas Gerais, Brazil

M. B. Andrade, H. Yang, D. Atencio, R. T. Downs, N. V. Chukanov, M. H. Lemée-Cailleau, A. I.C. Persiano, A. E. Goeta, J. Ellena

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

17 Scopus citations

Abstract

Hydroxycalciomicrolite, Ca1.5Ta2O6(OH) is a new microlite-group mineral found in the Volta Grande pegmatite, Nazareno, Minas Gerais, Brazil. It occurs as isolated octahedral and as a combination of octahedral and rhombic dodecahedral crystals, up to 1.5 mm in size. The crystals are yellowand translucent, with a white streak and vitreous to resinous lustre. The mineral is brittle, with a Mohs hardness of 5-6. Cleavage is not observed and fracture is conchoidal. The calculated density is 6.176 g cm-3. Hydroxycalciomicrolite is isotropic, ncalc. = 2.010. The infrared and Raman spectra exhibit bands due to O-H stretching vibrations. The chemical composition determined from electron microprobe analysis (n = 13) is (wt.%): Na2O 0.36(8), CaO 15.64(13), SnO2 0.26(3), Nb2O5 2.82(30), Ta2O5 78.39(22), MnO 0.12(2), F 0.72(12) and H2O 1.30 (from the crystal structure data), O = F -0.30, total 99.31(32), yielding an empirical formula, (Ca1.48Na0.06Mn0.01)Σ1.55(Ta1.88Nb0.11Sn0.01)Σ2.00O6.00[(OH)0.76F0.20O0.04]. Hydroxycalciomicrolite is cubic, with unit-cell parameters a = 10.4205(1) Å, V = 1131.53(2) Å3 and Z = 8. It represents a pyrochlore supergroup, microlite-groupmineral exhibiting P4332 symmetry, instead of Fd3m. The reduction in symmetry is due to long-range ordering of Ca and vacancies on the A sites. This is the first example of such ordering in a natural pyrochlore, although it is known from synthetic compounds. This result is promising because it suggests that other species with P4332 or lower-symmetry space group can be discovered and characterized.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)555-564
Number of pages10
JournalMineralogical Magazine
Volume81
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 2017

Keywords

  • CaTaO(OH)
  • Crystal structure
  • Hydroxycalciomicrolite
  • Infrared spectrum
  • Microlite group
  • Pyrochlore supergroup
  • Raman spectra

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Geochemistry and Petrology

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