Pauloabibite, trigonal NaNbO₃, isostructural with ilmenite, from the Jacupiranga carbonatite, Cajati, São Paulo, Brazil

Pauloabibite (IMA 2012-090), trigonal NaNbO3, occurs in the Jacupiranga carbonatite, in Cajati County, São Paulo State, Brazil, associated with dolomite, calcite, magnetite, phlogopite, pyrite, pyrrhotite, ancylite-(Ce), tochilinite, fluorapatite, "pyrochlore", vigezzite, and strontianite. Pauloabibite occurs as encrustations of platy crystals, up to 2 mm in size, partially intergrown with an unidentified Ca-Nb-oxide, embedded in dolomite crystals, which in this zone of the mine can reach centimeter sizes. Cleavage is perfect on {001}. Pauloabibite is transparent and displays a sub-Adamantine luster; it is pinkish brown and the streak is white. The calculated density is 4.246 g/cm³. The mineral is uniaxial; n(mean)calc is 2.078. Chemical composition (n = 17, WDS, wt%) is: Na₂O 16.36, MgO 0.04, CaO 1.36, MnO 0.82, FeO 0.11, SrO 0.02, BaO 0.16, SiO2 0.03, TiO2 0.86, Nb₂O₅ 78.66, Ta₂O₅ 0.34, total 98.76. The empirical formula is (Na_0.88Ca_0.04Mn²⁺_0.02)S_Σ0.94(Nb_0.98Ti_0.02)_Σ1.00-O₃. X-ray powder-diffraction lines (calculated pattern) [d in Å(I)(hkl)] are: 5.2066(100)(003), 4.4257(82)(101), 3.9730(45)(012), 2.9809(54) (104), 2.3718(88)(21"3), 1.9865(28)(024), 1.8620(53)(21"6), and 1.5383(30)(300). It is trigonal, space group: R3", a = 5.3287(5), c = 15.6197(17) Å, V = 384.10(7) ų, Z = 6. The crystal structure was solved (R₁ = 0.0285, wR₂ = 0.0636 for 309 observed reflections). Pauloabibite is isostructural with ilmenite and is polymorphic with isolueshite (cubic) and lueshite (orthorhombic). The name is in honor of Paulo Abib Andery (1922-1976).