Thoreaulite
A valid IMA mineral species - grandfathered
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About Thoreaulite
Jacques Thoreau (1885-1973)
Formula:
Sn2+Ta2O6
Minor Pb may replace the divalent Sn.
Colour:
Brown to yellow
Lustre:
Adamantine, Resinous
Hardness:
5½ - 6
Specific Gravity:
7.6 - 7.9
Crystal System:
Monoclinic
Member of:
Name:
Named in 1933 by Henri Buttgenbach in honor of Jacques Thoreau [September 27, 1886 Brussels, Belgium - January 11, 1973 Kessel-Lo, Belgium], Professor of Mineralogy, Université Catholique de Leuvain-UCL, Belgium.
Type Locality:
Isostructural with:
Foordite-Thoreaulite Series.
Thoreaulite was first described by Buttgenbach (1933) from a pegmatite at the Manono Mine, Tanganyika, DR Congo.
Thoreaulite was first described by Buttgenbach (1933) from a pegmatite at the Manono Mine, Tanganyika, DR Congo.
Unique Identifiers
Mindat ID:
3943
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:3943:3
GUID
(UUID V4):
(UUID V4):
77d9415e-08f0-41e2-9995-df0b9a5fa2fa
IMA Classification of Thoreaulite
Approved, 'Grandfathered' (first described prior to 1959)
First published:
1933
Classification of Thoreaulite
4.DG.15
4 : OXIDES (Hydroxides, V[5,6] vanadates, arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites, iodates)
D : Metal: Oxygen = 1:2 and similar
G : With large (+- medium-sized) cations; chains of edge-sharing octahedra
4 : OXIDES (Hydroxides, V[5,6] vanadates, arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites, iodates)
D : Metal: Oxygen = 1:2 and similar
G : With large (+- medium-sized) cations; chains of edge-sharing octahedra
Dana 7th ed.:
8.3.10.1
8.3.10.1
8 : MULTIPLE OXIDES CONTAINING NIOBIUM,TANTALUM OR TITANIUM
3 : AB2O6
8 : MULTIPLE OXIDES CONTAINING NIOBIUM,TANTALUM OR TITANIUM
3 : AB2O6
18.1.21
18 : Niobates and Tantalates
1 : Niobates and tantalates containing neither rare earths nor U
18 : Niobates and Tantalates
1 : Niobates and tantalates containing neither rare earths nor U
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Tre | 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 Thoreaulite
Adamantine, Resinous
Transparency:
Opaque
Comment:
adamantine on the cleavage
Colour:
Brown to yellow
Streak:
Brown to yellow, slightly greenish
Hardness:
5½ - 6 on Mohs scale
Cleavage:
Perfect
On {100}; on {011} imperfect.
On {100}; on {011} imperfect.
Density:
7.6 - 7.9 g/cm3 (Measured) 7.6(5) g/cm3 (Calculated)
Optical Data of Thoreaulite
Type:
Biaxial (+)
RI values:
nα = 2.390 nβ = 2.420 nγ = 2.520
2V:
Measured: 25° to 35°, Calculated: 60°
Birefringence:
On {100} cleavages = 0.039.
Max Birefringence:
δ = 0.130
Image shows birefringence interference colour range (at 30µm thickness)
and does not take into account mineral colouration.
and does not take into account mineral colouration.
Surface Relief:
Very High
Dispersion:
r < v
Pleochroism:
Non-pleochroic
Chemistry of Thoreaulite
Mindat Formula:
Sn2+Ta2O6
Minor Pb may replace the divalent Sn.
Minor Pb may replace the divalent Sn.
Elements listed:
Crystallography of Thoreaulite
Crystal System:
Monoclinic
Class (H-M):
2/m - Prismatic
Space Group:
B2/b
Setting:
C2/c
Cell Parameters:
a = 17.127(20) Å, b = 4.869(5) Å, c = 5.52(2) Å
β = 91°
β = 91°
Ratio:
a:b:c = 3.518 : 1 : 1.134
Unit Cell V:
460.25 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:
4
Morphology:
Crystals rough, prismatic [001].
Twinning:
Lamellar twins, with composition face {010}.
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0000199 | Thoreaulite | Mumme W G (1970) The crystal structure of SnTa2O7, thoreaulite, an example of tin in five-fold coordination American Mineralogist 55 367-377 |  | 1970 | 0 | 293 | |
| 0015601 | Thoreaulite | Maksimova N V, Ilyukhin V V, Belov N V (1975) Crystal structure of thoreaulite, SaTa2O6 Soviet Physics Doklady 20 528-529 | 1975 | Manono, Katanga, Democratic Republic of the Congo | 0 | 293 |
CIF Raw Data - click here to close
X-Ray Powder Diffraction
Powder Diffraction Data:
| d-spacing | Intensity |
|---|---|
| 3.10 Å | (100) |
| 3.07 Å | (100) |
| 2.857 Å | (80) |
| 2.432 Å | (80) |
| 1.724 Å | (80) |
| 3.59 Å | (60) |
| 3.57 Å | (60) |
Geological Environment
Paragenetic Mode(s):
| Paragenetic Mode | Earliest Age (Ga) |
|---|---|
| Near-surface Processes | |
| 26 : Hadean detrital minerals | |
| Stage 4b: Highly evolved igneous rocks | >3.0 |
| 34 : Complex granite pegmatites |
Type Occurrence of Thoreaulite
General Appearance of Type Material:
Coarse crystals reaching several centimeters, without a characteristic shape and resembling wood tin.
Place of Conservation of Type Material:
University of Liège, Liège, Belgium, 2067 and 2068.
Geological Setting of Type Material:
Granite pegmatite (tin bearing)
Associated Minerals at Type Locality:
Reference:
Buttgenbach, H. (1933) La thoreaulite, nouvelle espèce minérale. Annales de la Société Géologique de Belgique 56: 327-331.
Synonyms of Thoreaulite
Other Language Names for Thoreaulite
Relationship of Thoreaulite to other Species
Common Associates
Associated Minerals Based on Photo Data:
| 9 photos of Thoreaulite associated with Cassiterite | SnO2 |
| 7 photos of Thoreaulite associated with Rankamaite | (Na,K)3(Ta,Nb,Al)11(O,OH)31 |
| 6 photos of Thoreaulite associated with Albite | Na(AlSi3O8) |
| 5 photos of Thoreaulite associated with Lithiotantite | LiTa3O8 |
| 4 photos of Thoreaulite associated with Quartz | SiO2 |
| 2 photos of Thoreaulite associated with Cesplumtantite | (Cs,Na)2(Pb,Sb3+)3Ta8O24 |
| 1 photo of Thoreaulite associated with Lepidolite | |
| 1 photo of Thoreaulite associated with Simpsonite | Al4Ta3O13(OH) |
Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping
| 4.DG.05 | Euxenite-(Y) | (Y,Ca,Ce,U,Th)(Nb,Ta,Ti)2O6 |
| 4.DG.05 | Fersmite | (Ca,Ce,Na)(Nb,Ta,Ti)2(O,OH,F)6 |
| 4.DG.05 | Kobeite-(Y) | (Y,U)(Ti,Nb)2(O,OH)6 (?) |
| 4.DG.05 | Loranskite-(Y) | (Y,Ce,Ca)ZrTaO6 (?) |
| 4.DG.05 | Tanteuxenite-(Y) | Y(Ta,Nb,Ti)2(O,OH)6 |
| 4.DG.05 | Uranopolycrase | (U4+,Y)(Ti,Nb)2O6 |
| 4.DG.05 | Yttrocrasite-(Y) | (Y,Th,Ca,U)(Ti,Fe)2(O,OH)6 |
| 4.DG.10 | Clinofergusonite-(Y) | YNbO4 |
| 4.DG.10 | Clinofergusonite-(Nd) | (Nd,Ce)NbO4 |
| 4.DG.10 | Clinofergusonite-(Ce) | CeNbO4 |
| 4.DG.10 | Yttrotantalite-(Y) | (Y,U,Fe2+)(Ta,Nb)(O,OH)4 |
| 4.DG.15 | Foordite | Sn2+Nb2O6 |
| 4.DG.20 | Raspite | Pb(WO4) |
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 Thoreaulite
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-3943.html
Please feel free to link to this page.
Please feel free to link to this page.
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References for Thoreaulite
Reference List:
Localities for Thoreaulite
symbol to view information about a locality.
The 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).
All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.
Brazil | |
| Atencio, D., Filho, R. R. C., Mills, S. J., Coutinho, J. M. V., Honorato, S. B., Ayala, A. P., Ellena, J., de Andrade, M. B. (2011) Rankamaite from the Urubu pegmatite, Itinga, Minas Gerais, Brazil: Crystal chemistry and Rietveld refinement. American Mineralogist, 96 (10) 1455-1460 doi:10.2138/am.2011.3594 |
China | |
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DR Congo | |
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Kazakhstan | |
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Rwanda | |
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Ognevka Ta deposit, Ulan, East Kazakhstan Region, Kazakhstan