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Tantalite
| Tantalite | |
|---|---|
 Tantalite, Pilbara district, Australia | |
| General | |
| Category | Oxide minerals |
| Formula (repeating unit) | (Fe,Mn)Ta2O6 |
| IMA symbol | Ttl[1] |
| Strunz classification | 4.DB.35 |
| Crystal system | Orthorhombic |
| Crystal class | Dipyramidal (mmm) H-M symbol: (2/m 2/m 2/m) |
| Space group | Pbcn (no. 60) |
| Identification | |
| Color | Dark black, iron-black to dark brown, reddish brown |
| Cleavage | Good in one direction |
| Fracture | Subconchoidal |
| Mohs scale hardness | 6–6.5 |
| Luster | Submetallic to almost resinous |
| Streak | Brownish-red to black |
| Specific gravity | 8.0+ |
| References | [2][3] |
The mineral group tantalite [(Fe, Mn)Ta2O6] is the primary source of the chemical element tantalum, a corrosion (heat and acid) resistant metal. It is chemically similar to columbite, and the two are often grouped together as a semi-singular mineral called coltan or "columbite-tantalite" in many mineral guides. However, tantalite has a much greater specific gravity than columbite (8.0+ compared to columbite's 5.2).[3] Iron-rich tantalite is the mineral tantalite-(Fe) or ferrotantalite and manganese-rich is tantalite-(Mn) or manganotantalite.
Tantalite is also very close to tapiolite. Those minerals have the same chemical composition, but different crystal symmetry: orthorhombic for tantalite and tetragonal for tapiolite.[4]
Tantalite is black to brown in both color and streak. Manganese-rich tantalites can be brown and translucent.
- ^ Warr, L.N. (2021). "IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols". Mineralogical Magazine. 85 (3): 291–320. Bibcode:2021MinM...85..291W. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43. S2CID 235729616.
- ^ "TANTALITE (Iron Manganese Tantalum Niobium Oxide)". Galleries.com. Retrieved 2011-10-25.
- ^ a b Tantalite. Mindat.org (2011-09-07). Retrieved on 2011-10-30.
- ^ P. Cerny; et al. (1992). "The tantalite-tapiolite gap: natural assemblages versus experimental data" (PDF). Canadian Mineralogist. 30: 587.
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