Oxides and hydroxides: betafite (Mendeleev)
Diagnostic Card.
(U, Ca) 2 (Ti, Nb, Ta) 2 O 6 (O, OH, F)
Crystal system cubic
Hardness 3-5,5
Specific gravity 4.1
fracture conchoidal
Colour black, yellow, brown
shine metal
Crystals of this radioactive mineral mostly octahedral; sometimes reach impressive sizes (up to 10 cm in diameter). Much more common dense masses. Color betafita not subjected to weathering, black. But under the influence of surface weathering, he can pass (mostly in the material from the tropics, for example, from Madagascar) to brownish-yellow. Color brown, greenish-brown, yellow, green, dark brown, grayish-black to black, often colored unevenly.
Often the outer part of the crystals matt coated grayish-yellow powdery product changes. Translucent or opaque (dark colored). Crystals, usually smaller, sometimes up to 15 cm or more, also rounded grains and large isolation 6 kg weight. The crystals are octahedral shape (like a crystal pyrochlore and microlite), rarely dodecahedral and tetragonal-trioctahedral appearance. Often crystals have abnormal development: essentially flattened by (110) (developed on the plates of mica) or elongated along one axis of the 4th or 3rd order; rarely flattened at (100). Usual mutually parallel growths of crystals. Doubles were not observed.
Diagnostic features.
Appearance, isometric clearly, to distinguish betafite most rare minerals. Grains slightly melted at the edges, turn black. Very highly radioactive; sometimes radioactivity manifest differently in some parts of crystals. Do not store in the home collections.
Origin.
This rare mineral is typical of pegmatites, where it is present in association with other complex oxides such as Ferguson and evksinit.
Deposits and application.
The most famous location in Madagascar, in the area around betafite and Ampangabe. From there come the best and crystals, but always bearing traces of surface changes. Fresh material originates from Norway (Tangen), Russia (Lake Baikal), and mainly in Canada (Ontario). From there come the beautiful black crystals cuboctahedral appearance. Betafite used in industry for the extraction of radioactive elements in its composition.
Betafite. Antanifutsi, Madagascar. Photo: © AA Evseev.
Betafite. Antanifutsi, Madagascar. Photo: © AA Evseev.
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