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Thorbastnasite Mineral Data

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General Thorbastnasite Information

Help on Chemical  Formula: Chemical Formula: Th(Ca,Ce)(CO3)2F2•3(H2O)
Help on Composition: Composition: Molecular Weight = 509.19 gm
   Calcium    5.90 %  Ca    8.26 % CaO
   Cerium     6.88 %  Ce    8.06 % Ce2O3
   Thorium   45.57 %  Th   51.85 % ThO2
   Hydrogen   1.19 %  H    10.61 % H2O
   Carbon     4.72 %  C    17.29 % CO2
   Oxygen    28.28 %  O
   Fluorine   7.46 %  F     7.46 % F
               -   %   F    -3.14 % -O=F2    
            ______        ______ 
            100.00 %      100.39 % = TOTAL OXIDE
Help on Empirical Formula: Empirical Formula: ThCa0.75Ce0.25(CO3)2F2•3(H2O)
Help on Environment: Environment: Metasomatic albitite and quartz�muscovite veinlets in an alkaline exocontact surrounding a syenite intrusive.
Help on IMA Status: IMA Status: Approved IMA 1965
Help on Locality: Locality: Pichikhol alkaline massif, Balygtyg-Khem River, Sangilen Upland, Tuva, Siberia, Russia. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.
Help on Name Origin: Name Origin: Named for a thorium-bearing mineral chemically similar to bastnasite.
Help on Name Pronunciation: Name Pronunciation: Thorbastnasite + Pronunciation Say THORBASTNASITE
Help on Synonym: Synonym: Thorbastnaesite
 

Thorbastnasite Image

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  Thorbastnasite   Rontgenite-(Ce)

Comments: Tny white, acicular thorbastnasite crystals to less than 1 mm in sprays. The thorbastnasite forms the cores the 'needles', with white epitaxial rontgenite-(Ce) coating.
Location: Mont Saint-Hilaire, Quebec, Canada. Scale: Needle Size < 1 mm.
© William Lechner / Dakota Matrix

Thorbastnasite Crystallography

Help on Axial Ratios: Axial Ratios: a:c = 1:1.38912
Help on Cell Dimensions: Cell Dimensions: a = 6.99, c = 9.71, Z = 2; V = 410.87 Den(Calc)= 4.12
Help on Crystal System: Crystal System: Hexagonal - Ditrigonal Dipyramidal H-M Symbol (6 m2) Space Group: P 62c
Help on X Ray Diffraction: X Ray Diffraction: By Intensity(I/Io): 2.03(1), 2.85(1), 3.54(0.8),
 

Physical Properties of Thorbastnasite

Help on Color: Color: Brown.
Help on Density: Density: 4.04
Help on Diaphaneity: Diaphaneity: Translucent
Help on Hardness: Hardness: 4-4.5 - Between Fluorite and Apatite
Help on Luster: Luster: Vitreous - Greasy
 

Optical Properties of Thorbastnasite

Help on Gladstone-Dale: Gladstone-Dale: CI meas= 0.129 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.146 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1636,KPDmeas= 0.1668,KC= 0.1916
Ncalc = 1.77 - 1.79
Help on Optical Data: Optical Data: Uniaxial (+), e=1.67-1.678.
 

Calculated Properties of Thorbastnasite

Help on Electron Density: Electron Density: Bulk Density (Electron Density)=3.61 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Thorbastnasite =4.04 gm/cc.
Help on Fermion Index: Fermion Index: Fermion Index = 0.0007366213
Boson Index = 0.9992633787
Help on Photoelectric: Photoelectric: PEThorbastnasite =1,109.22 barns/electron
U=PEThorbastnasite x relectron=4,004.38 barns/cc.
Help on Radioactivity: Radioactivity:

GRapi = 868,712.05 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Thorbastnasite per GRapi unit =1,151.13 (PPB)

Thorbastnasite is Radioactive as defined in 49 CFR 173.403. Greater than 70 Bq / gram.

Estimated Maximum U.S. Postal Shipping Size (10 mRem/hr limit, Unshielded 10 cm box) 35.01 ± 8.75 grams of pure Thorbastnasite .
Estimated Maximum U.S. Postal Shipping Size (10 mRem/hr limit, Unshielded 100 cm box) 3501.4 ±875.34 grams of pure Thorbastnasite .

Estimated Radioactivity from Thorbastnasite - strong
Specimen
Size
Weight/Volume
(Sphere)
*
Calculated
Activity
Bequerols
(Bq)
Calculated
Activity
Curies (Ci)
Estimated
Activity
GR(api)
Estimated
Exposure
(mRem**)/hr
If Held in Hand
For One Hour
1000 gm / 7.79 cm 20,415,524 5.52E-04 868,712.05 285.60
100 gm / 3.62 cm 2,041,552 5.52E-05 86,871.21 28.56
10 gm / 1.68 cm 204,155 5.52E-06 8,687.12 2.86
1 gm / 7.79 mm 20,416 5.52E-07 868.71 0.29
0.1 gm / 3.62 mm 2,042 5.52E-08 86.87 0.03
0.01 gm / 1.68 mm 204 5.52E-09 8.69 0.00
0.001 gm / 0.78 mm 20 5.52E-10 0.87 0.00

Weight of pure Thorbastnasite in grams (gm) and Calculated Diameter of a Sphere with a Density of 4.04 gm/cc.*
Goverment Estimate of Average Annual Exposure ( 360 mRem) **
Note: 10 microsieverts/hr = 1 mRem/hr **
Max Permissable Adult Dose 50,000 mRem/yr (hands), 15,000 mRem/yr (eyes)
Lethal Dose LD(50) Exposure 400,000 to 500,000 mRem
 

Thorbastnasite Classification

Help on  Dana Class: Dana Class: 16b.01.02.01 (16b)Carbonates - Hydroxyl or Halogen
  (16b.01)where (A)m (B)n (XO3)p Zq, with (m+n):p=1:1
  (16b.01.02)Dana Group
 
16b.01.02.01 Thorbastnasite Th(Ca,Ce)(CO3)2F2•3(H2O) P 62c 6 m2
Help on  Strunz Class: Strunz Class: 05.BD.20a 05 - CARBONATES (NITRATES)
  05.B - Carbonates with additional anions, without H2O
  05.BD -With rare-earth elements (REE)
 
05.BD.20a Bastnasite-(Ce) Ce(CO3)F P 62c 6 m2
 
05.BD.20a Bastnasite-(La) La(CO3)F P 62c 6 m2
 
05.BD.20a Bastnasite-(Y) Y(CO3)F P 62c 6 m2
 
05.BD.20a Hydroxylbastnasite-(Ce) Ce(CO3)(OH) P 62c 6 m2
 
05.BD.20a Hydroxylbastnasite-(La) La(CO3)(OH) C 2221 2 2 2
 
05.BD.20a Hydroxylbastnasite-(Nd) Nd(CO3)(OH) P 62c 6 m2
 
05.BD.20a Thorbastnasite Th(Ca,Ce)(CO3)2F2•3(H2O) P 62c 6 m2
 

Other Thorbastnasite Information

Help on References: References: NAME( AntBidBlaNic3) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990)
Help on See Also: See Also: Links to other databases for Thorbastnasite :
1 - Alkali-Nuts(English)
2 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
3 - Athena
4 - GeoScienceWorld
5 - Google Images
6 - Google Scholar
7 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
8 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
9 - MinDAT
10 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
11 - Online Mineral Museum
12 - QUT Mineral Atlas
13 - Ruff.Info
14 - Uranium Minerals

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Thorbastnasite

Th(Ca,Ce)(CO3)2F2•3(H2O)
Dana No: 16b.01.02.01 Strunz No: 05.BD.20a
Locality:

 

Notes:

 

 
   
 


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