Jun 5 2014
Baghdadite is a monoclinic-prismatic colorless mineral, composed of zirconium, titanium, silicon, oxygen, and calcium. It is a member of the wohlerite group. The mineral was first discovered in the Dupezeh Mountain, near Hero Town in the Qala-Diza region of north-eastern Iraq.
It was named after Baghdad, the capital of Iraq.
Properties of Baghdadite
The following are the key properties of Baghdadite:
- Cell Data
- Space Group: P21/a
- a = 10.42
- b = 10.16
- c = 7.36
- β = 91.1°
- Z = 4
- Crystal Data
- Monoclinic
- Point Group: 2/m
- Crystals: stumpy, prismatic, to 250µm
- Twinning: Contact twins, individuals having [010] in common
- X-ray Powder Pattern: 2.84 (100), 2.98 (85), 3.23 (80), 3.04 (75), 2.88 (70), 7.30 (45), 1.702 (40)
- Chemical Composition
| Elements |
Content |
| CaO |
41.44 |
| SiO2 |
29.26 |
| ZrO2 |
27.00 |
| TiO2 |
2.11 |
| Fe2O3 |
0.11 |
| MgO |
0.05 |
| Al2O3 |
0.03 |
| Na2O |
0.02 |
| Total |
100.02 |
- Optical Properties
- Optical Class: Biaxial (+)
- Orientation: X = c; Y = b; Z = a
- α = 1.652
- β = 1.658
- γ = 1.670
- 2V(meas.) = ∼72°
- Estimated Properties
| Electron density |
Bulk density (electron density) = 3.34 g/cm3
note: Specific gravity of Baghdadite = 3.42 g/cm3 |
| Photoelectric |
PEBaghdadite = 27.28 barns/electron
U = PEBaghdadite x ρElectron density = 91.02 barns/cm3 |
| Fermion index |
Fermion index = 0.03
Boson index = 0.97 |
Radioactivity
|
Baghdadite is not radioactive
|
How to Identify Baghdadite
Baghdadite is colorless and transparent in nature. It has white streak and vitreous luster. Its fractures in brittle materials are characterized by smoothly curved surfaces.
It has a relative hardenss of 6, and a density of 3.48 g/cm3.
Global Distribution
Baghdadite is widely distributed in Dupezeh Mountain, near Hero Town, Qala-Diza region, north-eastern Iraq.
Occurrence of Baghdadite and Useful Mineral Association
Baghdadite occurs in roof pendant xenoliths of hornfels and calc-silicate marbles, and melilite skarn in contact with banded diorite.
It is closely associated with minerals such as xonotlite, titanian magnetite, ilmenite, augite, kaersutite, andesine, valleriite, djersherite, pyrrhotite, baddeleyite, cuspidine, spinel, phlogopite, calcite, foshagite, wollastonite, monticellite, schorlomite, perovskite, and akermanite.
References