May 8 2013
Simferite is an orthorhombic dark red mineral containing iron, lithium, magnesium, manganese, oxygen, and phosphorus. Simferite was named after the city of Simferopol, Crimea, Ukraine, where the mineral was studied.
Properties of Simferite
The following are the key properties of Simferite:
- Cell Data
- Space group: Pbnm or Pbn21
- a = 4.7468(7)
- b = 10.101(2)
- c = 5.8992(7)
- Z = 4
- Crystal Data
- Orthorhombic
- Point group: 2/m 2/m 2/m or mm2.
- Rare crystals, to 0.1 mm, are tabular, with {001}, {010}, {110}, {120}, in aggregates
- Twinning: Commonly observable
- X-ray powder pattern: 2.48 (10), 4.30 (9), 2.93(8), 3.85 (6), 3.45 (6), 2.42(6), 2.23 (6)
- Chemical Composition
| Elements |
Content 1 |
Content 2 |
| P2O5 |
51.90 |
51.00 |
| Fe2O3 |
16.87 |
17.39 |
| MgO |
15.78 |
12.36 |
| Mn2O3 |
9.84 |
14.83 |
| Li2O |
5.45 |
5.35 |
| CaO |
0.00 |
0.08 |
| Total |
99.84 |
101.01 |
- Optical Properties
- Optical class: Biaxial (+)
- Pleochroism: X = light brown to red; Y = brownish yellow to brown; Z = yellow to reddish yellow
- Orientation: X = c; Y = a; Z = b
- Dispersion: r > v, strong
- α = 1.690–1.704
- β = 1.702–1.716
- γ = 1.712–1.726
- 2V(meas.) = 54°–60°
- Estimated Properties
| Electron density |
Bulk density (electron density)= 3.16 g/cm3
note: Specific gravity of simferite = 3.25 g/cm3 |
| Photoelectric |
PESimferite = 6.94 barns/electron
U=PESimferite x ρelectron density= 21.90 barns/cm3 |
| Fermion index |
Fermion index = 0.01
Boson index = 0.99 |
Radioactivity
|
GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Simferite is not radioactive |
How to Identify Simferite
Simferite can be identified in the field by its dark red color. The appearance of this mineral is transparent. It is a mineral with a vitreous-resinous luster and a brown streak. The conchoidal fractures in the mineral are uneven. The density of simferite is 3.24 g/cm3 and hardness is 5 approximate to apatite.
Global Distribution
Simferite is widely distributed in the following locations:
- Ukraine - In the Radionovskoye pegmatite field, middle Berda River, Zaporozhe district.
- Poland - Lower Silesia (Dolnoslaskie), Sudetes Mts, Sowie Mts.Michalkowa (Michelsdorf).
Occurrence of Simferite and Useful Mineral Association
Simferite is often associated with minerals such as muscovite, albite, phlogopite, quartz, oligoclase, apatite, and tourmaline.
Simferite occurs at the contact of a rare-earth-bearing granite pegmatite and phlogopitized ultramafic tremolite rock.
References