Aug 29 2013
Bazirite is a hexagonal-ditrigonal dipyramidal colorless mineral containing zirconium, silicon, oxygen and barium. The mineral was first discovered on Apex Ridge, Rockall Island, in the North Atlantic Ocean, 294 km west of St. Kilda Island, Outer Hebrides, Scotland in 1978. It was named after the presence of barium and zirconium in its composition.
Properties of Bazirite
The following are the key properties of Bazirite:
- Cell Data
- Space Group: P6c2
- a = 6.737-6.769
- c = 9.997-10.020
- Z = 2.
- Crystal Data
- Hexagonal
- Point Group: 6m2
- Crystals rarely entirely euhedral, prismatic with partially developed pyramidal terminations, more commonly anhedral to subhedral, < 1 mm. Also as clusters of crystals.
- X-ray Powder Pattern: 3.80 (100), 2.800 (100), 5.85 (35), 3.38 (35), 2.93 (30), 2.012 (30), 2.213 (25).
- Chemical Composition
| Elements |
Content 1 |
Content 2 |
Content 3 |
| SiO2 |
39.71 |
39.59 |
39.46 |
| BaO |
33.69 |
34.12 |
33.56 |
| ZrO2 |
26.38 |
26.12 |
26.98 |
| TiO2 |
0.17 |
0.51 |
- |
| SnO2 |
0.06 |
0.11 |
- |
| Total |
100.01 |
100.45 |
100 |
- Optical Properties
- Optical Class: Uniaxial (+)
- ω = 1.675-1.681
- ε = 1.685-1.688.
- Estimated Properties
| Electron density |
Bulk density (electron density) = 3.51 g/cm3
note: Specific gravity of Bazirite = 3.82 g/cm3 |
| Photoelectric |
PEBazirite = 159.73 barns/electron
U = PEBazirite x ρ Electron density = 561.01 barns/cm3 |
| Fermion index |
Fermion index = 0.08
Boson index = 0.92 |
|
Radioactivity
|
Bazirite is not radioactive. |
How to Identify Bazirite
Bazirite is a colorless transparent mineral containing a white streak, vitreous luster and indistinct cleavage. It has a density of 3.82 g/cm3, and its hardness ranges from 6 to 6.5.
Global Distribution
Bazirite is distributed in the following places:
- Apex Ridge, Rockall Island, in the North Atlantic Ocean, 294 km west of St. Kilda Island, Outer Hebrides, Scotland.
- Esquire No. 8 claim, Big Creek, Fresno Co.,California, USA.
Occurrence of Bazirite and Useful Mineral Association
Bazirite occurs as a late-stage interstitial mineral in aegirine-riebeckite granite and also in granular celsian-bearing rocks near contacts with granite. It is closely associated with actinolite, diopside, celsian, taramellite, titanite, barite, xenotime, pyrochlore, magnetite, eudialyte, quartz, monazite, leucophosphite, cristobalite, albite and aegirine.
References