Ixiolite - Encyclopedia
Class : Oxides and hydroxides
Subclass : Oxides
Crystal system : Monoclinic
Chemistry : (Ta,Mn,Nb)O2
Rarity : Rare
Ixiolite is a complex oxide with tantalum and niobium dominant in granitic pegmatites. Its structural formula incompletely reflects the composition of this mineral which may also contain small amounts of tungsten, titanium, zirconium, uranium and scandium. Its name was inspired by the character from Greek mythology Ixion, who, with Tantalus, was condemned by Zeus to eternal punishment. This highlights the similarity between this mineral and tantalite. In its deposits, ixiolite is a usual companion of microlite, cassiterite and tapiolite. It is a dark gray to black mineral which can form roughly rectangular prismatic crystals sometimes of large size (up to 10 cm) but occurs mainly in irregular grains and masses.
Main photo : Ixiolite from In den Dellen quarries, Eifel, Germany © Volker Betz
Ixiolite in the World
Twinning
A twin is known on {103}.
Fakes and treatments
No fakes recorded for this mineral species.
Hardness : 6 to 6.5
Density : 7.03 to 7.23
Fracture : Irregular
Streak : Brown
TP : Opaque
RI : -
Birefringence : -
Optical character : -
Pleochroism : None
Fluorescence : None
Solubility : -
Magnetism : NoneRadioactivity : Low