General Information
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Chemical
Formula: |
ZrSiO4
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Composition: |
Molecular
Weight = 183.31 gm |
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Zirconium 49.77 % Zr 67.22 % ZrO2 |
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Silicon 15.32 % Si 32.78 % SiO2 |
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Oxygen 34.91 % O |
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______ ______ |
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100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE |
Empirical
Formula: |
ZrSiO4 |
Environment: |
Magmatic,
metamorphic, pegmatitic, and alluvial rocks.. |
Locality: |
Australia,
Sri-Lanka, Madagascar, Burma, Lao. |
Name
Origin: |
Named
from its containing the element, zirconium; which was named from the
Arabic, zargun = "gold color." |
Synonym: |
Cyrtolite |
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Hyacinth
- orange red |
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Jarcon
- colorless |
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Malacon |
Zircon
Image |
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Clear, crystalline Zircon prism. Madagascar
©
Image by A. Darbellay
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Crystallography
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Axial
Ratios: |
a:c
= 1:0.90536 |
Cell
Dimensions: |
a =
6.604, c = 5.979, Z = 4; V = 260.76 Den(Calc)= 4.67 |
Crystal
System: |
Tetragonal
- Ditetragonal Dipyramidal H-M Symbol (4/m 2/m 2/m) Space Group:
I41/amd |
X
Ray Diffraction: |
By
Intensity(I/Io): 3.3(1) 2.518(0.45) 4.43(0.45) |
Forms:
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Physical
Properties |
Cleavage: |
[110]
Indistinct |
Color: |
brown,
reddish brown, colorless, gray, or green. |
Density: |
4.6
- 4.7, Average = 4.65 |
Diaphaniety: |
Transparent
to translucent to opaque |
Fracture: |
Uneven
- Flat surfaces (not cleavage) fractured in an uneven pattern. |
Habits: |
Prismatic
- Crystals Shaped like Slender Prisms (e.g. tourmaline)., Tabular - Form
dimensions are thin in one direction., Crystalline - Fine - Occurs as
well-formed fine sized crystal s. |
Hardness: |
7.5
- Garnet |
Luminescence: |
Fluorescent
and radioactive, Short UV=yellow, Long UV=dull red. |
Luster: |
Adamantine |
Streak: |
white |
Optical
Properties |
Dichroism
(e): |
colorless. |
Dichroism
(w): |
colorless. |
Gladstone-Dale: |
CI
meas= 0.011 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.016 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2067,KPDmeas=
0.2076,KC= 0.21 |
Optical
Data: |
Uniaxial
(-), e=1.92-1.96, w=1.967-2.015, bire=0.0470-0.0550. |
Classification |
Dana
Class: |
51.5.2.1
(51)Nesosilicate Insular SiO4 Groups Only |
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(51.5)with
cations in >[6] coordination |
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(51.5.2)Zircon
group |
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- 51.5.2.1 Zircon ZrSiO4 I41/amd 4/m
2/m 2/m
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- 51.5.2.2 Hafnon HfSiO4 I41/amd 4/m
2/m 2/m
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- 51.5.2.3 Thorite ThSiO4 I41/amd 4/m
2/m 2/m
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- 51.5.2.4 Coffinite U(SiO4)1-x(OH)4x
I41/amd 4/m 2/m 2/m
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- 51.5.2.5 Thorogummite
Th(SiO4)1-x(OH)4x I41/amd 4/m 2/m 2/m
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Strunz
Class: |
A.09-10
- Silicates |
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Nesosilicates
with [SiO4]4-groups, cations of octahedral and cubic orientation [8+6] |
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Zircon
- Thorogummite series |
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- A.09-10 Zircon ZrSiO4 I41/amd 4/m
2/m 2/m
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- A.09-20 Hafnon HfSiO4 I41/amd 4/m
2/m 2/m
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- A.09-30 Thorite ThSiO4 I41/amd 4/m
2/m 2/m
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- A.09-40 Coffinite U(SiO4)1-x(OH)4x
I41/amd 4/m 2/m 2/m
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- A.09-50 Thorogummite
Th(SiO4)1-x(OH)4x I41/amd 4/m 2/m 2/m
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