Nioboholtite Explained

Nioboholtite
Category:Silicate mineral
Formula:(Nb0.6[]0.4)Al6BSi3O18
Imasymbol:Nhlt[1]
System:Orthorhombic
Class:Dipyramidal (mmm)
H-M symbol: (2/m 2/m 2/m)
Symmetry:Pnma
Unit Cell:a = 47.00, b = 11.83
c = 20.24 [Å] (approximated)
Color:Creamy-white to brownish yellow, grey-yellow
Streak:White
Diaphaneity:Translucent
Opticalprop:Biaxal (-)
Refractive:nα=1.74-1.75, nβ~1.76, nγ~1.76 (approximated)
References:[2] [3]

Nioboholtite is an extremely rare mineral with the formula (Nb0.6[]0.4)Al6BSi3O18. It is the niobium-rich member of the dumortierite supergroup, and the niobium analogue of holtite of the holtite group. It is one of three quite recently found minerals of this group, the other two being titanoholtite and szklaryite, all coming from the Szklary village near Ząbkowice Śląskie in Poland. They occur in a unique pegmatite. Nioboholtite and schiavinatoite are both minerals with essential niobium and boron.[4]

Association

Nioboholtite is mainly associated with holtite and a number of other minerals (see szklaryite).

Notes on chemistry

Main impurities in nioboholtite are antimony and arsenic, with trace or minor aluminium iron, tantalum, titanium, phosphorus and hydroxyl groups.

Notes and References

  1. Warr. L.N.. 2021. IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine. 85. 3 . 291–320. 10.1180/mgm.2021.43 . 2021MinM...85..291W . 235729616 . free.
  2. 10.1180/minmag.2013.077.6.10 . The dumortierite supergroup. II. Three new minerals from the Szklary pegmatite, SW Poland: Nioboholtite, (Nb0.60.4)Al6BSi3O18, titanoholtite, (Ti0.750.25)Al6BSi3O18, and szklaryite, 〈Al6BAs3+3O15 . Mineralogical Magazine . 77 . 6 . 2841 . 2013 . Pieczka . A. . Evans . R. J. . Grew . E. S. . Groat . L. A. . Ma . C. . Rossman . G. R. . 2013MinM...77.2841P . 51740732 .
  3. Web site: Nioboholtite: Nioboholtite mineral information and data . Mindat.org . 2016-03-03.
  4. Web site: Schiavinatoite: Schiavinatoite mineral information and data . Mindat.org . 2016-03-10.