Anatase – [TiO2]

Anatase has a very widespread occurrence at MSH. One of the most striking occurrences is made up of very thin anatase plates impaled on fine aegirine needles.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:

 

  • Color is predominantly black, less commonly brown and
    rarely dark blue.
  • Luster is adamantine to metallic.
  • Diaphaneity: The black crystals are opaque while the brown
    and the blue are translucent.
  • Crystal System is tetragonal; I41/amd.
  • Crystal Habits include the tetragonal dipyramid, equant and
    the tabular habit with dominant pinacoid.
  • Cleavage {001} and {011} are perfect.
  • Fracture is subconchoidal.
  • Hardness is 5.5 – 6
  • Specific Gravity is approximately 3.9 g/cm3
  • Streak is white.
  • Associated Minerals include aegirine, albite, amphibole group,
    analcime, bastnäsite, brookite, calcite, catapleiite, chlorite group,
    donnayite, fluorapatite, gmelinite, natrolite, pyrite, quartz, rutile
    and siderite.
  • Distinguishing Features the combination of crystal habit, color and
    luster is distinctive.
  • Origin: Named in 1801 for the Greek for extension, in allusion to the
    greater length of the common pyramidal faces compared to those of
    other tetragonal minerals.

 

 

Dana class # 4.4.4.1 – Oxides; simple oxides
Strunz class # IV/D.14-10 – Oxides; oxides with metal : oxygen = 1:2 (MO2 and related compounds); anatase – downeyite series