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Cassiterite Mineral Data

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General Cassiterite Information

Help on Chemical Formula: Chemical Formula: SnO2
Help on Composition: Composition: Molecular Weight = 150.71 gm
   Tin     78.77 %  Sn  100.00 % SnO2
   Oxygen  21.23 %  O
          ______        ______ 
          100.00 %      100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE
Help on Empirical Formula: Empirical Formula: SnO2
Help on Environment: Environment: Granite pegmatites and alluvial placer deposits.
Help on IMA Status: IMA Status: Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1832
Help on Locality: Locality: Cornwall, Wales, Great Britain. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.
Help on Name Origin: Name Origin: From the Greek kassiteros - "tin."
Help on Name Pronunciation: Name Pronunciation: Cassiterite + Pronunciation Say CASSITERITE
Help on Synonym: Synonym: ICSD 39173
  PDF 41-1445
  Staringite - Mixture with ferrotapiolite
  Tin Ore
  Wood Tin
 

Cassiterite Image

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  Cassiterite

Comments: Very brilliant black crystals of cassiterite on white mica.
Location: Xue Bao Diang, Sichuan, China. Scale: Size Not Given.
© Fabre Minerals
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  Cassiterite

Comments: Gemmy, doubly terminated cassiterite on quartz-mica matrix.
Location: Langcangjiang river area, Yunnan, China. Scale: 2.7 x 2.2 x 1.8 cm.
© Fabre Minerals

Cassiterite Crystallography
Help on Axial Ratios: Axial Ratios: a:c = 1:0.65808
Help on Cell Dimensions: Cell Dimensions: a = 4.738, c = 3.118, Z = 2; V = 69.99 Den(Calc)= 7.15
Help on Crystal System: Crystal System: Tetragonal - Ditetragonal Dipyramidal H-M Symbol (4/m 2/m 2/m) Space Group: P 4/mnm
Help on X Ray Diffraction: X Ray Diffraction: By Intensity(I/Io): 3.351(1), 2.644(0.81), 1.765(0.63),
Help on Forms: Forms:

Mouse
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RMB - Cycle Display Modes
Drag1 - Manipulate Crystal
Drag2 - Resize
Keyboard
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I - Indicies
<space> - Start-Stop Rotation
F - Fit to Screen
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Help on Above

Forms: ( 1 1 0) ( 1 1 1) ( 1 0 0) ( 1 0 1)

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Physical Properties of Cassiterite

Help on Cleavage: Cleavage: {100} Perfect, {110} Indistinct
Help on Color: Color: Brown, Brownish black, Colorless, Green, Gray.
Help on Density: Density: 6.8 - 7, Average = 6.9
Help on Diaphaneity: Diaphaneity: Transparent to translucent to opaque
Help on Fracture: Fracture: Irregular - Flat surfaces (not cleavage) fractured in an irregular pattern.
Help on Habit: Habit: Botryoidal - "Grape-like" rounded forms (e.g.. malachite).
Help on Habit: Habit: Massive - Uniformly indistinguishable crystals forming large masses.
Help on Habit: Habit: Prismatic - Crystals Shaped like Slender Prisms (e.g. tourmaline).
Help on Hardness: Hardness: 6-7 - Orthoclase-Quartz
Help on Luminescence: Luminescence: Non-fluorescent.
Help on Luster: Luster: Adamantine
Help on Streak: Streak: brownish white
 

Optical Properties of Cassiterite

Help on Dichroism (e): Dichroism (e): yellow.
Help on Dichroism (w): Dichroism (w): red brown.
Help on Gladstone-Dale: Gladstone-Dale: CI meas= -0.062 (Fair) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.025 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1466,KPDmeas= 0.1519,KC= 0.143
Ncalc = 1.97 - 2.02
Help on Optical Data: Optical Data: Uniaxial (+), w=1.99-2.01, e=2.093-2.1, bire=0.0900-0.1030.
Help on RL Anisotrophism: RL Anisotrophism: Strong.
Help on RL Color: RL Color: Light gray with white to brownish internal reflections.
Help on RL Pleochroism: RL Pleochroism: Strong to very weak.
Help on Reflectivity Reflectivity
Standardized Intensity (100%) Reflection Spectra of Cassiterite in Air
λ R1 R2  ∑ R1(λ)   ∑ R2(λ) 
 400 nm   11.70   13.20 
   
 420 nm   11.60   13.00 
 440 nm   11.50   12.80 
 460 nm   11.40   12.60 
 480 nm   11.30   12.50 
 500 nm   11.20   12.40 
 520 nm   11.00   12.20 
 540 nm   11.00   12.10 
 560 nm   10.90   12.00 
 580 nm   10.90   12.00 
 600 nm   10.80   12.00 
 620 nm   10.80   12.00 
 640 nm   10.70   12.00 
 660 nm   10.70   12.00 
 680 nm   10.60   12.00 
 700 nm   10.60   12.00 
Calculated Relative Intensity Colors of Cassiterite in Air
Relative
Intensity		    0%   90% 100% 180% 270% 360% 450% 540% 630% 720% 810%
R1                      
R2                      
 

Calculated Properties of Cassiterite

Help on Electron Density: Electron Density: Bulk Density (Electron Density)=6.26 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Cassiterite =7.15 gm/cc.
Help on Fermion Index: Fermion Index: Fermion Index = 0.13
Boson Index = 0.87
Help on Photoelectric: Photoelectric: PECassiterite = 247.66 barns/electron
U=PECassiterite x rElectron Density=1,550.92 barns/cc.
Help on Radioactivity: Radioactivity: GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Cassiterite is Not Radioactive
 

Cassiterite Classification
Help on Dana Class: Dana Class: 04.04.01.05 (04)Simple Oxides
  (04.04)with a cation charge of 4+ (A++++ O2)
  (04.04.01)Rutile group (Tetragonal: P4/mnm)
 
04.04.01.01 Rutile TiO2 P 4/mnm 4/m 2/m 2/m
 
04.04.01.02 Ilmenorutile (Ti,Nb,Fe)O2 P 4/mnm 4/m 2/m 2/m
 
04.04.01.03 Struverite? (Ti,Ta,Fe)O2 P 4/mnm 4/m 2/m 2/m
 
04.04.01.04 Pyrolusite MnO2 P 4/mnm 4/m 2/m 2/m
 
04.04.01.05 Cassiterite SnO2 P 4/mnm 4/m 2/m 2/m
 
04.04.01.06 Plattnerite PbO2 P 4/mnm 4/m 2/m 2/m
 
04.04.01.07 Argutite GeO2 P 4/mnm 4/m 2/m 2/m
 
04.04.01.08 Squawcreekite? (Fe,Sb,W)O4•(H2O) P 4/mnm 4/m 2/m 2/m
 
04.04.01.09 Stishovite SiO2 P 4/mnm 4/m 2/m 2/m
Help on Strunz Class: Strunz Class: 04.DB.05 04 - OXIDES (Hydroxides, V[5,6] vanadates, arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites, iodate
  04.D - Metal:Oxygen = 1:2 and similar
  04.DB -With medium-sized cations; chains of edge-sharing octahedra
 
04.DB.05 Argutite GeO2 P 4/mnm 4/m 2/m 2/m
 
04.DB.05 Cassiterite SnO2 P 4/mnm 4/m 2/m 2/m
 
04.DB.05 Rutile TiO2 P 4/mnm 4/m 2/m 2/m
 
04.DB.05 Pyrolusite MnO2 P 4/mnm 4/m 2/m 2/m
 
04.DB.05 Plattnerite PbO2 P 4/mnm 4/m 2/m 2/m
 
04.DB.05 Varlamoffite* (Sn,Fe)(O,OH)2 P 41/mnm 4/m 2/m 2/m
 
04.DB.05 Squawcreekite? (Fe,Sb,W)O4•(H2O) P 4/mnm 4/m 2/m 2/m
 
04.DB.05 Tugarinovite MoO2 P 21/n 2/m
 
04.DB.05 Tripuhyite FeSbO4 P 41/mnm 4/m 2/m 2/m
 

Other Cassiterite Information
Help on References: References: NAME( Duda&Rejl90) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(AntBidBlaNic1)
Help on See Also: See Also: Links to other databases for Cassiterite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery
3 - Athena
4 - EUROmin Project
5 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
6 - GeoScienceWorld
7 - Glendale Community College
8 - Google Images
9 - Google Scholar
10 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
11 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
12 - HyperPhysics
13 - MinDAT
14 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
15 - Online Mineral Museum
16 - Philatelic Mineralogy
17 - QUT Mineral Atlas
18 - Ruff.Info
19 - Scandinavian mineral gallery
20 - Tradeshop.com - The Rainbow of Gems
21 - University of Colorado - Mineral Structure Data
22 - WWW-MINCRYST
23 - theimage

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Cassiterite

SnO2
Dana No: 04.04.01.05 Strunz No: 04.DB.05
Locality:

 

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