Niobocarbide Mineral Data

General Niobocarbide Information

Chemical Formula:

(Nb,Ta)C

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 147.18 gm

Tantalum 59.01 % Ta

Niobium 32.83 % Nb

Carbon 8.16 % C

______

100.00 %

Empirical Formula:

Nb_0.52Ta_0.48C

Environment:

In platinum placer concentrates. The niobium-dominant analogue of tantalcarbide.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1998 (Dana # Added)

Locality:

Nihnetagilsky, near Solovjeva mountain (formerly Aurorinsky mine) and Baranchinsky massif near the Actai River, Middle Urals, Russia. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named after its composition of Nb and C.

Name Pronunciation:

Niobocarbide + Pronunciation

Synonym:

ICSD 77217

IMA1995-035

PDF 51-1421

Niobocarbide Image

Images:

Niobocarbide

Comments: Small metallic grain of niobocarbide.
Location: Nizhne-Tagil'skoye (Mednorudyanskoye) Cu Deposit, Nizhnii Tagil, Sverdlovskaya Oblast', Urals Region, Russia. Scale: Grain size 0.3 mm.
© Thomas Witzke / Abraxas-Verlag

Niobocarbide Crystallography

Cell Dimensions:

a = 4.45, Z = 4; V = 88.12 Den(Calc)= 11.09

Crystal System:

Isometric - Hexoctahedral H-M Symbol (4/m 3 2/m) Space Group: F m3m

$Help on X Ray Diffraction:$ X Ray Diffraction:

By Intensity(I/I_o): 2.56(1), 2.22(0.9), 1.574(0.8),

Physical Properties of Niobocarbide

Color:

Yellow, Straw yellow.

Density:

10.25

Diaphaneity:

Opaque

Fracture:

Brittle - Conchoidal - Very brittle fracture producing small, conchoidal fragments.

Habit:

Inclusions - Generally found as inclusions in other minerals.

Hardness:

8 - Topaz

Luster:

Metallic

Optical Properties of Niobocarbide

RL Color:

Yellowish to rose cream.

Reflectivity

**Standardized Intensity (100%) Reflection Spectra of Niobocarbide in Air**
λ	R	∑ R(λ)
460 nm	31.80
540 nm	38.50
580 nm	45.10
660 nm	51.50

**Calculated Relative Intensity Colors of Niobocarbide in Air**
Relative Intensity	0%	30%	60%	90%	100%	120%	150%	180%	210%	240%	270%	280%
R

Calculated Properties of Niobocarbide

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=9.40 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Niobocarbide =11.1 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0009685161
Boson Index = 0.9990314839

Photoelectric:

PE_Niobocarbide= 771.76 barns/electron
U=PE_Niobocarbide x rElectron Density=7,252.90 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Niobocarbide is Not Radioactive

Niobocarbide Classification

Dana Class:

01.01.19.03 (01)Native Elements

(01.01)with metallic elements other than the platinum group

(01.01.19)Osbornite group carbides and nitrides

01.01.19.01 Osbornite TiN F m3m 4/m 3 2/m

01.01.19.02 Khamrabaevite (Ti,V,Fe)C F m3m 4/m 3 2/m

01.01.19.03 Niobocarbide! (Nb,Ta)C F m3m 4/m 3 2/m

01.01.19.04 Tantalcarbide! TaC F m3m 4/m 3 2/m

Strunz Class:

01.BA.20 01 - ELEMENTS (Metals and intermetallic alloys; metalloids and nonmetals; carbides, silicides, nitrides, phosphides)

01.B - Metallic Carbides, Silicides, Nitrides and Phosphides

01.BA -Carbides

01.BA.20 Khamrabaevite (Ti,V,Fe)C F m3m 4/m 3 2/m

01.BA.20 Niobocarbide! (Nb,Ta)C F m3m 4/m 3 2/m

01.BA.20 Tantalcarbide! TaC F m3m 4/m 3 2/m

Other Niobocarbide Information

References:

NAME( MinRec) PHYS. PROP.(Am.Min.,Vol.83,p1117,1998) OPTIC PROP.(MinRec, v 29, p 475)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Niobocarbide :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Athena
3 - GeoScienceWorld
4 - Google Images
5 - Google Scholar
6 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
7 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
8 - MinDAT
9 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
10 - Online Mineral Museum
11 - QUT Mineral Atlas
12 - Ruff.Info

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Niobocarbide

(Nb,Ta)C
Dana No: 01.01.19.03 Strunz No: 01.BA.20
Locality:

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