samarskite

sa·mar·skite

S0053500 (sə-mär′skīt′, săm′ər-)n. A velvet-black mineral that is a complex mixture of several rare-earth elements with niobium and tantalum oxide.

[After Vasili Evgrafovich Samarski-Bykhovets (1803-1870), Russian mining official who provided access to mineral samples from the Urals to the German mineralogists who first identified samarskite and analyzed its composition.]

samarskite

(səˈmɑːskaɪt) n (Minerals) a velvety black mineral of complex composition occurring in pegmatites: used as a source of uranium and certain rare earth elements[C19: named after Colonel von Samarski, 19th-century Russian inspector of mines]

sa•mar•skite

(səˈmɑr skaɪt)

n. a velvet-black mineral containing uranium, samarium, cerium, etc., occurring in masses: a minor source of uranium and rare-earth oxides. [< German Samarskit (1847), after Russian mining engineer V.E. Samarskiĭ-Bykhovets (1803–70); see -ite¹]

Thesaurus

Noun

samarskite - a complex black mineral occurring in pegmatitesatomic number 64, gadolinium, Gd - a ductile silvery-white ductile ferromagnetic trivalent metallic element of the rare earth groupmineral - solid homogeneous inorganic substances occurring in nature having a definite chemical compositionpegmatite - a form of igneous rock consisting of extremely coarse granite resulting from the crystallization of magma rich in rare elements

Samarskite

samarskite

[sə′mär‚skīt] (mineralogy) (Y,Ce,U,Ca,Fe,Pb,Th)(Nb,Ta,Ti,Sn)₂O₆ A velvet-black to brown metamict orthorhombic mineral with splendent vitreous to resinous luster occurring in granite pegmatites. Also known as ampangabeite; uranotantalite.

Samarskite

(named in honor of the Russian mining engineer V. E. Samarskii-Bykhovets [1803–70]), a mineral of the class of oxides, a tantaloniobate of rare-earth elements with the approximate chemical formula (Y, U, Fe)₂(Nb, Ti, Ta)₂O₆. There are several varieties of samarskite, including calcio-samarskite, which contains Ca; khlopinite, which is enriched with Ti; and ishikawaite, which is rich in U. Samarskite crystallizes in the rhombic system, and the crystals have a prismatic habit. The regular coalescence of samarskite with columbite (ánnerödite) is characteristic.

Samarskite is found primarily in a metamict state. It forms irregular grains and accumulations and has a velvet-black color with a clear tarry luster. Brown or yellowish brown incrustations are characteristically present. Samarskite has a hardness of 5–6 on Mohs’ scale, and its density varies depending on chemical composition from 5,600 to 5,800 kg/m³. Samarskite is commonly associated with monazite, zircon, uraninite, columbite, magnetite, topaz, and beryl. It serves as an ore for the extraction of uranium.

Samarskite is found in granite pegmatites in various areas of the USSR, including the Urals, the Ukraine, and Middle Asia. Samarskite is also found in Norway (Hitteröy, Ånneröd), Sweden, the Malagasy Republic, India, Japan, Brazil, and the USA.

samarskite

sa·mar·skite

samarskite

sa•mar•skite

Samarskite

samarskite

Samarskite

samarskite

Words related to samarskite

noun a complex black mineral occurring in pegmatites

Related Words