Thomasclarkite
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Thomasclarkite-(Y) | |
|---|---|
| Category | Mineral |
| Chemical formula | (Na,Ce)(Y,REE)(HCO3)(OH)3·4(H2O) |
| Identification | |
| Molecular Weight | 375.77 gm |
| Color | White, Yellow |
| Crystal habit | Blocky crystals pseudo-tetragonal |
| Crystal system | Monoclinic - Sphenoidal |
| Twinning | Common on (101) |
| Cleavage | [010] Perfect, [101] Parting |
| Fracture | Brittle - Uneven - Very brittle fracture producing uneven fragments |
| Mohs Scale hardness | 2-3 |
| Luster | Vitreous (Glassy) |
| Refractive index | α= 1.40, β= 1.540, γ= 1.540 |
| Optical Properties | pseudouniaxial negative 2V(meas.) = 5° |
| Birefringence | δ = 0.140 |
| Streak | white |
| Specific gravity | 2.30 |
| Diaphaneity | Translucent to transparent |
| Other Characteristics | Radioactivity 770 Bq/g |
Thomasclarkite-(Y) is a very rare mineral which was known as UK-93 until 1997, when it was renamed in honour of Dr. Thomas H. Clark (1893-1996), McGill University professor. The mineral is one of many rare earth element minerals from Mont Saint-Hilaire. Rare occurrence in an alkalic pegmatite dike in an intrusive gabbro-nepheline syenite.

