Anatase: Mineral information, data and localities.
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Anatase

A valid IMA mineral species - grandfathered
This page kindly sponsored by Mark Kucera

About AnataseHide

Formula:
TiO2
Colour:
Brown, pale yellow or reddish brown, indigo, black; pale green, pale lilac, grey, rarely nearly colourless; brown, yellow-brown, pale green, blue in transmitted light.
Lustre:
Adamantine, Metallic
Hardness:
5½ - 6
Specific Gravity:
3.79 - 3.97
Crystal System:
Tetragonal
Name:
Named in 1801 by Rene Just Haüy from the Greek ανάτασις ("anatasis") for "extension," in allusion to the length of the pyramidal faces being longer in relation to their bases than in many tetragonal minerals.
Anatase is one of the five forms of titanium dioxide found in nature.

Compare anatase-columbite solid solution.




Unique IdentifiersHide

Mindat ID:
213
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:213:8
GUID
(UUID V4):
da34ce72-5e1b-475f-9bbf-66ae210401f7

IMA Classification of AnataseHide

Approved, 'Grandfathered' (first described prior to 1959)

Classification of AnataseHide

4.DD.05

4 : OXIDES (Hydroxides, V[5,6] vanadates, arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites, iodates)
D : Metal: Oxygen = 1:2 and similar
D : With medium-sized cations; frameworks of edge-sharing octahedra
Dana 7th ed.:
4.4.4.1
4.4.4.1

4 : SIMPLE OXIDES
4 : AX2
7.9.3

7 : Oxides and Hydroxides
9 : Oxides of Ti

Mineral SymbolsHide

As of 2021 there are now IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.

Please only use the official IMA–CNMNC symbol. Older variants are listed for historical use only.

SymbolSourceReference
AntIMA–CNMNCWarr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43
AntKretz (1983)Kretz, R. (1983) Symbols of rock-forming minerals. American Mineralogist, 68, 277–279.
AntSiivolam & Schmid (2007)Siivolam, J. and Schmid, R. (2007) Recommendations by the IUGS Subcommission on the Systematics of Metamorphic Rocks: List of mineral abbreviations. Web-version 01.02.07. IUGS Commission on the Systematics in Petrology. download
AntWhitney & Evans (2010)Whitney, D.L. and Evans, B.W. (2010) Abbreviations for names of rock-forming minerals. American Mineralogist, 95, 185–187 doi:10.2138/am.2010.3371
AntThe Canadian Mineralogist (2019)The Canadian Mineralogist (2019) The Canadian Mineralogist list of symbols for rock- and ore-forming minerals (December 30, 2019). download
AntWarr (2020)Warr, L.N. (2020) Recommended abbreviations for the names of clay minerals and associated phases. Clay Minerals, 55, 261–264 doi:10.1180/clm.2020.30

Physical Properties of AnataseHide

Adamantine, Metallic
Transparency:
Transparent, Translucent
Colour:
Brown, pale yellow or reddish brown, indigo, black; pale green, pale lilac, grey, rarely nearly colourless; brown, yellow-brown, pale green, blue in transmitted light.
Comment:
Transparent when light coloured, to nearly opaque when deeply colored. Pyramidal crystals may appear opaque because of total reflection.
Streak:
White to pale yellow
Hardness:
5½ - 6 on Mohs scale
Hardness:
VHN100=616 - 698 kg/mm2 - Vickers
Hardness Data:
Measured
Tenacity:
Brittle
Cleavage:
Perfect
on {001} and {011}
Fracture:
Sub-Conchoidal
Density:
3.79 - 3.97 g/cm3 (Measured)    3.89 g/cm3 (Calculated)

Optical Data of AnataseHide

Type:
Uniaxial (-)
RI values:
nω = 2.561 nε = 2.488
Max Birefringence:
δ = 0.073
Image shows birefringence interference colour range (at 30µm thickness)
and does not take into account mineral colouration.
Surface Relief:
Very High
Reflectivity:
WavelengthR1R2
400 nm23.7% 23.8%
420 nm22.4% 22.5%
440 nm21.7% 21.6%
460 nm21.1% 21.0%
480 nm20.7% 20.4%
500 nm20.2% 20.0%
520 nm19.9% 19.6%
540 nm19.6% 19.3%
560 nm19.4% 19.0%
580 nm19.2% 18.8%
600 nm19.0% 18.5%
620 nm18.8% 18.4%
640 nm18.7% 18.2%
660 nm18.6% 18.1%
680 nm18.5% 18.0%
700 nm18.4% 17.8%

Reflectance graph
Graph shows reflectance levels at different wavelengths (in nm). Top of box is 100%. Peak reflectance is 23.8%.
R1 shown in black, R2 shown in red
Pleochroism:
Weak
Comments:
stronger in deeply coloured crystals
Comments:
Deeply coloured crystals may be anomalously biaxial

Chemistry of AnataseHide

Mindat Formula:
TiO2
Common Impurities:
Fe,Sn,V,Nb

Crystallography of AnataseHide

Crystal System:
Tetragonal
Class (H-M):
4/mmm (4/m 2/m 2/m) - Ditetragonal Dipyramidal
Space Group:
I41/amd
Cell Parameters:
a = 3.7845 Å, c = 9.5143 Å
Ratio:
a:c = 1 : 2.514
Unit Cell V:
136.27 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:
4
Morphology:
Crystals typically acute dipyramidal {011}, often highly modified; obtuse pyramidal or tabular on {001}; less commonly prismatic on [001], with {110}, {010}

Twinning:
Rare, on {112}

Crystallographic forms of AnataseHide

Crystal Atlas:
Image Loading
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Anatase no.3 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
Anatase no.4 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
Anatase no.5 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
Anatase no.11 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
Anatase no.33 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
Anatase no.36 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
Anatase no.50 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
Anatase no.51 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
Anatase no.53 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
Anatase no.63 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
Anatase no.127 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
3d models and HTML5 code kindly provided by www.smorf.nl.

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Crystal StructureHide

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IDSpeciesReferenceLinkYearLocalityPressure (GPa)Temp (K)
0019093AnataseHoward C J, Sabine T M, Dickson F (1991) Structural and thermal parameters for rutile and anatase Acta Crystallographica B47 462-4681991synthetic0293
0017663AnataseParker R (1924) Zur Kristallstruktur von Anastas und Rutil. (II. Teil. Die Anastasstruktur). _cod_database_code 1010942 Zeitschrift fur Kristallographie 59 1-5419240293
0010735AnataseHorn M, Schwerdtfeger C F, Meagher E P (1972) Refinement of the structure of anatase at several temperatures Zeitschrift fur Kristallographie 136 273-2811972Lengenbach quarry, Binnatal, Switzerland0293
0010736AnataseHorn M, Schwerdtfeger C F, Meagher E P (1972) Refinement of the structure of anatase at several temperatures Zeitschrift fur Kristallographie 136 273-2811972Lengenbach quarry, Binnatal, Switzerland0293
0010737AnataseHorn M, Schwerdtfeger C F, Meagher E P (1972) Refinement of the structure of anatase at several temperatures Zeitschrift fur Kristallographie 136 273-2811972Lengenbach quarry, Binnatal, Switzerland0293
0010738AnataseHorn M, Schwerdtfeger C F, Meagher E P (1972) Refinement of the structure of anatase at several temperatures Zeitschrift fur Kristallographie 136 273-2811972Lengenbach quarry, Binnatal, Switzerland0293
0011765AnataseWyckoff R W G (1963) Second edition. Interscience Publishers, New York, New York Crystal Structures 1 239-44419630293
CIF Raw Data - click here to close

X-Ray Powder DiffractionHide

Powder Diffraction Data:
d-spacingIntensity
3.52 Å(100)
1.892 Å(35)
2.378 Å(20)
1.6999 Å(20)
1.6665 Å(20)
1.4808 Å(14)
2.431 Å(10)
Comments:
Recorded on synthetic material

Geological EnvironmentHide

Paragenetic Mode(s):
Geological Setting:
Usually secondary, derived from other titanium-bearing minerals. In alpine veins, derived from the enclosing gneisses or schists by hydrothermal solutions. In igneous and
metamorphic rocks; in pegmatites; from a carbonatite. A common detrital mineral.

Type Occurrence of AnataseHide

Place of Conservation of Type Material:
National History Museum, Paris, France
Geological Setting of Type Material:
Alpine veins, derived from the enclosing gneisses or schists by hydrothermal solutions.
Associated Minerals at Type Locality:

Synonyms of AnataseHide

Other Language Names for AnataseHide

Bosnian:Anatas
Czech:Anatas
Dutch:Anataas
Hungarian:Anatáz
Italian:Anatasio
Japanese:鋭錐石
Lithuanian:Anatazas
Polish:Anataz
Russian:Анатаз
Simplified Chinese:锐铁矿
Swedish:Anatas
Ukrainian:Анатаз

Varieties of AnataseHide

(Nb,Fe)-substituted anataseA fine-grained anatase forming pseudomorphs after euxenite-(Y) or polycrase-(Y) with a larger unit cell than normal anatase.

A chemical analysis of a (Nb,Fe)-substituted anatase was reported and discussed by Raade & Kristiansen (1997) from Herrebøkasa,...
Gel-AnataseFinely divided anatase as a component of leucoxene pseudomorphs after Ilmenite.

Originally reported from Lovozero Massif, Kola Peninsula, Murmanskaja Oblast', Northern Region, Russia.
Niobium-bearing Anatase
XanthitaneSoft, friable, yellow earthy material as alteration pseudomorphs after titanite (Green River, Henderson Co., NC, USA). Identical with anatase.

Common AssociatesHide

Associated Minerals Based on Photo Data:
1,197 photos of Anatase associated with QuartzSiO2
548 photos of Anatase associated with RutileTiO2
299 photos of Anatase associated with AlbiteNa(AlSi3O8)
266 photos of Anatase associated with BrookiteTiO2
232 photos of Anatase associated with Chlorite Group
205 photos of Anatase associated with AdulariaKAlSi3O8
83 photos of Anatase associated with ClinochloreMg5Al(AlSi3O10)(OH)8
60 photos of Anatase associated with PyriteFeS2
56 photos of Anatase associated with CalciteCaCO3
53 photos of Anatase associated with HematiteFe2O3

Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat GroupingHide

4.DD.10BrookiteTiO2Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m)

Fluorescence of AnataseHide

Not fluorescent.

Other InformationHide

Thermal Behaviour:
Before the blowpipe, infusible.
Notes:
Not soluble in acids.
Health Risks:
No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.

Anatase in petrologyHide

An essential component of rock names highlighted in red, an accessory component in rock names highlighted in green.

Internet Links for AnataseHide

References for AnataseHide

Reference List:

Localities for AnataseHide

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