Tistarite

Tistarite
General
CategoryOxide minerals
Formula
(repeating unit)		Ti2O3
IMA symbolTta[1]
Strunz classification4.CB.05
Crystal systemTrigonal
Crystal classHexagonal scalenohedral (3m)
H-M symbol: (3 2/m)
Space groupR3c
Identification
References[2]
SEM BSE images showing kaitianite (Ktn) with tistarite (Tta), Ti,Al,Zr-oxide (TAZ), MgTi3+2Al4SiO12 phase (MTAS), spinel (Spl), sapphirine (Spr), and Ti-sulfide (Ti-S) in corundum Grain 1125C2. The upper rectangular area in (b) are enlarged in (c)
SEM BSE images showing kaitianite (Ktn) with tistarite (Tta), Ti,Al,Zr-oxide (TAZ), MgTi3+2Al4SiO12 phase (MTAS), spinel (Spl), sapphirine (Spr), and Ti-sulfide (Ti-S) in corundum Grain 1125C2. The upper rectangular area in (b) are enlarged in (c)[3]

Tistarite is an exceedingly rare mineral with the formula Ti2O3, thus being the natural analogue of titanium(III) oxide.[4][2] In terms of chemistry it is the titanium-analogue of hematite, corundum, eskolaite, and karelianite. Other minerals with the general formula A2O3 are arsenolite, avicennite, claudetite, bismite, bixbyite, kangite, sphaerobismoite, yttriaite-(Y) and valentinite. Tistarite and grossmanite – both found in the famous Allende meteorite (so is kangite) – are the only currently known minerals with trivalent titanium. Titanium in minerals is almost exclusively tetravalent.[2][5][6] The only known terrestrial occurrence of tistarite was found during minerals exploration by Shefa Yamim Ltd. in the upper mantle beneath Mount Carmel, Israel.[3][7]

  1. ^ Warr, L.N. (2021). "IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols". Mineralogical Magazine. 85 (3): 291–320. Bibcode:2021MinM...85..291W. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43. S2CID 235729616.
  2. ^ a b c Mindat, Tistarite, http://www.mindat.org/min-38695.html
  3. ^ a b W.L. Griffin; S.E.M. Gain; D.T. Adams; J-X. Huang; M. Saunders; V. Toledo; N.J. pearson; S.Y. O'Reilly (2016), "First terrestrial occurrence of tistarite (Ti2O3): Ultra-low oxygen fugacity in the upper mantle beneath Mount Carmel, Israel" (PDF), Geology, 44 (10), Geological Society of America (published 2016-08-17): 815–818, Bibcode:2016Geo....44..815G, doi:10.1130/G37910.1, archived (PDF) from the original on 2016-09-12, retrieved 2016-09-12 – via Shefa Yamim Ltd. This article incorporates text from this source, which is available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
  4. ^ Ma, C., and Rossmann, G.R., 2009: Tistarite, Ti2O3, a new refractory mineral from the Allende meteorite. American Mineralogist 94(5–6), 841–844
  5. ^ Mindat, Kangite, http://www.mindat.org/min-42879.html
  6. ^ Mindat, Yttriaite-(Y), http://www.mindat.org/min-40471.html
  7. ^ "Australian university confirms Israeli rare mineral discovery". J-Wire. 2016-02-21. Archived from the original on 2016-02-22. Retrieved 2016-09-12.