Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 July 2018
Tantal-aeschynite occurs as idiomorphic metamict crystals in the Raposa pegmatite at São José do Sabugí, Paraíba State, NE. Brazil. Morphological data, microscopic properties, and differential thermal analysis results are given. Electron-microprobe analyses yielded a formula: {Ca0·28(Yt,Ln)0·425(Th,U)0·11}(Ta0·75Ti0·62Nb0·595Fe0·05)O6. Yttrium is the predominant rare-earth element, with cerium and neodymium as most abundant lanthanides. The tantal-aeschynite unit cell has (after heating) a 5·34, b 10·97, c 7·38 Å. An indexed X-ray powder pattern (similar to that of aeschynite) is presented.