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The Collaborative International Dictionary
Tantalite

Tantalite \Tan"ta*lite\, n. [Cf. F. tantalite.] (Min.) A heavy mineral of an iron-black color and submetallic luster. It is essentially a tantalate of iron.

Wiktionary
tantalite

n. (context mineralogy English) A dark-brown mineral that is an ore of tantalum and niobium, of the chemical formula (iron, manganese) tantalum2oxygen6.

WordNet
tantalite

n. a mineral consisting of tantalum oxide of iron and manganese that occurs with niobite or in coarse granite; an ore of tantalum

Wikipedia
Tantalite

The mineral group tantalite [( Fe, Mn) Ta O] is the primary source of the chemical element tantalum. It is chemically similar to columbite, and the two are often grouped together as a semi-singular mineral called coltan or "columbite-tantalite" in many mineral guides. However, tantalite has a much greater specific gravity than columbite (8.0+ compared to columbite's 5.2). Iron-rich tantalite is the mineral tantalite-(Fe) or ferrotantalite and manganese-rich is tantalite-(Mn) or manganotantalite.

Tantalite is also very close to tapiolite. Those minerals have same chemical composition, but different crystal symmetry orthorhombic for tantalite and tetragonal for tapiolite.

Tantalite is black to brown in both color and streak. Manganese-rich tantalites can be brown and translucent.

Usage examples of "tantalite".

Thus gold, diamonds, platinum, titanium, tantalite, copper, iron ore, uranium and 52 other metals and minerals, many of them of absolutely vital strategic value to United States, passed into the hands of the Committee of 300.