What is "rutile"

Rutile \Ru"tile\ (r[udd]"t[i^]l), n. [L. rutilus red, inclining to golden yellow.] (Min.) A mineral usually of a reddish brown color, and brilliant metallic adamantine luster, occurring in tetragonal crystals. In composition it is titanium dioxide, like octahedrite and brookite.

n. (context mineralogy English) The most frequent of the three polymorphs of titanium dioxide, crystalizing in the tetragonal system, titaniumoxygen₂.

n. a mineral consisting of titanium dioxide in crystalline form; occurs in metamorphic and plutonic rocks and is a major source of titanium

Rutile is a mineral composed primarily of titanium dioxide, Ti O.

Rutile is the most common natural form of TiO. Three rarer polymorphs of TiO are known:

• Anatase (sometimes known by the name "octahedrite"), a tetragonal mineral of pseudo-octahedral habit
• Brookite, an orthorhombic mineral
• TiO (B), a monoclinic form.

Rutile has among the highest refractive indices at visible wavelengths of any known crystal, and also exhibits a particularly large birefringence and high dispersion. Owing to these properties, it is useful for the manufacture of certain optical elements, especially polarization optics, for longer visible and infrared wavelengths up to about 4.5μm.

Natural rutile may contain up to 10% iron and significant amounts of niobium and tantalum. Rutile derives its name from the Latin rutilus, red, in reference to the deep red color observed in some specimens when viewed by transmitted light.