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<article article-type="research-article">
<front>
<journal-meta>
<journal-id journal-id-type="archive">gsminmag</journal-id>
<journal-title>Mineralogical Magazine</journal-title>
<abbrev-journal-title abbrev-type="full">Mineralogical Magazine</abbrev-journal-title>
<issn pub-type="ppub">0026-461X</issn>
<publisher>
<publisher-name>Mineralogical Society</publisher-name>
</publisher>
</journal-meta>
<article-meta>
<article-id pub-id-type="doi">10.1180/minmag.1989.053.373.08</article-id>
<title-group>
<article-title>Replacement Phenomena in Tantalum Minerals from Rare-Metal Pegmatites in South Africa and Namibia</article-title>
</title-group>
<contrib-group>
<contrib contrib-type="author">
<name>
<surname>Baldwin</surname>
<given-names>Joy R.</given-names>
</name>
<aff>Department of Geology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9ST, Scotland</aff></contrib></contrib-group>
<pub-date pub-type="ppub">
<month>12</month>
<year>1989</year>
</pub-date>
<volume>53</volume>
<issue>373</issue>
<fpage>571</fpage>
<lpage>581</lpage>
<history>
<date date-type="received">
<day>19</day>
<month>2</month>
<year>1988</year>
</date>
<date date-type="rev-recd">
<day>23</day>
<month>3</month>
<year>1989</year>
</date></history>
<copyright-statement>Copyright &#x00A9; 1989, The Mineralogical Society</copyright-statement>
<copyright-year>1989</copyright-year>
<abstract>
<title>Abstract</title>
<p>Manganotantalite replacement by (1) microlite and (2) ferrotantalite, and changes in composition of uranoan microlite from rare-metal pegmatites in South Africa and Namibia have been investigated with the electron microprobe. A uranmicrolite from Karibib, Namibia contained 14.35% UO<sub>2</sub>, 1.03% PbO, 56.12% Ta<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub>, 13.18% Nb<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub>, 0.58% Fe<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>, 6.87% CaO, 0.54% SrO, 0.59% MnO, 0.86% Na<sub>2</sub>O and 0.47% F. Analyses along traverses across a 1.3 mm uranoan microlite, Tantalite Valley, Namibia, revealed two essentially distinct compositions: a more hydrated rim area of 200 &#x00B5;m radius containing 7% higher Ta<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub>, 10% lower CaO and 1.3% lower F than a main central area of slightly variable composition. Back-scattered electron images reveal zoning and distinctive subspheroidal structures. New data and structural features are given for radioactive uranoan microlite from Namaqualand, South Africa. These crystals contain remnants of a bismuth phase and are in various stages of replacement. In the microlites replacing manganotantalite, the microlite reflects the composition of the replaced mineral. At Rubicon Mine, Karibib, a narrow marginal zone of mangantantalite is replaced by ferrotantalite along cleavages; a zone of intermediate composition is apparent. Detailed traverses have been completed across all of these crystals.</p></abstract>
<kwd-group>
<title>Keywords</title>
<kwd>microlite</kwd>
<kwd>manganotantalite</kwd>
<kwd>ferrotantalite</kwd>
<kwd>South Africa</kwd>
<kwd>Namibia</kwd>
<kwd>replacement</kwd>
</kwd-group>
</article-meta>
</front>
</article>
