Leukoxene

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Leukoxene in the microscope
Leukoxene as a coating of ilmenite in an altered andesite (thin section, LPL): light, highly refractive mass without recognizable crystals
Leukoxene as a coating of ilmenite in an altered andesite (thin section, XPL): high birefringence (higher order interference colors)

Leukoxen , also leucoxene or arizonite , is a mixture of iron and titanium-containing minerals , but especially rutile , anatase and titanite as titanium-containing phases, in addition hematite and goethite as iron-containing phases and, if necessary, deep quartz , chalcedony , cristobalite or opal . The detection or the differentiation of the phases is usually only possible by radiography. The color can vary from yellow to brown to gray.

Education and Locations

Leukoxene forms as an alteration or weathering product and subsequently replaces the previously formed minerals ilmenite, titanomagnetite (titanium-containing magnetite ), titanite, perovskite , dysanalyt or other titanium-rich minerals. It can be found in all rocks that contain these minerals (mainly igneous rocks , but it can also be found in sedimentary rocks or metamorphic rocks ) and in ferrous ores.

Leukoxene is one of the seldom occurring mineral mixtures, which can sometimes be abundant at different sites, but overall is not very common. So far (as of 2011) around 260 sites are known.

In Germany it appeared at Sinsheim and in the Odenwald in Baden-Württemberg as well as at Kropfmühl and Mähring in Bavaria. In Austria, leukoxene has so far been found in Bernstein in Burgenland, on Biberg near Saalfelden in Salzburg and on Bohnkogel in the municipality of Styria Altenberg an der Rax .

Other locations include the Antarctic, Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, China, France, Ghana, Greece, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Japan, Canada, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar, Morocco, Mexico, New Zealand, North Korea, Norway, Russia, Sweden, Zimbabwe, Slovakia, Spain, South Africa, the Czech Republic, Turkey, Ukraine, Hungary, Uzbekistan, the US Virgin Island of St. John, in the United Kingdom and in the United States from America.

use

Like ilmenite, leucoxene is used as a raw material for the production of industrial titanium dioxide (rutile) using the chloride process. For this purpose, it is converted into synthetic rutile by the cup process and separated from the iron-containing components. This rutile is then fed into the chloride process to produce titanium dioxide pigments .

See also

Individual evidence

  1. a b Walter Ehrenreich Tröger: Optical determination of the rock-forming minerals . 2nd Edition. tape 2 . Swiss beard, Stuttgart 1969, p. 149-150 .
  2. ^ Rohstoff-Welt.de: Mineral sands
  3. Mindat: Leucoxene
  4. Mindat: Localities for Leucoxene
  5. J. Winkler; Titanium dioxide; Vincentz Network; Hanover; 2003