Waimirite-(Y)
A valid IMA mineral species
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About Waimirite-(Y)
Formula:
YF3
Colour:
Pale pink, colorless
Lustre:
Vitreous
Hardness:
5½ - 6
Specific Gravity:
5.586 (Calculated)
Crystal System:
Orthorhombic
Name:
Named after the Waimiri-Atroari Indian people of Roraima and Amazonas.
Type Locality:
Isostructural with:
Known synthetic analogue. The Y analogue of oskarssonite.
Orthorhombic - unlike the related, trigonal REE fluorides fluocerite-(Ce) and fluocerite-(La).
Orthorhombic - unlike the related, trigonal REE fluorides fluocerite-(Ce) and fluocerite-(La).
Unique Identifiers
Mindat ID:
46049
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:46049:3
IMA Classification of Waimirite-(Y)
Approved
Approval year:
2013
First published:
2015
Type description reference:
Atencio, Daniel, Bastos Neto, Artur C., Pereira, Vitor P., Ferron, José T. M. M., Hoshino, M., Moriyama, T., Watanabe, Y., Miyawaki, R., Coutinho, José M. V., Andrade, Marcelo B., Domanik, Kenneth, Chukanov, Nikita V., Momma, K., Hirano, H., Tsunematsu, M. (2015) Waimirite-(Y), orthorhombic YF3, a new mineral from the Pitinga mine, Presidente Figueiredo, Amazonas, Brazil and from Jabal Tawlah, Saudi Arabia: description and crystal structure. Mineralogical Magazine, 79 (3) 767-780 doi:10.1180/minmag.2015.079.3.18
Classification of Waimirite-(Y)
3.A0.
3 : HALIDES
A : Simple halides, without H2O
0 :
3 : HALIDES
A : Simple halides, without H2O
0 :
Mineral Symbols
As of 2021 there are now IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.
| Symbol | Source | Reference for Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Wai-Y | IMA–CNMNC | Warr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43 |
Physical Properties of Waimirite-(Y)
Vitreous
Transparency:
Transparent, Translucent
Comment:
Non-metallic
Colour:
Pale pink, colorless
Streak:
White
Hardness:
5½ - 6 on Mohs scale
Hardness:
VHN100=667 - 786 kg/mm2 - Vickers
Tenacity:
Brittle
Cleavage:
None Observed
Synthetic YF3 displays perfect cleavage on {010}
Synthetic YF3 displays perfect cleavage on {010}
Parting:
None observed
Fracture:
Irregular/Uneven, Conchoidal
Density:
5.586 g/cm3 (Calculated)
Optical Data of Waimirite-(Y)
Type:
Biaxial (+)
Comments:
Mean refractive index was measured as 1.54-1.56 (Brazil) and 1.6 (Saudi Arabia)
Chemistry of Waimirite-(Y)
Mindat Formula:
YF3
Elements listed:
Crystallography of Waimirite-(Y)
Crystal System:
Orthorhombic
Class (H-M):
mmm(2/m2/m2/m) - Dipyramidal
Space Group:
Pnma
Setting:
Pnma
Cell Parameters:
a = 6.386(1) Å, b = 6.877(1) Å, c = 4.401(1) Å
Ratio:
a:b:c = 0.929 : 1 : 0.64
Unit Cell V:
193.28 ų
Z:
4
Morphology:
Massive aggregates of platy crystals up to ~1 μm in size. Forms are not determined on natural specimens, but synthetic YF3 displays pinacoids, prisms and bipyramids.
Crystal Structure
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Data courtesy of the American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database. Click on an AMCSD ID to view structure
| ID | Species | Reference | Link | Year | Locality | Pressure (GPa) | Temp (K) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0020020 | Waimirite-(Y) | Cheetham A K, Norman N (1974) The structures of yttrium and bismuth trifluorides by neutron diffraction Acta Chemica Scandinavica A28 55-60 | 1974 | synthetic | 0 | 293 |
CIF Raw Data - click here to close
X-Ray Powder Diffraction
Powder Diffraction Data:
| d-spacing | Intensity |
|---|---|
| 3.707 Å | (26) |
| 3.623 Å | (78) |
| 3.438 Å | (99) |
| 3.205 Å | (100) |
| 2.894 Å | (59) |
| 1.937 Å | (33) |
| 1.916 Å | (24) |
| 1.862 Å | (27) |
Reference:
Atencio, Daniel, Bastos Neto, Artur C., Pereira, Vitor P., Ferron, José T. M. M., Hoshino, M., Moriyama, T., Watanabe, Y., Miyawaki, R., Coutinho, José M. V., Andrade, Marcelo B., Domanik, Kenneth, Chukanov, Nikita V., Momma, K., Hirano, H., Tsunematsu, M. (2015) Waimirite-(Y), orthorhombic YF3, a new mineral from the Pitinga mine, Presidente Figueiredo, Amazonas, Brazil and from Jabal Tawlah, Saudi Arabia: description and crystal structure. Mineralogical Magazine, 79 (3) 767-780 doi:10.1180/minmag.2015.079.3.18
Comments:
From Type Description.
Geological Environment
Paragenetic Mode(s):
| Paragenetic Mode | Earliest Age (Ga) |
|---|---|
| Near-surface Processes | |
| 23 : Subaerial aqueous alteration by non-redox-sensitive fluids (see also #47) |
Type Occurrence of Waimirite-(Y)
General Appearance of Type Material:
Massive aggregates of platy crystals up to ~1 μm in size
Place of Conservation of Type Material:
Type material is deposited in the collections of the Museu de Geociências, Instituto de Geociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil, specimen number DR919, and the Museu de Mineralogia Luiz Englert, Departamento de Mineralogia e PetrologiaIn
Geological Setting of Type Material:
In hydrothermal veins (up to 30 mm thick) cross-cutting the albite-enriched facies of the ~1820 Ma A-type Madeira granite, Brazil
Associated Minerals at Type Locality:
Reference:
Atencio, Daniel, Bastos Neto, Artur C., Pereira, Vitor P., Ferron, José T. M. M., Hoshino, M., Moriyama, T., Watanabe, Y., Miyawaki, R., Coutinho, José M. V., Andrade, Marcelo B., Domanik, Kenneth, Chukanov, Nikita V., Momma, K., Hirano, H., Tsunematsu, M. (2015) Waimirite-(Y), orthorhombic YF3, a new mineral from the Pitinga mine, Presidente Figueiredo, Amazonas, Brazil and from Jabal Tawlah, Saudi Arabia: description and crystal structure. Mineralogical Magazine, 79 (3) 767-780 doi:10.1180/minmag.2015.079.3.18
Synonyms of Waimirite-(Y)
Other Language Names for Waimirite-(Y)
Dutch:Waimiriet-(Y)
German:Waimirit-(Y)
Relationship of Waimirite-(Y) to other Species
Other Members of Oskarssonite Subgroup:
| Oskarssonite | AlF3 | Trig. 3 : R3 |
Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping
| 3.A0. | Flinteite | K2ZnCl4 |
| 3.A0. | Mellizinkalite | K3Zn2Cl7 |
| 3.A0. | Oskarssonite | AlF3 |
| 3.A0. | Sanguite | KCuCl3 |
Fluorescence of Waimirite-(Y)
Not fluorescent under LW UV
Other Information
Health Risks:
No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.
Internet Links for Waimirite-(Y)
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-46049.html
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References for Waimirite-(Y)
Reference List:
Wesley, R. D., DeKock, C. W. (1973) Infrared spectra and geometries of matrix isolated yttrium tri- and difluorides. The Journal of Physical Chemistry, 77 (4). 466-468 doi:10.1021/j100623a009
Williams, P. A., Hatert, F., Pasero, M., Mills, S. J. (2014) New minerals and nomenclature modifications approved in 2014, CNMNC Newsletter No 19. Mineralogical Magazine, 78 (1) 165-170 doi:10.1180/minmag.2014.078.1.12
Atencio, Daniel, Bastos Neto, Artur C., Pereira, Vitor P., Ferron, José T. M. M., Hoshino, M., Moriyama, T., Watanabe, Y., Miyawaki, R., Coutinho, José M. V., Andrade, Marcelo B., Domanik, Kenneth, Chukanov, Nikita V., Momma, K., Hirano, H., Tsunematsu, M. (2015) Waimirite-(Y), orthorhombic YF3, a new mineral from the Pitinga mine, Presidente Figueiredo, Amazonas, Brazil and from Jabal Tawlah, Saudi Arabia: description and crystal structure. Mineralogical Magazine, 79 (3) 767-780 doi:10.1180/minmag.2015.079.3.18
Localities for Waimirite-(Y)
Showing 4 localities.
symbol to view information about a locality.
The Locality List
- This locality has map coordinates listed.
- This locality has estimated coordinates.
ⓘ - Click for references and further information on this occurrence.
? - Indicates mineral may be doubtful at this locality.
- Good crystals or important locality for species.
- World class for species or very significant.
(TL) - Type Locality for a valid mineral species.
(FRL) - First Recorded Locality for everything else (eg varieties).
All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.
Brazil (TL) | |
| Williams et al. (2014) +1 other reference |
| Hadlich et al. (2024) +1 other reference | |
Egypt | |
| Elsagheer et al. (2026) |
Saudi Arabia | |
| Atencio et al. (2015) |
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Pitinga mine, Presidente Figueiredo, Amazonas, Brazil