Columbita

Columbita
General
Categoría	Minerales óxidos
Clase	4.DB.35 (Strunz)
Fórmula química	(Fe,Mn)Nb2O6
Propiedades físicas
Color	Negro
Raya	Negra a parda
Lustre	Submetálico
Transparencia	Translúcido a opaco
Sistema cristalino	Ortorrómbico
Hábito cristalino	Cristales tabulares a aciculares; agregados radiados, generalmente incluidos
Exfoliación	Marcada/Buena
Fractura	Irregular o concoidea
Dureza	6
Tenacidad	Frágil
Densidad	6,65 g/cm3
Minerales relacionados
	Uraninita, cuarzo, feldespato
	[editar datos en Wikidata]

La columbita, también llamada niobita o ferrocolumbita, ((Fe,Mn)Nb₂O₆) es un mineral del grupo IV (óxidos) según la clasificación de Strunz. Posee un lustre submetálico y una alta densidad. Este mineral fue encontrado por primera vez en Haddam, condado de Middlesex, Connecticut, en Nueva Inglaterra, Estados Unidos. Se asemeja a los hematites, de raya diferente; ilmenita, de forma cristalina diferente.

Con frecuencia se halla asociado a la tantalita, formando el coltán.

Historia y etimología

La ocurrencia de columbita en los Estados Unidos fue conocida a partir de un espécimen presumiblemente propiedad de John Winthrop (1606-1676), primer gobernador de la colonia de Connecticut y ávido coleccionista de minerales. En medio de otras 600 muestras, fue donado por su homónimo y nieto, John Winthrop (1681-1747) a Hans Sloane, presidente de la Royal Society de Gran Bretaña, al pasar a ser miembro de la citada sociedad en 1737.^[1]

En 1801 Charles Hatchett descubrió el elemento niobio en ese especímen,^[2] al que llamó columbio en honor de Cristóbal Colón, el descubridor de América.^[3]

Véase también

Notas

↑ Winthrop, John (1844). «Art. V. Selections from an Ancient Catalogue of objects of Natural History, formed in New England more than one hundred years ago». En Silliman, Benjamin, ed. The Amer. J. Science and Arts 47. New Haven: Baldwin, Cradock, and Joy. p. 282. Consultado el 12 February 2015. «... (p.282:) Mr. Winthrop was grandson of the first governor of Connecticut, great grandson of the first governor of Massachusetts ... (p.290:) A black mineral ... Is this the Columbite? ... it appeared that it had been sent ... to Sir Hans Sloane, by Mr. Winthrop of Massachusetts. ...'».
↑ Griffith, William P.; Morris, Peter J.T. (22 de septiembre de 2003). «Charles Hatchett FRS (1765–1847), Chemist and Discoverer of Niobium». The Annals of Philosophy. New Series. July to December 1824. London: The Royal Society Publishing. p. 359. Consultado el 12 February 2015. «... In 1800–01, while he was arranging some minerals at the British Museum in Bloomsbury, he became particularly interested in a specimen which was described in Sir Hans Sloane’s catalogue of the ‘Metalls’, no. 2029 from his collection, as ‘a very heavy black stone with golden streaks ... from Nautneague. From Mr. Winthrop’ ... The donor was probably John Winthrop (1681–1747), a great-grandson of the founder of Massachusetts Bay colony. When Winthrop was elected FRS in 1734 he gave Sir Hans Sloane, then President of the Society, a collection of about 600 minerals. ...'».
↑ Jameson, Robert (1805). System of Mineralogy, Vol. II.. Edinburgh: Bell and Bradfute (et al.). p. 582. Consultado el 15 February 2015. «... Mr Hatchett found it to contain a metal, which, from its properties, could not be referred to any hitherto known; hence he was of opinion that it should be considered as a new genus, to which he gave the name Columbium, in honour of the discoverer of America. ...'».

[1] Winthrop, John (1844). «Art. V. Selections from an Ancient Catalogue of objects of Natural History, formed in New England more than one hundred years ago». En Silliman, Benjamin, ed. The Amer. J. Science and Arts 47. New Haven: Baldwin, Cradock, and Joy. p. 282. Consultado el 12 February 2015. «... (p.282:) Mr. Winthrop was grandson of the first governor of Connecticut, great grandson of the first governor of Massachusetts ... (p.290:) A black mineral ... Is this the Columbite? ... it appeared that it had been sent ... to Sir Hans Sloane, by Mr. Winthrop of Massachusetts. ...'».

[2] Griffith, William P.; Morris, Peter J.T. (22 de septiembre de 2003). «Charles Hatchett FRS (1765–1847), Chemist and Discoverer of Niobium». The Annals of Philosophy. New Series. July to December 1824. London: The Royal Society Publishing. p. 359. Consultado el 12 February 2015. «... In 1800–01, while he was arranging some minerals at the British Museum in Bloomsbury, he became particularly interested in a specimen which was described in Sir Hans Sloane’s catalogue of the ‘Metalls’, no. 2029 from his collection, as ‘a very heavy black stone with golden streaks ... from Nautneague. From Mr. Winthrop’ ... The donor was probably John Winthrop (1681–1747), a great-grandson of the founder of Massachusetts Bay colony. When Winthrop was elected FRS in 1734 he gave Sir Hans Sloane, then President of the Society, a collection of about 600 minerals. ...'».

[3] Jameson, Robert (1805). System of Mineralogy, Vol. II.. Edinburgh: Bell and Bradfute (et al.). p. 582. Consultado el 15 February 2015. «... Mr Hatchett found it to contain a metal, which, from its properties, could not be referred to any hitherto known; hence he was of opinion that it should be considered as a new genus, to which he gave the name Columbium, in honour of the discoverer of America. ...'».

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