Auerlite

Auerlite is a rare North Carolina mineral variety, remarkably rich in thoria, named after Carl Auer von Welsbach, the inventor of the Welsbach incandescent gas mantle. It is considered to be a phosphorus bearing variety of thorite.

Description

It was originally described as a hydrous silico-phosphate of thorium, ThO₂(SiO₂,⅓P₂O₅)+2H₂O, i.e. thorite in which part of the silica is replaced by phosphoric acid. The crystals are tetragonal, lemon-yellow to brown-red in color, and sub-translucent to opaque. The mineral is very brittle; its hardness is 2.5 to 3, and its specific gravity 4.422 to 4.766, the darker crystals having the greatest density.

Analysis gave the following results: —

H2O	CO2	SiO2	P2O5	ThO2	Fe2O3	CaO	MgO	Al2O3	Total
10.21	1.00	7.64	7.46	70.13	1.38	0.49	0.29	1.10	99.70

Locations

This mineral has hitherto been found at only two places in Henderson County, North Carolina, namely, at the Freeman mine, and on the Price land, 3 miles (4.8 km) to the southwest. At both places it occurs in disintegrated granitic or gneissic rock, intimately associated with zircon crystals, on which it is often seen implanted.

Etymology

As this mineral was found while mining the zircons necessary to supply the demand caused by the invention of the system of incandescent gas lighting of Carl Auer von Welsbach, the authors of the original description proposed to name it Auerlite in his honour.

References

• Rines, George Edwin, ed. (1920). "Auerlite" . Encyclopedia Americana.
• B. H. Brough, abstractor (1889). "Auerlite, a new Thorium Mineral". Journal of the Chemical Society. 56, Part 1. Royal Society of Chemistry: 221–2. This work in turn cites:
  • W. E. Hidden and J. B. Mackintosh (1888). "Auerlite, a new Thorium Mineral". American Journal of Science. 36 (216): 461–463. doi:10.2475/ajs.s3-36.216.461. S2CID 130031763.