Rutile

Mineral Description

Rutile is a titanium oxide of formula TiO₂. It is a member of the oxides and hydroxides group. Rutile is the most common titanium oxide, but there are two other polymorphs: anatase, which is tetragonal, and brookite, which is orthorhombic. It is a relatively dense mineral (specific gravity of 4.18 to 4.25) and is highly resistant to weathering.

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Titanium (Ti) atoms
Oxygen (O) atoms
Single unit cell
All atoms

Occurence and Use

Rutile is a primary mineral formed over a very wide range of pressure and temperature conditions and a wide melt compositional range as well. It is extremely resistant to weathering. Highly weathered soils may have high concentrations of rutile due to loss of other constituents and overall volume. Rutile is the primary ore of titanium.

Importance in Soil Environments

Rutile is one of the heavy minerals commonly used to determine overall weathering in a profile.

Crystallographic Data

Reference

Meagher E.P., and A.L. George 1979. Canadian Mineralogist 17:77-85

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Original release: 1 Oct 1998;