New Minerals from Inclusions in Corundum Xenocrysts from Mt. Carmel, Israel: Magnéliite, Ziroite, Sassite, Mizraite-(Ce) and Yeite.

Our nanomineralogical investigation of melt inclusions in corundum xenocrysts from the Mt. Carmel area, Israel has revealed seven IMA-approved new minerals since 2021. We report here four new oxide minerals and one new alloy mineral. Magnéliite (TiTiO; IMA 2021-111) occurs as subhedral crystals, ~4 μm in size, with alabandite, zirconolite, Ti,Al,Zr-oxide, and hibonite in corundum Grain 767-1. Magnéliite has an empirical formula (TiAlTiMgCaSc) (TiZr)O and the triclinic 1¯ TiO-type structure with the cell parameters: = 5.60(1) Å, = 7.13(1) Å, = 12.47(1) Å, = 95.1(1)°, = 95.2(1)°, = 108.7(1)°, = 466(2) Å, = 4. Ziroite (ZrO; IMA 2022-013) occurs as irregular crystals, ~1-4 μm in size, with baddeleyite, hibonite, and Ti,Al,Zr-oxide in corundum Grain 479-1a. Ziroite has an empirical formula (ZrTiMgAlHf)O and the tetragonal 4/ zirconia(HT)-type structure with the cell parameters: = 3.60(1) Å, = 5.18(1) Å, = 67.1(3) Å, = 2. Sassite (TiTiO; IMA 2022-014) occurs as subhedral-euhedral crystals, ~4-16 μm in size, with Ti,Al,Zr-oxide, mullite, osbornite, baddeleyite, alabandite, and glass in corundum Grain 1125C1. Sassite has an empirical formula (TiAlTiMg)(TiZrSi)O and the orthorhombic pseudobrookite-type structure with the cell parameters: = 3.80(1) Å, = 9.85(1) Å, = 9.99(1) Å, = 374(1) Å, = 4. Mizraite-(Ce) (Ce(AlMg)O; IMA 2022-027) occurs as euhedral crystals, <1-14 μm in size, with Ce-silicate, Ti-sulfide, Ti,Al,Zr-oxide, ziroite, and thorianite in corundum Grain 198-8. Mizraite-(Ce) has an empirical formula (CeCaLaNd)(AlMgTiSiZr)O and the hexagonal 6/ magnetoplumbite-type structure with the cell parameters: = 5.61(1) Å, = 22.29(1) Å, = 608(2) Å, = 2. Yeite (TiSi; IMA 2022-079) occurs as irregular-subhedral crystals, 1.2-3.5 μm in size, along with wenjiite (TiSi) and zhiqinite (TiSi) in Ti-Si alloy inclusions in corundum Grain 198c. Yeite has an empirical formula (TiMnVCr)(SiP) and the orthorhombic FeB-type structure with the cell parameters: = 6.55(1) Å, = 3.64(1) Å, = 4.99(1) Å, = 119.0(4) Å, = 4. The five minerals are high-temperature oxide or alloy phases, formed in melt pockets in corundum xenocrysts derived from the upper mantle beneath Mt. Carmel.