OKA-1 Niobium Ore

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OKA-1 is a sample of niobium ore typical of the carbonatite deposit at Oka in western Quebec. The deposit has been characterized mineralogically in detail at CANMET.

Twenty laboratories provided results for niobium by X-ray fluorescence, colorimetry, D.C. plasma-spectrometry, gravimetry, atomic emission, and atomic absorption techniques.

A certificate of analysis will be issued with each order of OKA-1. A copy of CANMET Report 81-1E, "Niobium ore OKA-1: A certified reference material", will be forwarded, free of charge, on request to the Coordinator, CCRMP.

Recommended Value and 95% Confidence Interval
Constituent wt %
Nb 0.37 ± 0.01


Mineralogical Composition
Mineral wt %
Calcite 84
Apatite 5
Biotite 2
Feldspar 2
Magnetite 2
Dolomite 1
Siderite 1
Clays 1
Chlorite 1
Pyrochlore <1

Approximate Chemical Composition
Constituent wt %
Ca 31.3
Fe 2.8
Si 2.4
Mg 1.3
Mn 1.1
P 1.1
Sr 1.0
Al 0.9
S 0.6
Nb 0.4
K 0.3
Na 0.2
Zn 0.05
Loss on ignition 31.9

CCRMP, CANMET Mining and
Mineral Sciences Laboratories

555 Booth Street, Ottawa
Ontario, Canada
K1A 0G1

Telephone: (613) 995-4738
Facsimile: (613) 943-0573
E-mail