Niningerite

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Niningerite
General and classification
other names

IMA 1966-036

chemical formula
  • MgS
  • (Mg, Fe, Mn) S
Mineral class
(and possibly department) 		Sulfides and sulfosalts
System no. to Strunz
and to Dana 		2.CD.10 ( 8th edition : II / C.15)
08/02/01/06
Crystallographic Data
Crystal system cubic
Crystal class ; symbol cubic hexakisoctahedral; 4 / m  3  2 / m
Space group Fm 3 m (No. 225)Template: room group / 225
Lattice parameters a  = 5.17  Å
Formula units Z  = 4
Physical Properties
Mohs hardness 3.5 to 4
Density (g / cm 3 ) calculated: 3.21 to 3.59
Cleavage not defined
Break ; Tenacity not defined
colour Gray
Line color not defined
transparency opaque (opaque)
shine Metallic luster

Niningerite is a very rare and so far only in meteorites found mineral from the mineral class of " sulfides and sulfosalts " with the idealized chemical composition MgS. From a chemical point of view, the mineral is therefore magnesium sulfide . Naturally occurring niningerite usually contains small amounts of iron and manganese , which is why the formula (Mg, Fe, Mn) S or (Mg, Fe 2+ , Mn) S can also be found in various sources . The elements indicated in the round brackets can represent each other in the formula ( substitution , diadochy), but together have the same molar ratio to the other components of the mineral.

Niningerite crystallizes in the cubic crystal system , but has so far only been found in the form of opaque, microcrystalline aggregates of gray, shiny metallic color.

Etymology and history

For the analysis, microsamples from six enstatite chondrites were evaluated: Abee from Canada, Saint-Sauveur from the French community of the same name , Adhi-Kot from Pakistan, Indarch from the Azerbaijani district of Ağcabədi , Saint Mark's (meteorite) from the town of the same name in the South African district Chris Hani and Kota-Kota from the Malawian district of Nkhotakota .

The samples from Indarch, Saint Mark's and Kota-Kota showed the clearest dominance of magnesium. In addition, small amounts of iron and manganese were also measured. These three meteorites are therefore considered to be the type locality for niningerite.

The mineral was first described in 1967 by Klaus Keil and Kenneth G. Snetsinger, who named it after the meteorite researcher Harvey Harlow Nininger (1887–1986) to honor his contributions to the study of meteorites.

classification

In the meanwhile outdated, but still in use 8th edition of the mineral classification according to Strunz , the niningerite belonged to the division of "sulfides with the molar ratio metal (M): sulfur (S), selenium (Se) or tellurium (Te) ≈ 1: 1 ", Where he formed the unnamed group II / C.15 together with Alabandin , Altait , Clausthalit , Crerarit , Galenit , Keilit and Oldhamit .

The 9th edition of Strunz's mineral systematics , which has been in effect since 2001 and is used by the International Mineralogical Association (IMA), classifies niningerite in the category of "Metal sulfides with a molar ratio of M: S = 1: 1 (and similar)". However, this is further subdivided according to the predominant metals in the compound, so that the mineral according to its composition can be found in the sub-section "with tin (Sn), lead (Pb), mercury (Hg) etc.", where it can be found together with Alabandin, Altait, Clausthalit, Galenit, Keilit and Oldhamit the "Galenitgruppe" with the system no. 2.CD.10 forms.

The systematics of minerals according to Dana , which is mainly used in the English-speaking world , assigns niningerite to the class of "sulfides and sulfosalts" and there in the department of "sulfide minerals". Here he is together with Galen, Clausthalit, Altait, Alabandin, Oldhamit, Borovskit in the " Galena group (isometric: Fm3m) " with the system no. 02.08.01 within the subsection "Sulphides - including selenides and tellurides - with the composition A m B n X p , with (m + n): p = 1: 1".

Crystal structure

Niningerite crystallizes cubically in the size 3 m (No. 225) with the lattice parameter a  = 5.17  Å and 4 formula units per unit cell . Template: room group / 225

Education and Locations

Niningerite forms metamorphically in stone meteorites , the so-called enstatite chondrites , where it usually occurs in association with kamacite and troilite .

As a very rare mineral formation, niningerite is only known in a few samples from around 30 sites (as of 2017). Its type locality Indarch meteorite is the only site in Azerbaijan so far.

In addition, they found the mineral still in the Martian meteorite ALH 84001 in the Antarctic, the " Qingzhen -Meteorit" in the Chinese province of Guizhou, Kaidun -Meteorit in Yemen , in Abee meteorite in the Canadian province of Alberta, in Kota-Kota meteorite in Malawi , in the "Adhi Kot Meteorite" in Punjab (Pakistan) , in the "St. Mark's Meteorite" in the Chris Hani District in South Africa, in the Itqiy Meteorite in Western Sahara and in the "Shallowater Meteorite" in Lubbock County of the US state of Texas.

Niningerite was also discovered in the meteorite rock from the moon , more precisely from the Hadley groove , which brought the Apollo 15 mission to Earth.

See also

List of minerals

literature

  • Klaus Keil, KG Snetsinger: Niningerite: a new meteoritic sulfide . In: Science . tape 155 , no. 3761 , 1967, pp. 451-453 , doi : 10.1126 / science.155.3761.451 .
  • Friedrich Klockmann : Klockmann's textbook of mineralogy . Ed .: Paul Ramdohr , Hugo Strunz . 16th edition. Enke, Stuttgart 1978, ISBN 3-432-82986-8 , pp. 439 (first edition: 1891).
  • Hans Jürgen Rösler : Textbook of Mineralogy . 4th revised and expanded edition. German publishing house for basic industry (VEB), Leipzig 1987, ISBN 3-342-00288-3 , p. 278 .
  • Martin Okrusch, Siegfried Matthes: Mineralogy. An introduction to special mineralogy, petrology and geology . 7th fully revised and updated edition. Springer Verlag, Berlin et al. 2005, ISBN 3-540-23812-3 , pp. 438 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b IMA / CNMNC List of Mineral Names; February 2013 (PDF 1.3 MB)
  2. ↑ a b c d e Hugo Strunz , Ernest H. Nickel : Strunz Mineralogical Tables. Chemical-structural Mineral Classification System . 9th edition. E. Schweizerbart'sche Verlagbuchhandlung (Nägele and Obermiller), Stuttgart 2001, ISBN 3-510-65188-X , p.  90 .
  3. ↑ Webmineral - Niningerite
  4. ↑ Mindat - Niningerite
  5. ↑ a b c Niningerite . In: John W. Anthony, Richard A. Bideaux, Kenneth W. Bladh, Monte C. Nichols (Eds.): Handbook of Mineralogy, Mineralogical Society of America . 2001 ( handbookofmineralogy.org [PDF; 60  kB ; accessed on June 23, 2017]).
  6. ↑ Michael Fleischer : New Mineral Names . In: American Mineralogist . tape  52 , 1967, p. 925-929 ( minsocam.org [PDF; 321 kB ; accessed on June 23, 2017]).
  7. ↑ Mindat - Number of localities for Niningerite
  8. ↑ a b List of localities for Niningerite in the Mineralienatlas and Mindat