Taenite
Taenite | |
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Widmanstätten patterns of Kamacite and Taenite, from a meteorite currently in the Natural History Museum, London. |
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General | |
Category | Metals and intermetallic alloys |
Formula (repeating unit) |
γ-(Ni,Fe) |
Strunz classification | 01.AE.10 |
Identification | |
Color | metallic grayish to white |
Crystal system | isometric-hexoctahedral |
Cleavage | None |
Fracture | Hackly fracture |
Tenacity | Malleable, flexible |
Mohs scale hardness | 5-5.5 |
Luster | metallic |
Streak | light gray |
Diaphaneity | Opaque |
Specific gravity | 7.8–8.22 |
Other characteristics | magnetic, not radioactive |
References | [1][2] |
Taenite (Fe,Ni) is a mineral found naturally on Earth mostly in iron meteorites. It is an alloy of iron and nickel, with nickel proportions of 20% up to 65%.
The name is derived from the Greek ταινία for "band, ribbon". Taenite is a major constituent of iron meteorites. In octahedrites it is found in bands interleaving with kamacite forming Widmanstätten patterns, whereas in ataxites it is the dominant constituent. In octahedrites a fine intermixture with kamacite can occur, which is called plessite.
Taenite is one of four known Fe-Ni meteorite minerals: The others are kamacite, tetrataenite, and antitaenite.
Contents |
[edit] Properties
It is opaque with a metallic grayish to white color. The structure is isometric-hexoctahedral. Its density is around 8 g/cm³ and hardness is 5 to 5.5 on the Mohs scale. Taenite is magnetic. The crystal lattice has the c≈a= 3.582ű0.002Å.[3] The Strunz classification is I/A.08-20, while the Dana classification is 1.1.11.2 . It is a Hexoctahedral (cubic) in structure.
[edit] Meteorite Localities with this Mineral
- Campo del Cielo crater in Argentina.
- Henbury Meteorites Conservation Reserve in Australia.
- Canyon Diablo in Arizona.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ http://rruff.geo.arizona.edu/doclib/hom/taenite.pdf Handbook of Mineralogy
- ^ http://webmineral.com/data/Taenite.shtml Webmineral data
- ^ Albertsen, F.; Knudsen, J. M.; Jensen, G. B. (Jun 1978). "Structure of taenite in two iron meteorites J.". Nature 273 (5662): 453–454. Bibcode:1978Natur.273..453A. doi:10.1038/273453a0.
- Mason B., 1962: Meteorites. J. Wiley & Sons, New York
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