Taenite

Short description: Alloy of iron and nickel found in meteorites

Taenite

Widmanstätten patterns of kamacite and taenite, from a meteorite currently in the Natural History Museum, London.

General
Category| Metals and intermetallic alloys
Formula
(repeating unit)| γ-(Ni,Fe)
Strunz classification| 1.AE.10
Crystal system| Isometric
Crystal class| Hexoctahedral (m3m)
H-M symbol: (4/m 3 2/m)
Space group| Fm3m
Identification
Color| metallic grayish to white
Cleavage| None
Fracture| Hackly fracture
Tenacity| Malleable, flexible
Mohs scale hardness| 5–5.5
|re|er}}| metallic
Streak| light gray
Diaphaneity| Opaque
Specific gravity| 7.8–8.22
Other characteristics| magnetic, not radioactive
References| [1][2]

Widmanstätten pattern showing the two forms of Nickel-Iron, Kamacite and Taenite, in an octahedrite meteorite

Taenite is a mineral found naturally on Earth mostly in iron meteorites. It is an alloy of iron and nickel, with a chemical formula of Fe,Ni and 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

* 1 Properties
* 2 Meteorite localities with taenite
* 3 See also
* 4 References

## Properties

It is opaque with a metallic grayish to white color. The structure is isometric-hexoctahedral (cubic). Its density is around 8 g/cm3 and hardness is 5 to 5.5 on the Mohs scale. Taenite is magnetic, in contrast to antitaenite. The structure is isometric-hexoctahedral (cubic). The crystal lattice has the c≈a=Template:Value.[4] The Strunz classification is I/A.08-20, while the Dana classification is 1.1.11.2.

## Meteorite localities with taenite

* Campo del Cielo strewn field in Argentina .
* Henbury Meteorites Conservation Reserve in Australia .
* Canyon Diablo in Arizona.

## See also

* Glossary of meteoritics
* List of minerals

## References

1. ↑ Anthony, John W.; Bideaux, Richard A.; Bladh, Kenneth W.; Nichols, Monte C. (2005). "Taenite". Mineral Data Publishing. http://www.handbookofmineralogy.org/pdfs/taenite.pdf.
2. ↑ http://webmineral.com/data/Taenite.shtml Webmineral data
3. ↑ Warr, L.N. (2021). "IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols". Mineralogical Magazine 85 (3): 291–320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43. Bibcode: 2021MinM...85..291W.
4. ↑ Albertsen, F.; Knudsen, J. M.; Jensen, G. B. (Jun 1978). "Structure of taenite in two iron meteorites J.". Nature 273 (5662): 453–454. doi:10.1038/273453a0. Bibcode: 1978Natur.273..453A.

* Mason B., 1962: Meteorites. J. Wiley & Sons, New York [ISBN missing]

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