Melonite Mineral Data

Melonite Mineral Data +

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General Melonite Information

Chemical Formula:

NiTe2

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 313.89 gm

Nickel 18.70 % Ni

Tellurium 81.30 % Te

______

100.00 %

Empirical Formula:

NiTe₂

Environment:

Found with other telllurium minerals in the late stages of hydrothermal veins formed at moderate to low temperatures. Also in high temperature magmatic sulfide deposits.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1866

Locality:

Melones and Stanislaus mine, Carson hill, Calaveras County, California, USA. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for the locality.

Synonym:

ICSD 41386

Imgreite-discredited

PDF 04-Aug

Melonite Image

Images:

Melonite

Comments: Metallic foil of melonite.
Location: Cresson Mine, Cripple Creek, Teller County, Colorado, USA. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Melonite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:c = 1:1.37064

Cell Dimensions:

a = 3.842, c = 5.266, Z = 1; V = 67.32 Den(Calc)= 7.74

Crystal System:

Trigonal - Hexagonal ScalenohedralH-M Symbol (3 2/m) Space Group: P 3m1

$Help on X Ray Diffraction:$ X Ray Diffraction:

By Intensity(I/I_o): 2.82(1), 1.549(0.6), 1.92(0.5),2.06(0.5), 2.64(0.3), 1.08(0.2), 1.23(0.2), 1.59(0.2),

Crystal Structure:

Mouse
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drag2 - RMB Resize/Rotate
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Peacock M A , Thompson R M , American Mineralogist , 31 (1946) p.204-204, On melonite from Quebec and the crystal structure of NiTe2

View Additional jPOWD Structure files for Melonite
[1]

Physical Properties of Melonite

Cleavage:

[0001] Perfect

Color:

White, Reddish white.

Density:

7.3

Diaphaniety:

Opaque

Fracture:

Brittle - Generally displayed by glasses and most non-metallic minerals.

Habit:

Crystalline - Fine - Occurs as well-formed fine sized crystals.

Habit:

Foliated - Two dimensional platy forms.

Habit:

Granular - Generally occurs as anhedral to subhedral crystals in matrix.

Hardness:

1-1.5 - Talc or a little harder

Luminescence:

Non-fluorescent.

Luster:

Metallic

Magnetism:

Nonmagnetic

Streak:

dark gray

Optical Properties of Melonite

RL Anisotrophism:

Very weak, cream-white to slightly more pinkish.

RL Color:

White to faint pink.

RL Pleochroism:

Moderate to strong.

Reflectivity

**Standardized Intensity (100%) Reflection Spectra of Melonite in Air**
λ	R₁	R₂	∑ R₁(λ)	∑ R₂(λ)
400 nm	52.90	69.90
420 nm	53.60	64.20
440 nm	54.30	58.50
460 nm	55.10	56.00
480 nm	56.10	55.40
500 nm	57.30	55.70
520 nm	58.50	56.50
540 nm	59.80	57.70
560 nm	61.00	58.90
580 nm	62.00	60.10
600 nm	63.00	61.20
620 nm	63.80	62.30
640 nm	64.60	63.20
660 nm	65.40	64.00
680 nm	66.00	65.00
700 nm	66.60	66.00

**Calculated Relative Intensity Colors of Melonite in Air**
Relative Intensity	0%	20%	40%	60%	80%	100%	120%	140%	160%
R₁
R₂

Calculated Properties of Melonite

Electron Density:

r_electron=6.51 gm/cc
note: r_Melonite=7.74 gm/cc.

Fermion Index

Fermion Index = 0.06707
Boson Index = 0.93293

Photoelectric:

PE_Melonite= 305.09 barns/electron
U=PE_Melonite x r_electron=1,986.05 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)

Melonite is Not Radioactive

Melonite Classification

Dana Class:

2.12.14.1 (2)Sulfides - Including Selenides and Tellurides

(2.12)where Am Bn Xp, with (m+n):p=1:2

(2.12.14)Melonite Group (Trigonal: P3¯m1) AX2 type

2.12.14.1 Melonite NiTe2 P 3m1 3 2/m

2.12.14.2 Kitkaite NiTeSe P 3m1 3 2/m

2.12.14.3 Moncheite (Pt,Pd)(Te,Bi)2 P 3m1 3 2/m

2.12.14.4 Merenskyite (Pd,Pt)(Te,Bi)2 P 3m1 3m

2.12.14.5 Berndtite SnS2 P 3m1 3 2/m

2.12.14.6 Shuangfengite IrTe2 P 3m1 3 2/m

2.12.14.7 Sudovikovite! PtSe2 P 3m1 3 2/m

Strunz Class:

II/D.28-30 II - Sulfides and sulphosalts

II/D - Sulfides with metal: sulfur, selenium and tellurium < 1:1, Tellurides with Copper, Silver, Gold

II/D.28 - Melonite group, Berntdtite - Moncheite series

II/D.28-10 Berndtite SnS2 P 3m1 3 2/m

II/D.28-20 Kitkaite NiTeSe P 3m1 3 2/m

II/D.28-30 Melonite NiTe2 P 3m1 3 2/m

II/D.28-35 Sudovikovite! PtSe2 P 3m1 3 2/m

II/D.28-40 Merenskyite (Pd,Pt)(Te,Bi)2 P 3m1 3m

II/D.28-45 Shuangfengite IrTe2 P 3m1 3 2/m

II/D.28-50 Moncheite (Pt,Pd)(Te,Bi)2 P 3m1 3 2/m

II/D.28-60 Verbeekite! PdSe2 C 2, Cm, or C 2/m Mono

Other Melonite Information

References:

NAME( Dana8) PHYS. PROP.(Dana8) OPTIC PROP.(AntBidBlaNic1)

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Melonite

NiTe2
Dana No: 2.12.14.1 Strunz No: II/D.28-30
Locality:

Notes: