Millerite Mineral Data

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General Millerite Information

Chemical Formula:

NiS

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 90.76 gm

Nickel 64.67 % Ni

Sulfur 35.33 % S

______

100.00 %

Empirical Formula:

NiS

Environment:

In limestone and dolomite cavities.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1845

Locality:

St. Louis, Missouri and Keokuk, Kansas. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named after the English mineralogist, William Hallowes Miller (1801-1880)

Name Pronunciation:

Millerite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

Hair Pyrites

ICSD 40054

PDF Dec-41

Millerite Image

Images:

Millerite

Comments: Fragile, acicular crystals of metallic yellow millerite in a vug.
Location: Hall's Gap, Lincoln County, Kentucky, USA. Scale: Not Given.
© Lou Perloff / Photo Atlas of Minerals

Images:

Millerite

Comments: Dense tuft of hair-like millerite crystals.
Location: Kerr-Addison mine, Timmons, Ontario, Canada. Scale: Tuft height 5 cm.
© Dave Barthelmy

Millerite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:c = 1:0.32733

Cell Dimensions:

a = 9.62, c = 3.149, Z = 9; V = 252.38 Den(Calc)= 5.37

Crystal System:

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

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 2.777(1), 1.863(0.95), 2.513(0.65),

Forms:

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Forms: ( 2 1 1) ( 1 0 0) ( 1 0 1)

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Crystal Structure:

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Grice J D , Ferguson R B , The Canadian Mineralogist , 12 (1974) p.248-252, Crystal structure refinement of millerite (B-NiS)

View Additional jPOWD Structure files for Millerite
[1]

Physical Properties of Millerite

Cleavage:

{1011} Perfect, {0112} Perfect

Color:

Bronze, Greenish gray, Gray, Brass yellow.

Density:

5.5

Diaphaneity:

Opaque

Fracture:

Uneven - Flat surfaces (not cleavage) fractured in an uneven pattern.

Habit:

Acicular - Occurs as needle-like crystals.

Habit:

Massive - Uniformly indistinguishable crystals forming large masses.

Hardness:

3-3.5 - Calcite-Copper Penny

Luminescence:

Non-fluorescent.

Luster:

Metallic

Magnetism:

Magnetic after heating

Streak:

greenish black

Optical Properties of Millerite

RL Anisotrophism:

Strong.

RL Pleochroism:

Weak in air, stronger in oil, pale yellow-brown to bright yellow.

Reflectivity

**Standardized Intensity (100%) Reflection Spectra of Millerite in Air**
λ	R₁	R₂	∑ R₁(λ)	∑ R₂(λ)
400 nm	26.70	29.80
420 nm	32.00	35.00
440 nm	37.30	40.20
460 nm	42.00	44.30
480 nm	46.60	47.40
500 nm	50.00	49.50
520 nm	52.80	51.60
540 nm	54.80	52.90
560 nm	56.10	54.00
580 nm	57.20	54.80
600 nm	58.00	55.60
620 nm	58.80	56.20
640 nm	59.50	56.80
660 nm	60.10	57.20
680 nm	60.60	57.60
700 nm	61.00	57.90

**Calculated Relative Intensity Colors of Millerite in Air**
Relative Intensity	0%	30%	60%	90%	100%	120%	150%	180%	210%	230%
R₁
R₂

Calculated Properties of Millerite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=5.21 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Millerite =5.37 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0099573802
Boson Index = 0.9900426198

Photoelectric:

PE_Millerite= 27.75 barns/electron
U=PE_Millerite x rElectron Density= 144.51 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Millerite is Not Radioactive

Millerite Classification

Dana Class:

02.08.16.01 (02)Sulfides - Including Selenides and Tellurides

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

(02.08.16)Dana Group

02.08.16.01 Millerite NiS R 3m 3 2/m

02.08.16.02 Makinenite NiSe R 3m 3m

Strunz Class:

02.CC.20 02 - SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulf

02.C - Metal Sulfides, M:S = 1:1 (and similar)

02.CC -With Ni, Fe, Co, PGE, etc.

02.CC.20 Makinenite NiSe R 3m 3m

02.CC.20 Millerite NiS R 3m 3 2/m

Other Millerite Information

References:

NAME( Sinkankas66) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(AntBidBlaNic1)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Millerite :
1 - Alkali-Nuts(English)
2 - Alkali-Nuts(Francais)
3 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
4 - Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery
5 - Athena
6 - EUROmin Project
7 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
8 - Franklin Minerals(Palache)
9 - GeoScienceWorld
10 - Glendale Community College
11 - Google Images
12 - Google Scholar
13 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
14 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
15 - HyperPhysics
16 - MinDAT
17 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
18 - NSDL Reciprocal Net (JAVA)
19 - Online Mineral Museum
20 - QUT Mineral Atlas
21 - Ruff.Info
22 - WWW-MINCRYST
23 - theimage

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Print or Cut-and-Paste your Millerite Specimen Label here :

Millerite

NiS
Dana No: 02.08.16.01 Strunz No: 02.CC.20
Locality:

Notes: