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Braunite

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N'Chwaning Mines, Kalahari manganese fields, Northern Cape Province, South Africa
© Rob Lavinsky

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Formula:
Mn
2+
 
Mn
3+
6
[O
 
8
|SiO
 
4
]
System:TetragonalColour:Brownish black, ...
Hardness:6 - 6½
Name:After Kammerath Braun of Gotha, Germany.
This page provides mineralogical data about Braunite.

Classification of Braunite

IMA status:Valid - first described prior to 1959 (pre-IMA) - "Grandfathered"
Strunz 8th edition ID:8/B.09-03
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:9.AG.05

9 : SILICATES (Germanates)
A : Nesosilicates
G : Nesosilicates with additional anions; cations in > [6] +- [6] coordination
Dana 8th edition ID:7.5.1.3

7 : MULTIPLE OXIDES
5 : (AB)2X3
Hey's CIM Ref.:14.17.3

14 : Silicates not Containing Aluminum
17 : Silicates of Mn
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Type Occurrence of Braunite

Co-type Localities:Friedrichroda, Thuringian Forest, Thuringia, Germany
Elgersburg, Ilmenau, Thuringian Forest, Thuringia, Germany
Oehrenstock (Öhrenstock), Ilmenau, Thuringian Forest, Thuringia, Germany
Prabornaz Mine (Praborna Mine), Saint-Marcel, Aosta Valley, Italy
Year of Discovery:1827

Occurrences of Braunite

Geological Setting:Metamorphism of manganese silicates and weathering product.

Physical Properties of Braunite

Lustre:Sub-Metallic
Diaphaneity (Transparency):Opaque
Colour:Brownish black, steel-grey
Streak:Black
Hardness (Mohs):6 - 6½
Hardness (Vickers):VHN100=920 - 1079 kg/mm2
Tenacity:Brittle
Cleavage:Perfect
{112} perfect.
Fracture:Irregular/Uneven, Sub-Conchoidal
Density (measured):4.72 - 4.83 g/cm3
Density (calculated):4.86 g/cm3

Crystallography of Braunite

Crystal System:Tetragonal
Class (H-M):4/mmm (4/m 2/m 2/m) - Ditetragonal Dipyramidal
Space Group:I41/acd (I41/a 2/c 2/d)
Cell Parameters:a = 9.41(4) Å, c = 18.8(2) Å
Ratio:a:c = 1 : 1.998
Unit Cell Volume:V 1,664.70 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:8
Morphology:Pyramidal {011} and {131}. Striated on {001} and {201} parallel to [010] Granular massive.
Twinning:On {112} producing a combination with only a small reentrant angle (0°18') on е{011}.
Crystal Atlas:
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Braunite no.9 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
Braunite no.20 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
Braunite no.23 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)

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X-Ray Powder Diffraction:
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Radiation - Copper Kα
Data Set:
Horizontal Axis: ° to ° Vertical Axis: % Source Data: Filtered Data: Peaks:
Data courtesy of RRUFF project at University of Arizona, used with permission.

Optical Data of Braunite

Type:Anisotropic
Anisotropism:Weak in air, distinct in oil - dark to lighter slate gray.
Colour in reflected light:Grayish white with a brownish tinge.

Chemical Properties of Braunite

Formula:
Mn
2+
 
Mn
3+
6
[O
 
8
|SiO
 
4
]
Essential elements:Mn, O, Si
All elements listed in formula:Mn, O, Si
Common Impurities:Fe,Ca,B,Ba,Ti,Al,Mg

Relationship of Braunite to other Species

Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):
9.AG.05Abswurmbachite
CuMn
3+
6
O
 
8
(SiO
 
4
)
9.AG.05Neltnerite
CaMn
3+
6
[O
 
8
|SiO
 
4
]
9.AG.10Långbanite
(Mn
2+
 
,Ca)
 
4
(Mn
3+
 
,Fe
3+
 
)
 
9
Sb
5+
 
[O
 
8
|SiO
 
4
]
 
2
9.AG.15Malayaite
CaSn[O|SiO
 
4
]
9.AG.15Titanite
CaTi[O|SiO
 
4
]
9.AG.15Vanadomalayaite
CaV
4+
 
[O|SiO
 
4
]
9.AG.20Cerite-(Ce)
(Ce,Ca)
 
9
(Mg,Fe)Si
 
7
(O,OH,F)
 
28
9.AG.20Cerite-(La)
(La,Ce,Ca)
 
9
(Fe,Ca,Mg)(SiO
 
4
)
 
3
[SiO
 
3
(OH)]
 
4
(OH)
 
3
9.AG.25Trimounsite-(Y)
Y
 
2
Ti
 
2
[O
 
5
|SiO
 
4
]
9.AG.25Yftisite-(Y)
(Y,Dy,Er)
 
4
(Ti,Sn)O(SiO
 
4
)
 
2
(F,OH)
 
6
9.AG.30Sitinakite
KNa
 
2
Ti
 
4
Si
 
2
O
 
13
(OH)·2H
 
2
O
9.AG.35Kittatinnyite
Ca
 
2
Mn
 
2
Mn(SiO
 
4
)
 
2
(OH)
 
4
·9H
 
2
O
9.AG.40Natisite
Na
 
2
Ti[O|SiO
 
4
]
9.AG.40Paranatisite
Na
 
2
Ti[O|SiO
 
4
]
9.AG.45Törnebohmite-(Ce)
(Ce,La)
 
2
Al(SiO
 
4
)
 
2
OH
9.AG.45Törnebohmite-(La)
(La,Ce)
 
2
Al(SiO
 
4
)
 
2
OH
9.AG.50Kuliokite-(Y)
Y
 
4
Al(SiO
 
4
)
 
2
(OH)
 
2
F
 
5
9.AG.55Chantalite
CaAl
 
2
[(OH)
 
4
|SiO
 
4
]
9.AG.60Mozartite
CaMn
3+
 
[OH|SiO
 
4
]
9.AG.60Vuagnatite
CaAl[OH|SiO
 
4
]
9.AG.65Hatrurite
Ca
 
3
[O|SiO
 
4
]
9.AG.70Jasmundite
Ca
 
11
[O
 
2
|S|(SiO
 
4
)
 
4
]
9.AG.75Afwillite
Ca
 
3
[HSiO
 
4
]
 
2
 · 2H
 
2
O
9.AG.80Bultfonteinite
Ca
 
2
[F|HSiO
 
4
] · H
 
2
O
9.AG.85Zoltaiite
BaV
4+
2
V
3+
12
Si
 
2
O
 
27
9.AG.90Tranquillityite
(Fe
2+
 
,Ca)
 
8
(Zr,Y)
 
2
Ti
 
3
[O
 
4
|SiO
 
4
]
 
3
Related Minerals - Hey's Index Grouping:
14.17.1Rhodonite
MnSiO
 
3
14.17.2Tephroite
Mn
2+
2
[SiO
 
4
]
14.17.4Alleghanyite
Mn
2+
5
[(OH)
 
2
|(SiO
 
4
)
 
2
]
14.17.5Ribbeite
(Mn
2+
 
,Mg)
 
5
[(OH)
 
2
|(SiO
 
4
)
 
2
]
14.17.6Leucophoenicite
Mn
2+
7
[(OH)
 
2
|(SiO
 
4
)
 
3
]
14.17.7Jerrygibbsite
Mn
2+
9
[(OH)
 
2
|(SiO
 
4
)
 
4
]
14.17.8Bementite
Mn
 
5
Si
 
4
O
 
10
(OH)
 
6
14.17.9Parsettensite
K
 
1.2
Mn
 
8
(Si,Al)
 
12
O
 
26
(OH)
 
10
14.17.10Yofortierite
Mn
 
5
Si
 
8
O
 
20
(OH)
 
2
·8-9H
 
2
O

Other Names for Braunite

Synonyms:
Brachytypous Manganese-OreBraunite-IBraunite-IIBraunite (of Haidinger)Heteroclase
HeteroclinLeptonematite (of Adam)MarcelinePesillite
German names:
BraunitHartbraunsteinHeteroklinPesillit
Japanese names:
ブラウン鉱
Russian names:
Браунит
Spanish names:
BraunitaPesillita

Other Information

Other Information:Weakly magnetic.
Health Warning:No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.

References for Braunite

Reference List:Breithaupt in Evreinov (1840), Ann. Phys.: 49: 204.

Switzer (1938), American Mineralogist: 23: 649.

Palache, Charles, Harry Berman & Clifford Frondel (1944), The System of Mineralogy of James Dwight Dana and Edward Salisbury Dana Yale University 1837-1892, Volume I: Elements, Sulfides, Sulfosalts, Oxides. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York. 7th edition, revised and enlarged: 551-554.

American Mineralogist (1976): 61: 1226-1240.

Robie, R.A., Huebner, J.S., and Hemingway, B.S. (1995) Heat capacities and thermodynamic properties of braunite (Mn7SiO12) and rhodonite (MnSiO3). American Mineralogist: 80: 560-575.

Internet Links for Braunite

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    Localities for Braunite

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