Mackinawite
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Formula:
(Fe,Ni)9S8
Also given as (Fe,Ni)1+xS (x = 0 to 0.11).
System:
Tetragonal
Colour:
Bronze, White Gray
Lustre:
Metallic
Hardness:
2½
Name:
Named after the discovery locality.
May be confused with valleriite.
Mackinawite may form as a metastable product of sulfidation of goethite in the CH4 atmosphere but only when CO2 is added, as shown by an experiment of Wang et al. (2015); it is followed by pyrrhotite.
Mackinawite may form as a metastable product of sulfidation of goethite in the CH4 atmosphere but only when CO2 is added, as shown by an experiment of Wang et al. (2015); it is followed by pyrrhotite.
Classification of Mackinawite
Approved
2/B.17-10
2.CC.25
2 : SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites, etc.)
C : Metal Sulfides, M: S = 1: 1 (and similar)
C : With Ni, Fe, Co, PGE, etc.
2 : SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites, etc.)
C : Metal Sulfides, M: S = 1: 1 (and similar)
C : With Ni, Fe, Co, PGE, etc.
Dana 7th ed.:
2.7.2.1
2.7.2.1
2 : SULFIDES
7 : AmBnXp, with (m+n):p = 9:8
2 : SULFIDES
7 : AmBnXp, with (m+n):p = 9:8
3.9.6
3 : Sulphides, Selenides, Tellurides, Arsenides and Bismuthides (except the arsenides, antimonides and bismuthides of Cu, Ag and Au, which are included in Section 1)
9 : Sulphides etc. of Fe
3 : Sulphides, Selenides, Tellurides, Arsenides and Bismuthides (except the arsenides, antimonides and bismuthides of Cu, Ag and Au, which are included in Section 1)
9 : Sulphides etc. of Fe
Physical Properties of Mackinawite
Metallic
Diaphaneity (Transparency):
Opaque
Colour:
Bronze, White Gray
Streak:
Black
Hardness (Mohs):
2½
Cleavage:
Perfect
Perfect on the {001}
Perfect on the {001}
Density:
4.17 g/cm3 (Calculated)
Chemical Properties of Mackinawite
Formula:
(Fe,Ni)9S8
Also given as (Fe,Ni)1+xS (x = 0 to 0.11).
Also given as (Fe,Ni)1+xS (x = 0 to 0.11).
IMA Formula:
(Fe,Ni)1+xS (x = 0-0.07)
Elements listed in formula:
Common Impurities:
Co,Cu,Ni
Crystallography of Mackinawite
Crystal System:
Tetragonal
Class (H-M):
4/mmm (4/m 2/m 2/m) - Ditetragonal Dipyramidal
Space Group:
P4/nmm
Cell Parameters:
a = 3.67 Å, c = 5.03 Å
Ratio:
a:c = 1 : 1.371
Unit Cell Volume:
V 68 ų
Z:
2
Occurrences of Mackinawite
Type Occurrence of Mackinawite
Relationship of Mackinawite to other Species
| 2.CC. | UM2007-26-S:CuFeIrNiPtRh | (Ir,Cu,Ni,Pt,Rh,Fe)9S11 |
| 2.CC.05 | Achávalite | (Fe,Cu)Se |
| 2.CC.05 | Breithauptite | NiSb |
| 2.CC.05 | Freboldite | CoSe |
| 2.CC.05 | Kotulskite | Pd(Te,Bi) |
| 2.CC.05 | Langisite | (Co,Ni)As |
| 2.CC.05 | Nickeline | NiAs |
| 2.CC.05 | Sederholmite | beta-NiSe |
| 2.CC.05 | Sobolevskite | Pd(Bi,Te) |
| 2.CC.05 | Stumpflite | Pt(Sb,Bi) |
| 2.CC.05 | Sudburyite | (Pd,Ni)Sb |
| 2.CC.05 | Jaipurite | CoS |
| 2.CC.05 | Zlatogorite | NiCuSb2 |
| 2.CC.10 | Pyrrhotite | Fe7S8 |
| 2.CC.10 | Smythite | (Fe,Ni)3+xS4 (x=0-0.3) |
| 2.CC.10 | Troilite | FeS |
| 2.CC.15 | Cherepanovite | RhAs |
| 2.CC.15 | Modderite | (Co,Fe)As |
| 2.CC.15 | Ruthenarsenite | (Ru,Ni)As |
| 2.CC.15 | Westerveldite | (Fe,Ni,Co)As |
| 2.CC.20 | Millerite | NiS |
| 2.CC.20 | Mäkinenite | γ-NiSe |
| 2.CC.20 | UM1990-38-S:CuFeIrNiPtRh | (Ni,Fe,Rh,Cu,Ir,Pt)S |
| 2.CC.30 | Hexatestibiopanickelite | (Pd,Ni)(Sb,Te) |
| 2.CC.30 | Vavřínite | Ni2SbTe2 |
| 2.CC.35a | Braggite | (Pt,Pd,Ni)S |
| 2.CC.35b | Cooperite | PtS |
| 2.CC.35a | Vysotskite | (Pd,Ni)S |
| 3.9.1 | Pyrrhotite | Fe7S8 |
| 3.9.3 | Pyrite | FeS2 |
| 3.9.4 | Marcasite | FeS2 |
| 3.9.5 | Greigite | Fe2+Fe23+S4 |
| 3.9.7 | Smythite | (Fe,Ni)3+xS4 (x=0-0.3) |
| 3.9.8 | Achávalite | (Fe,Cu)Se |
| 3.9.9 | Ferroselite | FeSe2 |
| 3.9.10 | Frohbergite | FeTe2 |
| 3.9.11 | Löllingite | FeAs2 |
| 3.9.12 | Arsenopyrite | FeAsS |
| 3.9.13 | Gudmundite | FeSbS |
Other Names for Mackinawite
Name in Other Languages:
Other Information
Health Risks:
No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.
References for Mackinawite
Reference List:
American Mineralogist (1963): 48: 215.
Kouvo, Olavi, Vuorelainen, Yrjo, and Long, J.V.P. (1963): A tetragonal iron sulfide. American Mineralogist 48, 511-524.
Evans H T, Milton C, Chao E C T, Adler I, Mead C, Ingram B, Berner R A (1964): Valleriite and the new iron sulfide, mackinawite. U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper, 475-D, 64-69.
Chemie der Erde (1981): 40: 237.
Schoonen, M.A.A., Barnes, H.L. (1991) Reaction forming pyrite and marcasite from solution II. Via FeS precursors below 100° C. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta: 55: 1505-1514.
Krupp, R. E. (1994): Phase relations and phase transformations between the low-temperature iron sulfides mackinawite, greigite, and smythite. European Journal of Mineralogy, 6, 265-278.
American Mineralogist (1995): 80: 188.
Lennie A R, Redfern S A T, Schofield P F, Vaughan D J (1995): Synthesis and Rietveld crystal structure refinement of mackinawite, tetragonal FeS. Mineralogical Magazine, 59, 677-683.
Wolthers, M., Van Der Gaast, S.J., and Rickard, D. (2003) The structure of disordered mackinawite. American Mineralogist 88, 2007-2015.
Wolthers, M., Charlet, L., Van Der Linde, P.R., Rickard, D., and Vamn Der Weijden, C.H. (2005) Surface chemistry of disordered mackinawite (FeS). Geochemica et Cosmochimica Acta: 69: 3469-3481.
Wang, M., Chou, I-M., Lu, W., De Vivo, B. (2015): Effects of CH4 and CO2 on the sulfidization of goethite and magnetite: an in situ Raman spectroscopic study in high-pressure capillary optical cells at room temperature. European Journal of Mineralogy: 27(2): 193-201
Kouvo, Olavi, Vuorelainen, Yrjo, and Long, J.V.P. (1963): A tetragonal iron sulfide. American Mineralogist 48, 511-524.
Evans H T, Milton C, Chao E C T, Adler I, Mead C, Ingram B, Berner R A (1964): Valleriite and the new iron sulfide, mackinawite. U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper, 475-D, 64-69.
Chemie der Erde (1981): 40: 237.
Schoonen, M.A.A., Barnes, H.L. (1991) Reaction forming pyrite and marcasite from solution II. Via FeS precursors below 100° C. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta: 55: 1505-1514.
Krupp, R. E. (1994): Phase relations and phase transformations between the low-temperature iron sulfides mackinawite, greigite, and smythite. European Journal of Mineralogy, 6, 265-278.
American Mineralogist (1995): 80: 188.
Lennie A R, Redfern S A T, Schofield P F, Vaughan D J (1995): Synthesis and Rietveld crystal structure refinement of mackinawite, tetragonal FeS. Mineralogical Magazine, 59, 677-683.
Wolthers, M., Van Der Gaast, S.J., and Rickard, D. (2003) The structure of disordered mackinawite. American Mineralogist 88, 2007-2015.
Wolthers, M., Charlet, L., Van Der Linde, P.R., Rickard, D., and Vamn Der Weijden, C.H. (2005) Surface chemistry of disordered mackinawite (FeS). Geochemica et Cosmochimica Acta: 69: 3469-3481.
Wang, M., Chou, I-M., Lu, W., De Vivo, B. (2015): Effects of CH4 and CO2 on the sulfidization of goethite and magnetite: an in situ Raman spectroscopic study in high-pressure capillary optical cells at room temperature. European Journal of Mineralogy: 27(2): 193-201
Internet Links for Mackinawite
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-2512.html
Please feel free to link to this page.
Please feel free to link to this page.
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External Links:
Mineral Dealers:
Hitura Nickel Mine, Nivala, Northern Finland Region, Finland