Localities
Russia: Mount Rasvumchorr, Khibiny Massif, Kola Peninsula, Murmanskaja Oblast, Northern Region.
| Tinnunculite | |
|---|---|
| General | |
| Category | Organic mineral |
| Formula (repeating unit) | C5H4N4O3 · 2H2O |
| IMA symbol | Tnn [1] |
| Crystal system | Monoclinic |
| Crystal class | 2/m - prismatic |
| Space group | ' |
| Identification | |
| Color | White |
| Tenacity | Earthy (dull) |
| References | [2] |
Tinnunculite is a naturally-occurring form of dihydrate of uric acid. It should not be confused with a proposed mineral species with the identical name 'Tinnunculite', that forms when droppings from a European kestrel react with the burning dumps of coal mines and quarries. The name tinnunculite is derived from the kestrel's binomial name, "Falco tinnunculus", which is itself derived from the Latin word tinnunculus, meaning "kestrel", from tinnulus, meaning "shrill". [3] Tinnunculite is a naturally occurring form of the same type of origin.
The mineral is a dihydrate of uricite to which it is visually very similar. Tinnunculite is chemically similar to other organic minerals: guanine, uricite; also acetamide, kladnoite. [2] A new mineral proposal with the same name but slightly different formula (C10H12N8O8) was submitted by Chesnokov & Shcherbakova and ultimately rejected by the International Mineralogical Association (IMA) on the basis of being of anthropogenic origin. [4]
Russia: Mount Rasvumchorr, Khibiny Massif, Kola Peninsula, Murmanskaja Oblast, Northern Region.
In geology and mineralogy, a mineral or mineral species is, broadly speaking, a solid substance with a fairly well-defined chemical composition and a specific crystal structure that occurs naturally in pure form.
Amphibole is a group of inosilicate minerals, forming prism or needlelike crystals, composed of double chain SiO
4 tetrahedra, linked at the vertices and generally containing ions of iron and/or magnesium in their structures. Its IMA symbol is Amp. Amphiboles can be green, black, colorless, white, yellow, blue, or brown. The International Mineralogical Association currently classifies amphiboles as a mineral supergroup, within which are two groups and several subgroups.
Celestine (the IMA-accepted name) or celestite is a mineral consisting of strontium sulfate (SrSO4). The mineral is named for its occasional delicate blue color. Celestine and the carbonate mineral strontianite are the principal sources of the element strontium, commonly used in fireworks and in various metal alloys.
Actinolite is an amphibole silicate mineral with the chemical formula Ca2(Mg4.5–2.5Fe2+0.5–2.5)Si8O22(OH)2.
Niter or nitre is the mineral form of potassium nitrate, KNO3. It is a soft, white, highly soluble mineral found primarily in arid climates or cave deposits.
Epidote is a calcium aluminium iron sorosilicate mineral.
Acetamide (systematic name: ethanamide) is an organic compound with the formula CH3CONH2. It is derived from acetic acid. It finds some use as a plasticizer and as an industrial solvent. The related compound N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMA) is more widely used, but it is not prepared from acetamide. Acetamide can be considered an intermediate between acetone, which has two methyl (CH3) groups either side of the carbonyl (CO), and urea which has two amide (NH2) groups in those locations. Acetamide is also a naturally occurring mineral with the IMA symbol: Ace.
Trona (trisodium hydrogendicarbonate dihydrate, also sodium sesquicarbonate dihydrate, Na2CO3·NaHCO3·2H2O) is a non-marine evaporite mineral. It is mined as the primary source of sodium carbonate in the United States, where it has replaced the Solvay process used in most of the rest of the world for sodium carbonate production. Turkey is also a major producer.
Vaterite is a mineral, a polymorph of calcium carbonate (CaCO3). It was named after the German mineralogist Heinrich Vater. It is also known as mu-calcium carbonate (μ-CaCO3). Vaterite belongs to the hexagonal crystal system, whereas calcite is trigonal and aragonite is orthorhombic.
Cohenite is a naturally occurring iron carbide mineral with the chemical structure (Fe, Ni, Co)3C. This forms a hard, shiny, silver mineral which was named by E. Weinschenk in 1889 after the German mineralogist Emil Cohen, who first described and analysed material from the Magura meteorite found near Slanica, Žilina Region, Slovakia. Cohenite is found in rod-like crystals in iron meteorites.
Weddellite (CaC2O4·2H2O) is a mineral form of calcium oxalate named for occurrences of millimeter-sized crystals found in bottom sediments of the Weddell Sea, off Antarctica. Occasionally, weddellite partially dehydrates to whewellite, forming excellent pseudomorphs of grainy whewellite after weddellite's short tetragonal dipyramids. It was first described in 1936 but only named in 1942.
Brushite is a phosphate mineral with the chemical formula CaHPO4·2H2O. Crystals of the pure compound belong to the monoclinic space group C2/c and are colorless. It is the phosphate analogue of the arsenate pharmacolite.
Uricite is a rare organic mineral form of uric acid, C5H4N4O3. It is a soft yellowish white mineral which crystallizes in the monoclinic system.
Millosevichite is a rare sulfate mineral with the chemical formula Al2(SO4)3. Aluminium is often substituted by iron. It forms finely crystalline and often porous masses.
Godovikovite is a rare sulfate mineral with the chemical formula: (NH4)Al(SO4)2. Aluminium can partially be substituted by iron. Hydration of godovikovite gives the ammonium alum, tschermigite. The mineral forms cryptocrystalline, often porous, masses, usually of white colour. Single crystals are very small hexagonal blades. Typical environment for godovikovite are burning coal sites (mainly dumps). There the mineral acts, together with millosevichite, as one of the main components of so-called sulfate crust.
Antarcticite is an uncommon calcium chloride hexahydrate mineral with formula CaCl2·6H2O. It forms colorless acicular trigonal crystals. It is hygroscopic and has a low specific gravity of 1.715.
Efremovite is a rare ammonium sulfate mineral with the chemical formula: (NH4)2Mg2(SO4)3. It is a white to gray cubic mineral. This anhydrous sulfate occurs as constituent in sulfate crusts of burning coal dumps. It is hygroscopic and when exposed to humid air it slowly converts to the hydrate form, boussingaultite.
Boussingaultite is a rare ammonium magnesium hydrated sulfate mineral of the chemical formula: (NH4)2Mg(SO4)2 · 6 H2O. The formula of boussingaultite is that of Tutton's salts type. It was originally described from geothermal fields in Tuscany, Italy, where it occurs together with its iron analogue mohrite, but is more commonly found on burning coal dumps. The mineral possess monoclinic symmetry and forms clear, often rounded crystals.
Weeksite is a naturally occurring uranium silicate mineral with the chemical formula: K2(UO2)2Si6O15•4(H2O), potassium uranyl silicate. Weeksite has a Mohs hardness of 1–2. It was named for USGS mineralogist Alice Mary Dowse Weeks (1909–1988).
Some organic compounds are valid minerals, recognized by the CNMNC (IMA).
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