Akhtenskite
Encyclopedia
Akhtenskite is a mineral
with the chemical formula of MnO2 that was named after the Akhtensk deposit
. The deposit can be found in Russia
, where it was first discovered and noted in 1979. It can be found in the Akhtensk brown ironstone deposit, in the southern Ural Mountains
, on Mt. Zarod, on the Sikhote-Alin Mountains, and in the Primorskiy Krai. All of these locations can be found in Russia.
Akhtenskite is not radioactive. Its crystals are usually hexagonal in shape, with flakiness and plating, usually because of the fact that it replaced a mineral. Akhtenskite is a polymorph of much more widespread pyrolusite
. It occurs in mixtures with "psilomelane" (recently renamed to romanechite) and with other manganese oxides in an iron oxide deposit, most likely bacterially altered from a previous mineral in the Akhtensk deposit. It also occurs in crustings of ferromanganese minerals on oceanic rocks. Its chemical makeup is 63% oxygen
and 37% manganese
. However, it very rarely occurs.
Some minerals that are commonly associated with Akhtenskite are: todorokite
, pyrolusite
, nsutite
, goethite
, and cryptomelane. It has a specific gravity
of 4.78.
Mineral
A mineral is a naturally occurring solid chemical substance formed through biogeochemical processes, having characteristic chemical composition, highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties. By comparison, a rock is an aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids and does not...
with the chemical formula of MnO2 that was named after the Akhtensk deposit
Deposition (geology)
Deposition is the geological process by which material is added to a landform or land mass. Fluids such as wind and water, as well as sediment flowing via gravity, transport previously eroded sediment, which, at the loss of enough kinetic energy in the fluid, is deposited, building up layers of...
. The deposit can be found in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, where it was first discovered and noted in 1979. It can be found in the Akhtensk brown ironstone deposit, in the southern Ural Mountains
Ural Mountains
The Ural Mountains , or simply the Urals, are a mountain range that runs approximately from north to south through western Russia, from the coast of the Arctic Ocean to the Ural River and northwestern Kazakhstan. Their eastern side is usually considered the natural boundary between Europe and Asia...
, on Mt. Zarod, on the Sikhote-Alin Mountains, and in the Primorskiy Krai. All of these locations can be found in Russia.
Akhtenskite is not radioactive. Its crystals are usually hexagonal in shape, with flakiness and plating, usually because of the fact that it replaced a mineral. Akhtenskite is a polymorph of much more widespread pyrolusite
Pyrolusite
Pyrolusite is a mineral consisting essentially of manganese dioxide and is important as an ore of manganese. It is a black, amorphous appearing mineral, often with a granular, fibrous or columnar structure, sometimes forming reniform crusts. It has a metallic luster, a black or bluish-black...
. It occurs in mixtures with "psilomelane" (recently renamed to romanechite) and with other manganese oxides in an iron oxide deposit, most likely bacterially altered from a previous mineral in the Akhtensk deposit. It also occurs in crustings of ferromanganese minerals on oceanic rocks. Its chemical makeup is 63% oxygen
Oxygen
Oxygen is the element with atomic number 8 and represented by the symbol O. Its name derives from the Greek roots ὀξύς and -γενής , because at the time of naming, it was mistakenly thought that all acids required oxygen in their composition...
and 37% manganese
Manganese
Manganese is a chemical element, designated by the symbol Mn. It has the atomic number 25. It is found as a free element in nature , and in many minerals...
. However, it very rarely occurs.
Some minerals that are commonly associated with Akhtenskite are: todorokite
Todorokite
Todorokite is a rare complex hydrous manganese oxide mineral with formula 2Mn3O12·3H2O. It is a brown to black monoclinic mineral which occurs in massive or tuberose forms. It is quite soft with a Mohs hardness of 1.5, and has a specific gravity of 3.49 - 3.82.It was discovered in 1934 in...
, pyrolusite
Pyrolusite
Pyrolusite is a mineral consisting essentially of manganese dioxide and is important as an ore of manganese. It is a black, amorphous appearing mineral, often with a granular, fibrous or columnar structure, sometimes forming reniform crusts. It has a metallic luster, a black or bluish-black...
, nsutite
Nsutite
Nsutite is a manganese oxide mineral with formula: . It is found in most large manganese deposits and was first discovered in Nsuta, Ghana. Since then, it has been found worldwide. Nsutite is a dull mineral with a hardness of 6.5-8.5 and an average specific gravity of 4.45...
, goethite
Goethite
Goethite , named after the German polymath Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, is an iron bearing oxide mineral found in soil and other low-temperature environments. Goethite has been well known since prehistoric times for its use as a pigment. Evidence has been found of its use in paint pigment samples...
, and cryptomelane. It has a specific gravity
Specific gravity
Specific gravity is the ratio of the density of a substance to the density of a reference substance. Apparent specific gravity is the ratio of the weight of a volume of the substance to the weight of an equal volume of the reference substance. The reference substance is nearly always water for...
of 4.78.