Altaite

Yellowish white telluride mineral
(repeating unit)PbTeIMA symbolAlt[1]Strunz classification2.CD.10Crystal systemIsometricCrystal classHexoctahedral (m3m)
H-M symbol: (4/m 3 2/m)Space groupFm3mIdentificationFormula mass334.8 g/molColortin white to yellowish white; tarnishing to bronze yellowCrystal habitinclude cubic and octahedral crystals; but much more commonly found in massive and granular formsCleavageperfect in three directions forming cubesFractureUnevenMohs scale hardness2.5 – 3LustermetallicStreakBlackSpecific gravity8.2 – 8.3References[2][3]

Altaite, or lead telluride, is a yellowish white mineral with an isometric crystal structure. Altaite is in the galena group of minerals as it shares many of properties of galena. Altaite has an unusually high density for a light-colored mineral. Altaite and other rare tellurides are classified in the sulfide mineral class (Dana classification).

Altaite was discovered in 1845 in the Altai Mountains. Besides these mountains altaite can also be found in Zyryanovsk, Kazakhstan; the Ritchie Creek Deposit in Price County, Wisconsin; the Koch-Bulak gold deposit in Kazakhstan; Moctezuma, Mexico; and Coquimbo, Chile among other locations.

See also

References

  1. ^ Warr, L.N. (2021). "IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols". Mineralogical Magazine. 85 (3): 291–320. Bibcode:2021MinM...85..291W. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43. S2CID 235729616.
  2. ^ Mindat data with locations
  3. ^ Webmineral data
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