Xifengite

Rare metallic iron silicide mineral
(repeating unit)Fe5Si3IMA symbolXif[1]Strunz classification1.BB.40Crystal systemHexagonalCrystal classDihexagonal dipyramidal (6/mmm)
H-M symbol: (6/m 2/m 2/m)Space groupP63/mcmUnit cella = 6.759(5)
c = 4.720(5) [Å]; Z = 2IdentificationColorGray, steel-blackCrystal habitAs inclusionsMohs scale hardness5LusterMetallicStreakBlackDiaphaneityOpaqueReferences[2][3]

Xifengite (Fe5Si3) is a rare metallic iron silicide mineral. The crystal system of xifengite is hexagonal. It has a specific gravity of 6.45 and a Mohs hardness of 5.5. It occurs as steel gray inclusions within other meteorite derived nickel iron mineral phases.

It was first described in 1984 and named for the eastern passageway, Xifengkou, of the Great Wall of China. The type locality is the Yanshan meteorite of the Hebei Province, China. It has also been reported from dredgings along the East Pacific Rise.

The other known natural iron silicide minerals are gupeiite (Fe3Si), hapkeite (Fe2Si), linzhiite (FeSi2), luobusaite (Fe0.84Si2), naquite (FeSi), suessite ((Fe,Ni)3Si), and zangboite (TiFeSi2).[4]

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. ^ Xifengite data on Webmineral
  3. ^ Xifengite on Mindat,org with location data
  4. ^ Mindat, http://www.mindat.org
  • v
  • t
  • e
Meteorite...Classification
By type, class,
clan, group
and grouplet
Chondrite
Achondrite
Primitive
Asteroidal
Lunar
Martian
Iron
Stony-iron
Structural
Obsolete terms
Mineralogy
and petrologyLists
  • Meteorites by
    • find location
    • name
    • type
  • Awards
  • Journals
  • Organizations
Stub icon

This article about a specific mineral or mineraloid is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

  • v
  • t
  • e