| Taenite | |
| Category: | Metals and intermetallic alloys |
| Imasymbol: | Tae[1] |
| Strunz: | 1.AE.10 |
| System: | Isometric |
| Class: | Hexoctahedral (mm) H-M symbol: (4/m 2/m) |
| Symmetry: | Fm3m |
| Color: | metallic grayish to white |
| Cleavage: | None |
| Fracture: | Hackly fracture |
| Tenacity: | Malleable, flexible |
| Mohs: | 5–5.5 |
| Luster: | metallic |
| Streak: | light gray |
| Diaphaneity: | Opaque |
| Gravity: | 7.8–8.22 |
| Other: | magnetic, not radioactive |
| References: | [2] [3] |
Taenite is a mineral found naturally on Earth mostly in iron meteorites. It is an alloy of iron and nickel, with a chemical formula of and nickel proportions of 20% up to 65%.
The name is derived from the Greek ταινία for "band, ribbon". Taenite is a major constituent of iron meteorites. In octahedrites it is found in bands interleaving with kamacite forming Widmanstätten patterns, whereas in ataxites it is the dominant constituent. In octahedrites a fine intermixture with kamacite can occur, which is called plessite.
Taenite is one of four known Fe-Ni meteorite minerals: The others are kamacite, tetrataenite, and antitaenite.
It is opaque with a metallic grayish to white color. The structure is isometric-hexoctahedral (cubic). Its density is around 8 g/cm3 and hardness is 5 to 5.5 on the Mohs scale. Taenite is magnetic, in contrast to antitaenite. The structure is isometric-hexoctahedral (cubic). The crystal lattice has the c≈a=.[4] The Strunz classification is I/A.08-20, while the Dana classification is 1.1.11.2.