Rheniite is a very rare rhenium sulfide mineral with the chemical formula (ReS2). It forms metallic, silver grey platey crystals in the triclinic - pinacoidal class.[2] It has a specific gravity of 7.5.

Rheniite
Rheniite on basalt from the Kudriavy Volcano, Kurile Islands
General
CategorySulfide mineral
Formula
(repeating unit)
ReS2
IMA symbolRhn[1]
Strunz classification2.EB.35
Crystal systemTriclinic
Crystal classPinacoidal (1)
(same H-M symbol)
Space groupP1
Unit cella = 6.47 Å, b = 6.368 Å
c = 6.401 Å; α = 105°
β = 91.59°, γ = 118.9°; Z = 4
Identification
ColorBlack, red translucent
Crystal habitPlatey
LusterMetallic
StreakBlack
DiaphaneityOpaque, translucent in thin fragments
References[2][3]

It was discovered at the Kudriavy Volcano, Iturup Island in the Kurile Islands, Russia and approved in 2004.[4] It is found in active hot fumaroles on the volcano.

Rheniite is one of the first minerals of the element rhenium to be found. The other known approved rhenium mineral is the sulfide mineral tarkianite. Almost all commercially mined rhenium is retrieved as a by-product of molybdenum mining as rhenium occurs in amounts up to 0.2% in the mineral molybdenite. A discredited rhenium sulfide known as zappinite does not appear to be valid.

Rheniite has also been reported in the Pagoni Rachi Mo–Cu–Te–Ag–Au deposit in northeastern Greece where it occurs with molybdenite in quartz veins associated with an epithermal system in a dacite porphyry.[5]

References

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  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. ^ a b Webmineral
  3. ^ Mindat.org
  4. ^ Korzhinsky, M.A.; S. I. Tkachenko; K. I. Shmulovich; Y. A. Taran; G. S. Steinberg (2004-05-05). "Discovery of a pure rhenium mineral at Kudriavy volcano". Nature. 369 (6475): 51–52. Bibcode:1994Natur.369...51K. doi:10.1038/369051a0. S2CID 4344624.
  5. ^ Voudouris, Panagiotis C., et al., 2009, Rhenium-rich molybdenite and rheniite in the Pagoni Rachi Mo-Cu-Te-Ag-Au prospect, Northern Greece: implications for the Re geochemistry of porphyry-style Cu-Mo and Mo mineralization, Canadian Mineralogist 47, 1013-1036