pentlandite
/ˈpɛntləndʌɪt
/noun [mass noun]
A bronze-yellow mineral which consists of a sulphide of iron and nickel and is the principal ore of nickel.Some older analyses show the presence of small amounts of NJ, Co, and Cu, but these are almost invariably found to reflect the presence of tiny exsolved grains of such minerals as chalcopyrite and pentlandite....
- Preliminary assessment suggests the mineralogy is mainly pentlandite + pyrrhotite.
- The most common ores of nickel are pentlandite, pyrrhotite, and garnierite.
Origin
Mid 19th century: from the name of Joseph B. Pentland (1797–1873), Irish traveller, + -ite1.