Kaznakhtite, ideally Ni6Co3+2 (CO3)(OH)16⋅4H2O, is a new member of the hydrotalcite group within the hydrotalcite supergroup. The mineral was discovered at the Kaznakhtinskiy ultrabasic massif, Altai Republic, SW Siberia, Russia. It occurs as powdery aggregates forming flattened lenses up to 1.5 × 0.5 cm and veinlets up to 1 cm long and up to 1 mm thick in aggregates of chrysotile, lizardite, stichtite and dolomite. Other associated minerals include brucite, chromite, heazlewoodite, manganochromite, magnetite and magnesio-
ferrite. Kaznakhtite aggregates are composed of tiny platy grains up to 0.01 mm across. Kaznakhtite is light green and translucent in aggregates. It has an earthy lustre and white streak. Cleavage is micaceous on {001}. Dcalc = 2.864 g cm–3 . The mineral is optically uniaxial (–) with ε = 1.657(3) and ω = 1.676(3), and weakly pleochroic in greenish hues, ω > ε. Chemical composition (wt.%, electron micro-probe, Co valence state determined by XANES spectroscopy, CO 2 and H 2 O calculated by stoichiometry) is: MgO 2.15, NiO 47.40, ZnO 0.22, Al 2O 3 0.16, Cr 2O 3 0.98, Co 2O 3 17.42, Cl 0.63, CO 2 5.05, H 2O 24.60, –O=Cl –0.14, total 98.47. The empirical formula calculated based on the sum of all metal cations = 8 apfu is (Ni 5.54Mg0.47 Zn0.02)Σ6.03 (Co 3+1.83Cr 0.11Al 0.03)Σ1.97C1.00 O2.99 (OH)15.84Cl 0.16⋅4H2O.
Infrared spectroscopy confirmed the presence of CO3 2– anions, OH– groups and H 2 O molecules. The crystal structure was refined by the Rietveld method with RB = 0.19%. Kaznakhtite is trigonal, space group R͞ 3m, a = 3.0515 (3), c = 23.180 (3) Å, V = 186.93 (4) Å3 and Z = 3/8. The strongest lines of the powder X-ray diffraction pattern [d, Å (I, %) (hkl)] are: 7.72 (100) (003); 3.863 (24) (006);
2.630 (4) (101); 2.576 (10) (012); 2.294 (6) (015); 1.950 (4) (018); 1.526 (4) (110); and 1.497 (4) (113). Kaznakhtite is a Co3+ analogue of reevesite, Ni 6 Fe 3+ 2 (CO 3 )(OH)16⋅4H2 O. The mineral is named after its type locality.
