Nickel–Strunz classification

Nickel–Strunz classification is a scheme for categorizing minerals based upon their chemical composition, introduced by German mineralogist Karl Hugo Strunz (24 February 1910 – 19 April 2006) in his 1941 Mineralogische Tabellen.^[1] The 4th edition was edited by Christel Tennyson too (1966). It was followed by A.S. Povarennykh with a modified classification (1966 in Russian, 1972 in English).

As curator of the Mineralogical Museum of Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität (now known as the Humboldt University of Berlin), Strunz had been tasked with sorting the museum's geological collection according to crystal-chemical properties.^[1] His Mineralogical Tables, first published in 1941, has been through a number of modifications; the most recent edition, published in 2001, is the ninth (Mineralogical Tables by Hugo Strunz and Ernest H. Nickel (31 August 1925 – 18 July 2009)).^[2][3] Nowadays, James A. Ferraiolo is responsible for it at Mindat.org. ^[4] The IMA/CNMNC supports the Nickel–Strunz database.^[5]

Classifications

Nickel–Strunz mineral classes

The current scheme divides minerals into ten classes, which are further divided into divisions, families and groups according to chemical composition and crystal structure.

1. elements
2. sulfides and sulfosalts
3. halides
4. oxides, hydroxides and arsenites
5. carbonates and nitrates
6. borates
7. sulfates, chromates, molybdates and tungstates
8. phosphates, arsenates and vanadates
9. silicates
10. Organic compounds

IMA/CNMNC mineral classes^{[citation needed]}

IMA/CNMNC proposes a new hierarchical scheme (Mills et al., 2009), using the Nickel-Strunz classes (10 ed) this gives:

• Classification of minerals (non silicates)
  • 01 Native Elements
    • Class: native elements
  • 02 Sulfides and Sulfosalts (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites, etc.)
    • Class 02.A – 02.G: sulfides, selenides, tellurides
    • Class 02.H – 02.M: sulfosalts
  • 03 Halogenides
    • Class: halides
  • 04 Oxides (Hydroxides, arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites, iodates)
    • Class: oxides
    • Class: hydroxides
    • Class: arsenites (including antimonites, bismuthites, sulphites, selenites and tellurites)
  • 05 Carbonates and Nitrates
    • Class: carbonates
    • Class: nitrates
  • 06 Borates
    • Class: borates
      • Subclass: nesoborates
      • Subclass: soroborates
      • Subclass: cycloborates
      • Subclass: inoborates
      • Subclass: phylloborates
      • Subclass: tectoborates
  • 07 Sulfates, Selenates, Tellurates
    • Class: sulphates, selenates, tellurates
    • Class: chromates
    • Class: molybdates
    • Class: tungstates
  • 08 Phosphates, Arsenates, Vanadates
    • Class: phosphates
    • Class: arsenates
    • Class: vanadates
  • 10 Organic Compounds
    • Class: organic compounds
• Classification of minerals (silicates)
  • 09 Silicates and Germanates
    • Class: silicates
      • Subclass 09.A: nesosilicates
      • Subclass 09.B: sorosilicates
      • Subclass 09.C: cyclosilicates
      • Subclass 09.D: inosilicates
      • Subclass 09.E: phyllosilicates
      • Subclass: tectosilicates
        • 09.F: without zeolitic H₂O
        • 09.G: with zeolitic H₂O; zeolite family
      • Subclass 09.J: germanates

Nickel–Strunz classification −10- Organic compounds

• Abbreviations:
  • "*" – discredited (IMA/CNMNC status).
  • "?" – questionable/doubtful (IMA/CNMNC status).
• Nickel–Strunz code scheme: NN.XY.##x
  • NN: Nickel–Strunz mineral class number
  • X: Nickel–Strunz mineral division letter
  • Y: Nickel–Strunz mineral family letter
  • ##x: Nickel–Strunz mineral/group number, x add-on letter

Class: organic compounds

• 10.A Salts of organic acids
  • 10.AA Formates, Acetates, etc.: 05 Formicaite, 10 Dashkovaite, 20 Acetamide, 25 Calclacite, 30 Paceite, 35 Hoganite
  • 10.AB Oxalates: 05 Humboldtine, 05 Lindbergite; 10 Glushinskite, 15 Moolooite, 20 Stepanovite, 25 Minguzzite, 30 Wheatleyite, 35 Zhemchuzhnikovite, 40 Weddellite, 45 Whewellite, 50 Caoxite, 55 Oxammite, 60 Natroxalate, 65 Coskrenite-(Ce), 70 Levinsonite-(Y), 75 Zugshunstite-(Ce), 80 Novgorodovaite
  • 10.AC Benzene Salts: 05 Mellite, 10 Earlandite
  • 10.AD Cyanates: 05 Julienite*, 10 Kafehydrocyanite*
• 10.B Hydrocarbons
  • 10.BA Hydrocarbons: 05 Fichtelite, 10 Hartite, 15 Dinite*, 20 Idrialite, 25 Kratochvilite, 30 Karpatite, 40 Ravatite, 45 Simonellite, 50 Evenkite
• 10.C Miscellaneous organic minerals
  • 10.C Amber*
  • 10.CA Miscellaneous organic materials: 05 Refikite, 10 Flagstaffite, 15 Hoelite, 20 Abelsonite, 25 Kladnoite; 30 Tinnunculite*, 30 Guanine; 35 Urea, 40 Uricite

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Knobloch, Eberhard (2003) (in German/English). The shoulders on which We stand/Wegbereiter der Wissenschaft. Springer. pp. 170–173. ISBN 3540205578. 
2. ^ Stuart J. Mills, Frédéric Hatert, Ernest H. Nickel, and Giovanni Ferraris (2009). "The standardisation of mineral group hierarchies: application to recent nomenclature proposals". Eur. J. Mineral. 21: 1073–1080. doi:10.1127/0935-1221/2009/0021-1994. http://pubsites.uws.edu.au/ima-cnmnc/Mills%20et%20al%202009%20Groups%20EJM%20October.pdf. 
3. ^ Allan Pring and William D. Birch (October 2009). "Obituary: Ernest Henry Nickel 1925–2009". Mineralogical Magazine 73 (5): 891–892. 
4. ^ [http://webmineral.com/help/StrunzClass.shtml Strunz Classification ]
5. ^ Ernest H. Nickel and Monte C. Nichols (22-05-2008). "IMA/CNMNC List of Mineral Name based on the database MINERAL, which Materials Data, Inc. (MDI) makes available". http://pubsites.uws.edu.au/ima-cnmnc/IMA2009-01%20UPDATE%20160309.pdf. Retrieved 31-01-2011. 

• Strunz, Hugo; Nickel, Ernest H. (2001). Strunz Mineralogical Tables (9 ed.). Stuttgart: Schweizerbart. pp. 869. ISBN 978-3510651887. 

External links

• Strunz classification on Mindat