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Formula: K(Ti7Cr3+)O16
Valence: K(Ti4+7Cr3+)O16
Oxide of potassium, titanium and
chromium,
priderite group,
hollandite supergroup
Crystal system: Tetragonal
Specific gravity: 3.92 calculated
Hardness: 5½
Streak: Light green
Colour: Dark green in massive grains to yellow-green in thin grains, green internal reflections
Environments
Kopernikite is a new mineral, approved in 2026 and to date (August 2026) reported only from the
type locality.
Localities
The type locality is the Morasko meteorite, Poznań, Greater Poland Voivodeship, Poland, that fell around 5000
years ago. It contains a large number of graphite –
troilite nodules with inclusions of silicates, phosphates and oxides.
The Morasko iron matrix mainly consists of kamacite,
taenite and iron, as well as subordinate
tetrataenite,
nickel-bearing schreibersite,
nickelphosphide and
cohenite.
The metal matrix of the Morasko meteorite contains oval inclusions, some of which are a few centimetres in size.
These nodules are typically dominated by graphite and
troilite. They are usually rimmed by a
schreibersite (with possible
cohenite) halo. Apart from the two main components
(graphite and troilite),
various nodules have been found to contain several silicates and other accessory minerals, including
kamacite, taenite,
pyrrhotite,
schreibersite, cohenite,
native copper, sphalerite,
daubréelite,
djerfisherite, altaite,
chromite –
magnesiochromite,
krinovite, kosmochlor,
enstatite, forsterite,
albite, orthoclase,
quartz, and phosphates such as
fluorapatite,
buchwaldite, brianite,
merrillite, moraskoite,
czochralskiite and
kryzaite.
Kopernikite has been found in only one oval nodule, measuring 0.6 × 0.7 cm. The central part of the nodule
consists of troilite, the outer part consists of
graphite containing a small amount of
troilite, and a
schreibersite zone is present at the interface with the
iron matrix. Xenomorphic
fluorapatite segregations are observed in the
graphite zone, where two areas of
fluorapatite containing kopernikite were found
(MM 90.625–634).
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