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Formula: (Pd,Pt)9Cu3Sn4
Alloy
Crystal System: Orthorhombic
Specific gravity: 15.6
Hardness: 5
Colour: Bronze-grey
Solubility: Not etched by dilute or concentrated mineral acids
Common impurities: Pb,Sb
Environments
Localities
At the type locality, the Mayak mine, Talnakh Cu-Ni Deposit, Noril'sk, Putoran Plateau, Taimyr Peninsula, Taymyrskiy
Autonomous Okrug, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia, taimyrite occurs as grains and veinlets up to 12 mm in diameter near the
contact between sulphide and rock-forming minerals in
gabbro-dolerite and in
chalcopyrite-galena concentrations in
massive sulphide ores. Associated minerals include küstelite,
electrum, copper-rich
gold, polarite,
sperrylite, froodite,
sobolevskite, atokite,
rustenburgite, tatyanaite,
mooihoekite, talnakhite,
chalcopyrite, pentlandite,
cubanite, pyrrhotite,
galena and sphalerite
(AM 68.1248-1252, HOM, Mindat).
At the Oktyabrsky Mine, Talnakh Cu-Ni Deposit, Noril'sk, Putoran Plateau, Taimyr Peninsula, Taymyrskiy Autonomous Okrug,
Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia, an extensive solid-solution series between taimyrite and
tatyanaite occurs, and
taimyrite–tatyanaite forms a solid-solution series with
cabriite. These
platinum group minerals occur in base-metal sulphide ores in
the deposit. The taimyrite–tatyanaite is present as single grains and
aggregates, associated with a silver-gold
alloy, and also as zoned intergrowths of
platinum-palladium-copper stannides. These
intergrowths commonly, but not necessarily,
occur within chalcopyrite
(CM 38.599-609).
A characteristic association of altaite intergrown with
sobolevskite and taimyrite occurs within
talnakhite–galena rich ores. Associated
minerals include a silver-gold alloy and minor
amounts of froodite, paolovite,
sperrylite and "plumbopolarite" Pd(Bi,Pb)
(CM 40.329-340).
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