Definition

1. Noun:
   • A mineral (iron and nickel sulphide) that is the chief ore of nickel: Pentlandite is a specific, naturally occurring metallic mineral. It is the primary source from which the element nickel is commercially extracted. Its chemical composition is an iron-nickel sulfide.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The Sudbury Basin in Canada is a major source of pentlandite.
  • Geologists identified the metallic luster as belonging to pentlandite.
  • Nickel is primarily refined from pentlandite.

Advanced Usage

• In economic geology: The term is used to discuss mineral deposits, mining, and resource extraction.
  • The viability of the mine depends on the concentration of pentlandite in the ore body.
• In mineralogy: Used when describing physical properties, crystal structure, or paragenesis (the order of mineral formation).
  • Pentlandite is often found intergrown with pyrrhotite and chalcopyrite.

Variants and Related Words

• No common variants exist for this specific mineral name. It is a proper scientific term.
• Related mineralogical terms:
  • Sulfide mineral (n): The class of minerals to which pentlandite belongs.
  • Pyrrhotite (n): Another iron sulfide mineral commonly associated with pentlandite.
  • Chalcopyrite (n): A copper iron sulfide mineral often found in the same deposits.

Synonyms

• Chief ore of nickel: This is a descriptive synonym, not a different word.
• (Fe,Ni)₉S₈: This is the chemical formula for pentlandite, representing its composition.

Related Phrases

• Pentlandite ore: Refers to the rock material containing a sufficient amount of pentlandite to be mined for nickel.
  • The smelter processes thousands of tons of pentlandite ore each month.

Related Idioms

• No idioms are associated with this specific scientific term.

Noun

1. a mineral (iron and nickel sulphide) that is the chief ore of nickel