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Andreybulakhite: The First Natural Nickel Oxalate from the Arctic

 

A group of scientists from St. Petersburg University studied and described the properties of the world's first natural nickel oxalate, andreybulakhite. The mineral was named in honour of the head of the Department of Mineralogy at St. Petersburg State University, Honorary Professor Andrey Bulakh (1933-2020).

Andreybulakhite
Andreybulakhite / Credit: SPBU

Andreybulakhite (Ni(C₂O₄)∙2H₂O) was discovered in 2021 by St. Petersburg State University Associate Professor Oleg Vereshchagin (Department of Mineralogy) during preparations for an educational internship on the Kola Peninsula. Natural nickel oxalate was found in the Nyud-II deposit near the city of Monchegorsk.

It was officially approved by the International Association in 2023.

An interesting feature of the mineral is its chemical composition. Very few biogenic nickel minerals are known, and this one is the first oxalate. Another interesting detail is that a synthetic analogue of andreybulakhite was obtained in the laboratory a long time ago, but no one could find it in nature.

—Oleg Vereshchagin, Associate Professor of St. Petersburg State University, Department of Mineralogy

According to the researchers, for andreybulakhite to form, several rare conditions must be met simultaneously:

  • There should be an abundance of oxalic acid (oxalates are salts of oxalic acid) and nickel in the mineral-forming system.
  • To ensure a high concentration of acid, its producers are required, such as specific fungi or lichens, which grow very slowly.

It is noted that the concentration of nickel in nature, necessary for the formation of its own rocks, is also a rather rare phenomenon.

It takes quite a while for the lichen to begin to grow on this substrate and dissolve the underlying nickel-containing minerals.

—Oleg Vereshchagin, Associate Professor of St. Petersburg State University, Department of Mineralogy

According to the researcher, to find the andreybulakhite mineral, one should find the part where the nickel-rich ores come out onto the surface and can be populated by lichens. It is noted that the deposit should not be exploited, otherwise the nickel ores will be sent for smelting along with lichen.

More information on the mineral can be found here.

Source: SPBU

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20.01.2025