sultenderite

Sultenderite is a mineral species that was first described in 2007 and is named for its type locality, the Sultan-Sardes mine in the Adıyaman Province of Turkey. It is an extremely rare mineral, known from only a few specimens. Chemically, sultenderite is a hydrated sodium manganese sulfate. Its formula is Na2Mn2(SO4)3·3H2O. It crystallizes in the monoclinic crystal system and typically forms as small, transparent, colorless to pale yellow prismatic crystals. These crystals are often found in association with other manganese minerals. The mineral was identified by X-ray diffraction and other analytical methods. Sultenderite is a relatively soft mineral with a Mohs hardness of approximately 3. It has a vitreous luster and a white streak. Due to its rarity, sultenderite has no significant industrial or commercial applications. Its primary interest lies in its contribution to the understanding of mineral diversity, particularly in manganese-rich hydrothermal or metasomatic environments. Further research is ongoing to fully characterize its geological occurrence and potential formation processes.