Hexamolybdenum

(Mo,Ru,Fe,Ir,Os)
IMA status
  • Approved
IMA symbol
Hmo
IMA approved
2007
Also known as
  • IMA2007-029

Where it forms, where it's found

Geological setting

In an ultrarefractory inclusion in a carbonaceous chondrite meteorite.

Type locality
Allende meteorite
  1. Pueblito de Allende
  2. Chihuahua
  3. Mexico

26.9667°, -105.3167°

5recorded occurrences
Source · OpenStreetMap

Physical

Density
11.90 g/cm³

Crystallography

Crystal system
Hexagonal
Space group
P63/mmc
Cell parameters
a = 2.7506 Å · c = 4.4318 Å
Unit cell volume
29.04 ų
Z
2
Type-locality form

Grains and crystals, ca. 1 to ca. 3 microns in diameter.

Chemical composition

Constituent elements
Mass composition breakdown
ElementAtoms At. mass g/mol Mass g/molMass share
77IrIridiumIridium1192.217192.217
30.26%
76OsOsmiumOsmium1190.230190.230
29.94%
44RuRutheniumRuthenium1101.070101.070
15.91%
42MoMolybdenumMolybdenum195.95095.950
15.10%
26FeIronIron155.84555.845
8.79%
Total635.312100.00%

Mass share = atoms × atomic mass ÷ molar mass × 100

From IMA formula

Synonyms

  • IMA2007-029

In other languages

French
Hexamolybdène
German
Hexamolybdän · Hexamolybdenum
Italian
hexamolybdenum
Japanese
六方モリブデン

Classification

Strunz
10th ed.

1.AE.05

  • 1ElementsClass
  • 1.AMetals and Intermetallic AlloysDivision
  • 1.AEIron-chromium familyGroup
  • 1.AE.05HexamolybdenumSpecies

Literature, links & citation

Citations
  1. 2009Ma, C., Beckett, J.R., Rossman, G.R. (2009) Allendeite and Hexamolybdenum: Two New Ultra-Refractory Minerals in Allende and Two Missing Links. 40th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference.
  2. 2014Ma, C., Beckett, J. R., Rossman, G. R. (2014) Allendeite (Sc4Zr3O12) and hexamolybdenum (Mo,Ru,Fe), two new minerals from an ultrarefractory inclusion from the Allende meteorite. American Mineralogist, 99 (4) 654-666 doi:10.2138/am.2014.4667 DOI: 10.2138/am.2014.4667
  3. 2017(2017) Hexamolybdenum. Handbook of Mineralogy. Mineralogical Society of America
Cite this entry
@misc{mineral2026,
  author    = {Mineral Index editorial board},
  title     = {Hexamolybdenum — Mineral Index},
  year      = {2026},
  url       = {https://mineralindex.org/minerals/hexamolybdenum-32286},
  note      = {Accessed 2026-05-11}
}