Nickel and copper accumplation as essential elements in 10-A manganite of deep-sea manganese nodules.

MANY ferromanganese minerals have been found in marine manganese deposits. There have been terminological and intrinsic problems in accurately defining the constituents of manganese nodules(1), but 10-A manganite and delta-MnO(2) which are often compared with todorokite and birnessite seem to be the only major constituents of marine manganese nodules and crusts. [Note that birnessite is a natural species of delta-MnO(2) of four-line form, whereas marine delta-MnO(2) is two-line form, so marine and terrestrial delta-MnO(2) should not be compared directly with each other.] However, there have been few experimental studies of the mechanism of accumulation and the crystallochemistry of these elements in 10-A manganite of manganese nodules, although many experimental studies of adsorption of metals to natural and synthetic manganese and iron oxides have been made(7,8). I have now investigated the mechanism of accumulation of nickel and copper in manganese nodules by synthesising 10-A manganite and comparing the composition with that shown by microscopic and electron microprobe analyses of marine 10-A manganite.