Sphalerite

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Sphalerite
Sphalerite
General
CategorySulfide meeneral
Formula
(repeatin unit)
(Zn,Fe)S
Strunz clessification02.CB.05a
Dana clessification02.08.02.01
Creestal seestemIsometric hextetrahedral (4 3m)
Identification
ColourBroun, yellae, reid, green, black.
Creestal habitEuhedral crystals – occurs as well-formed crystals shawin guid external form. Granular – generally occurs as anhedral tae subhedral crystals in matrix.
TwinninSimple contact twins or complex lamellar forms, twin axis [111]
Cleavageperfect
FracturUneven tae conchoidal
Mohs scale haurdness3.5-4
SkinkleAdamantine, resinous, greasy
Streakbrounish white, fauch yellae
DiaphaneitySkyre tae leamish, opaque whan iron-rich
Speceefic gravity3.9–4.2
Optical propertiesIsotropic
Refractive indexnα = 2.369
Ither chairacteristicsnon-radioactive, non-magnetic, fluorescent an triboluminescent.
References[1][2][3]

Sphalerite ((Zn,Fe)S) is a meeneral that is the chief ore o zinc. It consists lairgely o zinc sulfide in crystalline furm but naur aye contains variable iron. Whan iron content is heich it is an opaque black variety, marmatite. It is uisually foond in association wi galena, pyrite, an ither sulfides alang wi calcite, dolomite, an fluorite. Whiles, miners refer tae sphalerite as zinc blende, black-jack, an ruby jack.

References[eedit | eedit soorce]

  1. Sphalerite. Webmineral. Retrieved on 2011-06-20.
  2. Sphalerite. Mindat.org. Retrieved on 2011-06-20.
  3. Handbook of Mineralogy