Cerussite, Baryte and Galena
| ID | 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Mineral |
Cerussite
Baryte Galena |
|
| Location | Mibladen - Draa-Tafilalet - Morocco | |
| Fluorescence | LW-UV: check SW-UV: check |
|
| Mindat.org |
View Cerussite information at mindat.org View Baryte information at mindat.org View Galena information at mindat.org |
|
Mindat data
| ID | 934 |
|---|---|
| Long ID | 1:1:934:4 |
| Formula |
Pb(CO3)
|
| IMA Status |
0 1 |
| Other Occurrences | Commonly occurs in the upper oxidized zones of base metal deposits, especially lead-silver deposits. |
| Industrial | Ore of lead, and often also of silver. |
| Diapheny | Transparent,Translucent |
| Cleavage | On {110} and {021} distinct; on {010} and {012} in traces. |
| Tenacity | very brittle |
| Colour | Colourless, white, gray, blue, or green; colourless in transmitted light |
| Hardness (min) | 3.0 |
| Hardness (max) | 3.5 |
| Luminescence | None |
| Lustre | Adamantine |
| About the name | Named in 1845 by Wilhelm Karl von Haidinger from the Latin, cerussa, meaning "white lead." |
| Streak | White |
| Crystal System | Orthorhombic |
| Cleavage Type | Distinct/Good |
| Fracture type | Conchoidal |
| Morphology |
Crystal morphology extremely varied. Simple crystals often tabular {010} and elongated [001] or [100]. Also equant or dipyramidal and then pseudo-hexagonal. Rarely acicular [001] or very thin tabular {001}. {010} and {0kl} usually striated [100]; {111} often striated |
| Twinning | Almost universal. Most commonly on {110}, as twin lamellae or as contact twin types producing stellate pseudo-hexagonal groups or reticulated aggregates. On {130} less common, mainly as contact twins with a heart-shaped outline. Both laws may occur simultaneously. |
| UV | Occasionally fluorescent under SW and MW UV lights showing a yellow color. Yellow/white under SW UV light, but less intense. |
| Thermal Behaviour | Breaks down to a basic carbonate at about 300°, which, in turn, decomposes to PbO at about 500° (?). According to Grisafe & White (1964) cerussite decomposes: - at ca. 204 °C, according to reaction: 3PbCO3 ⇌ 2Pb2O(CO3) + CO2 Further reactions: - at ca. 283 °C: 2Pb3O(CO3)2 ⇌ 3Pb2O(CO3) + CO2 - at 373 °C: 3Pb2O(CO3)⇌ 2Pb3O2(CO3) + CO2 - at 435 °C: Pb3O2(CO3) ⇌ 3PbO + CO2 |
| key_elements |
0 |
| shortcode_ima | Cer |
| Group | Aragonite Group |
| ID | 549 |
|---|---|
| Long ID | 1:1:549:0 |
| Formula |
Ba(SO4)
|
| IMA Status |
0 1 |
| Other Occurrences | Commonly found as a gangue mineral in metallic ore deposits of epithermal or mesothermal origin; but it may also be found as lenses or replacement deposits in sedimentary rocks, both of hypogene and supergene origin. |
| Industrial | Used as an additive in drilling fluids, as a white pigment, e. g. in cosmetic products and in paints, and as a filling material for polymers and papers, high contrast medium for medical X-rays. Also the main source of barium. |
| Diapheny | Transparent,Translucent,Opaque |
| Cleavage | Perfect on {001}; less so on {210}; Imperfect on {010}. |
| Tenacity | brittle |
| Colour | Colourless, white, yellow, brown, grey, blue, etc.; colourless in transmitted light (also tinted yellow, brown, green, blue, etc.) |
| Hardness (min) | 3.0 |
| Hardness (max) | 3.0 |
| Luminescence | Fluoresces yellows, orange, or pink in LW; phophsphoresces strongly greenish-white. |
| Lustre | Vitreous to Resinous, Pearly on cleavage surfaces. |
| About the name | Named in 1800 by Dietrich Ludwig Gustav Karsten from the Greek βαρύς, heavy, due to its unusual heaviness for a non-metallic mineral. |
| Streak | white |
| Crystal System | Orthorhombic |
| Cleavage Type | Perfect |
| Fracture type | Irregular/Uneven |
| Morphology | Usually thin to thick tabular {001}, bounded by {210} alone or in combination with {101}, {011} or other forms. Also flattened {001}, and elongated to prismatic [010] or [100]. More rarely prismatic [001], or equant. Often as aggregates or clusters of tabular crystals with edges projecting into crest-like forms, or as rosettes. Also found as massive material, compact, laminated or concretionary; and in fibrous, stalactic, and earthy masses. |
| UV | Shades of yellow, occasionally orange or pink (LW UV). Shades of yellow, white (Franklin & Sterling Hill, NJ). May phosphoresce strongly greenish-white. |
| Thermal Behaviour | Inverts to another (monoclinic?) polymorph when heated to 1149°C. Above 1400°C decomposition to barium oxide, sulphur dioxide and oxygen. Thermoluminescent at times. |
| Comment Luster | Vitreous to Resinous, Pearly on cleavage surfaces. |
| key_elements |
0 |
| shortcode_ima | Brt |
| Group | Baryte Group |
| ID | 1641 |
|---|---|
| Long ID | 1:1:1641:0 |
| Formula |
PbS
|
| IMA Status |
0 1 |
| Industrial | Principal ore of lead. Often contains silver and is a frequent ore of that metal as well. |
| Diapheny | Opaque |
| Cleavage | {001} |
| Tenacity | brittle |
| Colour | Lead-grey |
| Hardness (min) | 2.5 |
| Hardness (max) | 2.5 |
| Luminescence | None |
| Lustre | Metallic |
| About the name | Named by Pliny the Elder in 77-79 from the Greek "galene" meaning "lead ore". |
| Streak | Lead-grey |
| Crystal System | Isometric |
| Cleavage Type | Perfect |
| Fracture type | Sub-Conchoidal |
| Morphology | Cubes, octahedrons, cube-octahedron combinations and rarely dodecahedrons. Rarely, platy twins. |
| Twinning | Spinel-type {111}, lamellar {114} |
| UV | Not fluorescent in UV. |
| Thermal Behaviour | In an open tube, gives sulfurous fumes. |
| key_elements |
0 |
| shortcode_ima | Gn |
| Group | Galena Group |
Details
Price: € 5
Dimensions: Not registered
Weight: Not registered
Visibile in overview:
Notes:
| Symbol | Element | |
|---|---|---|
| Ba | Barium | |
| C | Carbon | |
| O | Oxygen | |
| Pb | Lead |
|
| S | Sulfur |