Baryte and Sulphur

ID	363
Mineral	Baryte Sulphur
Location	Machow mine - Tarnobrzeg - Subcarpathian Voivodeship - Poland
Fluorescence	LW-UV: close SW-UV: close
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Mindat data

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	3826
Long ID	1:1:3826:9
Formula	`S`
IMA Status	0 1
Other Occurrences	Usually formed from volcanic action - as a deposition product from volcanic gasses associated with realgar, cinnabar and other minerals. It is also found in some vein deposits and as an alteration product of sulphide minerals. It can also be formed biogenically - a major source being salt domes, where it has formed by the bacterial decomposition of calcium sulfate.
Industrial	Used in a great many applications, ranging from matches and fireworks to rubber.
Discovery Year	Know
Diapheny	Transparent,Translucent
Cleavage	Imperfect on {001}, {110} and {111}.
Tenacity	brittle
Colour	Yellow, sulphur-yellow, brownish or greenish yellow, orange, white
Hardness (min)	1.5
Hardness (max)	2.5
Luminescence	None
Lustre	Resinous
About the name	A name in Middle English, introduced at least as early as 1390. Also known as brimstone. Theophrastus (~300 BCE) wrote μαλώδης (an otherwise unknown word) for what may be sulfur impregnated pumice, but Caley and Richards (1956) in their analysis and translation of Περι Λιθον ("Peri Lithon") suggest that the actual word should have been μηλώδης meaning quince-yellow. Other interpretations have been given.
Streak	Colourless
Crystal System	Orthorhombic
Cleavage Type	Imperfect/Fair
Fracture type	Irregular/Uneven,Conchoidal
Morphology	Over 50 forms have been noted, blocky dipyramidal ones most common, also tabular and sphenoidal; also found as powdery coatings, massive material, and in reniform and stalactic forms.
Twinning	On {101}{011}{110} rare.
Thermal Behaviour	With a low melting point of 113°C, sulphur burns readily in air, with a low blue flame, and gives off choking fumes of sulphur-dioxide - acrid odor (forms sulphurous and eventually sulphuric acid in air).
shortcode_ima	S
Group	Sulphur Group

Price: € 40

Dimensions: Not registered

Weight: Not registered

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Notes:

Symbol	Element
Ba	Barium
O	Oxygen
S	Sulfur

Baryte and Sulphur

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