Stronianite from Ohio, USA.
A mineral is a naturally-occurring, solid, inorganic, crystalline substance having a fairly definite chemical composition and having fairly definite physical properties. At its simplest, a mineral is a naturally-occurring solid chemical. Currently, there are over 6000 named and described minerals - about 200 of them are common and about 20 of them are very common. Mineral classification is based on anion chemistry. Major categories of minerals are: elements, sulfides, oxides, halides, carbonates, sulfates, phosphates, and silicates.
The carbonate minerals all contain one or more carbonate (CO3-2) anions.
Strontianite is an strontium carbonate mineral, SrCO3. It has a nonmetallic luster, is usually whitish-grayish, has a white streak, and is 3.5 on the Mohs Hardness Scale
Locality: Stoneco Incorporated Maumee Quarry, town of Maumee, Lucas County, northwestern Ohio, USA
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Photo gallery of strontianite:
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Tags: strontianite strontium carbonate carbonates mineral minerals Stoneco Inc. Incorporated Maumee Quarry quarries Lucas County Ohio
Stronianite from Ohio, USA.
A mineral is a naturally-occurring, solid, inorganic, crystalline substance having a fairly definite chemical composition and having fairly definite physical properties. At its simplest, a mineral is a naturally-occurring solid chemical. Currently, there are over 6000 named and described minerals - about 200 of them are common and about 20 of them are very common. Mineral classification is based on anion chemistry. Major categories of minerals are: elements, sulfides, oxides, halides, carbonates, sulfates, phosphates, and silicates.
The carbonate minerals all contain one or more carbonate (CO3-2) anions.
Strontianite is an strontium carbonate mineral, SrCO3. It has a nonmetallic luster, is usually whitish-grayish, has a white streak, and is 3.5 on the Mohs Hardness Scale
Locality: Stoneco Incorporated Maumee Quarry, town of Maumee, Lucas County, northwestern Ohio, USA
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Photo gallery of strontianite:
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Tags: strontianite strontium carbonate carbonates mineral minerals Stoneco Inc. Incorporated Maumee Quarry quarries Lucas County Ohio
Sphalerite from Ohio, USA.
A mineral is a naturally-occurring, solid, inorganic, crystalline substance having a fairly definite chemical composition and having fairly definite physical properties. At its simplest, a mineral is a naturally-occurring solid chemical. Currently, there are over 6000 named and described minerals - about 200 of them are common and about 20 of them are very common. Mineral classification is based on anion chemistry. Major categories of minerals are: elements, sulfides, oxides, halides, carbonates, sulfates, phosphates, and silicates.
The sulfide minerals contain one or more sulfide anions (S-2). The sulfides are usually considered together with the arsenide minerals, the sulfarsenide minerals, and the telluride minerals. Many sulfides are economically significant, as they occur commonly in ores. The metals that combine with S-2 are mainly Fe, Cu, Ni, Ag, etc. Most sulfides have a metallic luster, are moderately soft, and are noticeably heavy for their size. These minerals will not form in the presence of free oxygen. Under an oxygen-rich atmosphere, sulfide minerals tend to chemically weather to various oxide and hydroxide minerals.
Sphalerite is a somewhat common zinc sulfide mineral (ZnS). It has a metallic to submetallic to resinous to adamantine luster. Many metals can substitute for the zinc, such as iron, cadmium, and manganese. Sphalerite almost always has some iron in it, so a better chemical formula would be (Zn,Fe)S. Sphalerite has a wide color range, depending on iron content. Pure to almost pure sphalerite is whitish to greenish. With increasing iron content, sphalerite becomes yellowish to brownish to blackish. One variety of sphalerite has a strikingly intense dark red color (ruby sphalerite). Its streak color also varies with iron content from whitish to pale yellowish to brownish. Sphalerite is also distinctive in being moderately heavy for its size and having six different planes of cleavage.
Sphalerite is the most important zinc ore mineral. Zinc produced from sphalerite is used for many purposes, including mixing with copper to produce brass, rust protection of iron & steel, and for making modern American pennies (although the cost of making each zinc penny is more than 1¢).
Locality: Stoneco Incorporated Maumee Quarry, town of Maumee, Lucas County, northwestern Ohio, USA
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Photo gallery of sphalerite:
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Tags: sphalerite zinc sulfide sulfides mineral minerals Stoneco Inc. Incorporated Maumee Quarry quarries Lucas County Ohio
Native sulfur from Ohio, USA.
A mineral is a naturally-occurring, solid, inorganic, crystalline substance having a fairly definite chemical composition and having fairly definite physical properties. At its simplest, a mineral is a naturally-occurring solid chemical. Currently, there are over 6000 named and described minerals - about 200 of them are common and about 20 of them are very common. Mineral classification is based on anion chemistry. Major categories of minerals are: elements, sulfides, oxides, halides, carbonates, sulfates, phosphates, and silicates.
Elements are fundamental substances of matter - matter that is composed of the same types of atoms. At present, 118 elements are known. Of these, 98 occur naturally on Earth (hydrogen to californium). Most of these occur in rocks & minerals, although some occur in very small, trace amounts. Only some elements occur in their native elemental state as minerals.
To find a native element in nature, it must be relatively non-reactive and there must be some concentration process. Metallic, semimetallic (metalloid), and nonmetallic elements are known in their native state.
Sulfur makes up way less than 1% of the Earth's crust, but it is not valuable. Elemental sulfur is frequently found at or near volcanic vents and fumaroles. Significant concentrations of sulfur occur in the Gulf of Mexico subsurface (Louisiana-Texas area). Sulfur has a nonmetallic luster and a bright canary-yellow color (when heated to a liquid, it becomes reddish-orange). It is fairly soft, lightweight, brittle, lacks cleavage, and has a distinctive scent.
Locality: Stoneco Incorporated Maumee Quarry, town of Maumee, Lucas County, northwestern Ohio, USA
Tags: native sulfur element elements mineral minerals Stoneco Inc. Incorporated Maumee Quarry quarries Lucas County Ohio
A mineral is a naturally-occurring, solid, inorganic, crystalline substance having a fairly definite chemical composition and having fairly definite physical properties. At its simplest, a mineral is a naturally-occurring solid chemical. Currently, there are over 6000 named and described minerals - about 200 of them are common and about 20 of them are very common. Mineral classification is based on anion chemistry. Major categories of minerals are: elements, sulfides, oxides, halides, carbonates, sulfates, phosphates, and silicates.
The carbonate minerals all contain one or more carbonate (CO3-2) anions.
Calcite is a common mineral. It is calcium carbonate (CaCO3). It has a nonmetallic luster, commonly clearish to whitish to yellowish to grayish in color, is moderately soft (H≡3), moderately light-weight, has six-sided crystals (calcite is actually in the trigonal crystal system - crystals of calcite are often scalenohedrons), and rhombohedral cleavage (three cleavage planes at 75º & 105º angles - cleavage pieces look like lopsided boxes). The easiest way to identify calcite is to drop acid on it - it easily bubbles (effervesces) in acid. The bubbles are carbon dioxide gas. If the acid is dilute hydrochloric acid, the chemical reaction is:
2HCl(aq) + CaCO3(s) -->> CO2(g)↑ + H2O(l) + CaCl2(aq)
The most important and voluminous calcitic rocks in the world are limestone (sedimentary), marble (metamorphic), carbonatite (igneous), and travertine (speleothem, or "cave formations", and many hotspring deposits). Many hydrothermal veins in the world are calcitic or have calcite as a principal component.
Locality: Stoneco Incorporated Maumee Quarry, town of Maumee, Lucas County, northwestern Ohio, USA
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Photo gallery of calcite:
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Tags: calcite calcium carbonate carbonates mineral minerals Stoneco Incorporated Maumee Quarry quarries Lucas County Ohio