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Bismuthinite



Bismuthinite
CategorySulfide mineral
Chemical formulaBi2S3
Identification
ColorLead-gray to tin-white, with a yellowish or iridescent tarnish.
Crystal habitSlender prismatic to acicular, massive lamellar
Crystal systemOrthorhombic - Dipyramidal 2/m 2/m 2/m
Cleavage[010] Perfect
FractureBrittle - sectile
Mohs Scale hardness2
LusterMetallic
Optical PropertiesOpaque
StreakLead grey
Specific gravity6.8 - 7.2
References[1][2][3]

Bismuthinite is a mineral consisting of bismuth sulfide (Bi2S3). It is an important ore for bismuth. The crystals are steel-grey to off-white with a metallic luster. It is soft enough to be scratched with a fingernail and rather dense.

Bismuthinite forms a series with the lead, copper, bismuth mineral aikinite (PbCuBiS3).[3]

It occurs in hydrothermal veins with tourmaline-bearing copper veins associated with granite, in some high temperature gold veins, and in recent volcanic exhalation deposits. Associated minerals include native bismuth, aikinite, arsenopyrite, stannite, galena, pyrite, chalcopyrite, tourmaline, wolframite, cassiterite and quartz.[1]

It was first reported in 1832 from the mines of Potosí, Bolivia.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b http://rruff.geo.arizona.edu/doclib/hom/bismuthinite.pdf Mineral Handbook
  2. ^ a b http://webmineral.com/data/Bismuthinite.shtml Webmineral Site
  3. ^ a b http://www.mindat.org/min-686.html Mindat mineral data
  • mineral galleries
 
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Bismuthinite". A list of authors is available in Wikipedia.
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