GL - 101 Intr.

Mineralogy

Dr. Mulugheta Tewelde

University of Zimbabwe
Department of Geology
 Halides
- are formed by combining a metal with one of the five
halogen elements, chlorine, bromine, fluorine, iodine, and
astatine.

- Halogen ions tend to bond to large, weakly polarized

cations such as, among others, sodium (Na), potassium
(K), magnesium (Mg) or calcium (Ca) and as a result, they
form ionic bonds.

- They dissolve mostly easily in water.

- isometric
- ionic bonding (dominant)
- Properties:
- hardness low, poor conductors (except at high
temperatures)
 Halides
Halides
AX AmXp
Halite, NaCl Cryolite: Na3AlF6
Silvite, KCl AX2
Chlorargyrite, AgCl Fluorite, CaF2
 Halides (Contd.)
Halite (NaCl)

-Source of Sodium to make NaOH and soap, and Chlorine

(HCl (major use of halite), bleach, water purification) and
as NaCl in food.

- Habit: isometric, crystallizes in cubic crystals; mostly

found as granular mass (rock salt)

- Physical properties: H = 2.5; G = 2.16; vitreous luster, in

pure form colorless (if impruities: red, yellow), perfect
cubic cleavage;

- Composition: NaCl, dissolves easily in water

 Halides (Contd.)
Halite (contd.)
- Occurence: found mostly in beds as a sedimentary rock,
where it has formed by evaporation of seawater.
- Found together with sylvite and gypsum.

Halite structure
 Halides (Contd.)
Octahedral Coordination: CN 6 in Halite NaCl

Sylvite (KCl) is isostructural

 Halides (Contd.)
Sylvite
- The crystal form, mineral association, origin &
occurence of sylvite is similar to halite.
- Composition: KCl, isostructural with halite (but there is
almost no solid solution, b/c of the size difference of Na+
and K+ ions.
- Habit: isometric
- Occurence: is formed in beds resulting from evaporation
of seawater.
. As sylvite is more soluble than halite, it is
precipitated later and crystallize above early-
formed halite.
**. If evaporation does not continue to almost
dryness, no sylvite precipitates.  therefore it is
much less common than halite.
 Halides (Contd.)
Chlorargyrite (AgCl)
- Composition: AgCl, isostructural with halite (but there is
little solid solution).

- Habit: isometric, but crystals are rare (found in masses

like wax)

- Occurence: is a secondary mineral, found in the upper

near surface portions of silver veins.

-Physical properties:
H = 2-3; G = 5.5; perfectly sectile (can be cut with a knife
like a piece of wax).
Luster is adamantine, white colour darkens to violet-
brown when exposed to light.
 Halides (Contd.)
Fluorite (CaF2)
- It is one of the most beautiful minerals. Over 50% of
fluorite is used to produce hydrofluoric acid. Other
applications include: glas, lens and a flux in making steel.

- Composition: CaF2, when powdered and warmed with

sulfuric acid, it gives off hydrofluoric acid.

- Habit: isometric, cubic crystals are common, it is found

also in penetration twins (angle of one cube project from
the faces of another. Fluorite occurs also in fibrous
aggregates (known as blue john).
 Halides (Contd.)
Fluorite

Ca 2+ ions (surrounded by 8 F-) are arranged at the corners and face

centers of a cubic unit cell and F- (surrounded by 4 Ca2+) are at the
centers of the eight equal cubelets.
 Halides (Contd.)
Fluorite (contd.)
- Occurence: usually found, among others, in veins with
quartz, calcite and sulfide minerals.

- Physical properties:
- Exists in great variety of colours, usually transparent,
they show fluorescence in UV light.
- In some varities, a blow with hammer yields a
beautiful light (triboluminescence) for hours afterward. -
Some fluorites show thermoluminescence (a property of
emitting visible light when heated).
- The phenomenon of flurescence was first observed in
fluorite and takes its name from the mineral.