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MINERALS

Geology

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17 views

MINERALS

Geology

Uploaded by

mohamed_sahnoun_enis
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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MINERALS

24
Why Minerals are Important in
Geosciences
• An understanding of mineral structures and properties
also allows us to answer more immediate questions,
such as: why quartz and diamond are so hard, and why
solid granite rock is destined to become soft, sticky clay.

• Minerals are natural resources, providing raw materials


for many industries. Therefore, understanding minerals
has geological as well as economic applications.

• Definition of the term “MINERAL”: A mineral is a naturally


occurring solid with a highly ordered atomic arrangement
and a definite (but not fixed) chemical composition. It is
usually formed by inorganic processes

25
Definition of Cristallography
A CRYSTAL is a regular polyhedral form, bounded by smooth
faces, which is assumed by a chemical compound, due to the
action of its interatomic forces, when passing from the state of
a liquid or gas to that of a solid.
Polyhedral form: solid bounded by flat planes (CRYSTAL
FACES).
Very slow cooling of a liquid allows atoms to arrange
themselves into an ordered pattern, which may extend of a
long range (millions of atoms). This kind of solid is called
crystalline.
Example: The chemical composition of window glass is
virtually identical with that of quartz (a crystalline material):
both are forms of SiO2. Window glass is glassy because it is
made by chilling molten SiO2 very quickly; quartz crystals form
when molten SiO2 is cooled very slowly or by precipitation
from solution. 26
Cristal Forms
• During the process of crystallization,
6 large groups of crystal
crystals assume various geometric
systems:
shapes dependent on the ordering of
their atomic structure and the physical
and chemical conditions under which • (1) CUBIC
they grow. • (2) TETRAGONAL
• These forms may be subdivided, using • (3) ORTHORHOMBIC
geometry, into six systems. • (4) HEXAGONAL
CRYSTALLOGRAPHIC • (5) MONOCLINIC
AXES
• (6) TRICLINIC

27
Crystal
Coordinate

Coordinate
numbers
and Radius ratio

28
Mineral properties
Mohs Scale of Hardness

29
Ion Substitution in Minerals
Solid Solution
In a mineral, if 2 ions have similar ionic
size (differ by less than 15 %), They
can substitute each other. If the
substitution is partially made then the
atomic sites will be occupied by
variable proportions of the two
different ions, without any change in
the crystallographic lattice. 30
Isomorphs and Polymorphs Minerals

31
Some Common Minerals
Oxides Sulfides Carbonates Sulfates Halides

Hematite Pyrite Aragonite Anhydrite Halite


Magnetite Galena Calcite Gypsum Sylvite
Sphalerite Dolomite
Fe-Dolomite
Ankerite

Silicates
Non-Ferromagnesian Ferromagnesian
(Common in Sedimentary Rocks) (not common in sedimentary rocks)
Quartz Olivine
Muscovite (mica) Pyroxene
Feldspars Augite
Potassium feldspar (K-spar) Amphibole
Orthoclase Hornblende
Microcline, etc. Biotite (mica)
Plagioclase
Albite (Na-rich - common) through Red = Sedimentary Rock-
Anorthite (Ca-rich - not common) Forming Minerals
32
Some Common Minerals

• Clay minerals likely are the most utilized


minerals (grow plants for foods and garment,
but a great range of applications, including oil
absorbants, animal feeds, pottery,
pharmaceuticals, drilling, fluids, waste water
treatment, food preparation….
• Form mainly from the alteration of magmatic
minerals (Feldspars, Micas, Plagioclases….)

33
Some Common Minerals
CLAY MINERALS
All have layers of Si Tetrahedra

All have layers of Si Tetrahedra


and
layers of Al, Fe, Mg Octahedra

34
CLAY MINERALS
• The kaolinite clays are 1:1 phyllosilicates
• Al2Si2O5(OH)2
• The montmorillonite and illite clays are 2:1
phyllosilicates
• (K,H3O)(Al,Mg,Fe)2(Si,Al)4O10[(OH)2,(H2O)]
(illite)
• (1⁄2Ca,Na)(Al,Mg,Fe)4(Si,Al)8O20(OH)4nH2O
(Montmorillonnite)

35
Some Common Minerals
QUARTZ and FELDSPARS
• Quartz:
SiO2

• Feldspars:
KAlSi3O8 (Orthose)

• Plagioclases:
Quartz (Plagioclase: Albite) (Feldspar: Orthose)
– NaAlSi3O8 (Albite)
– CaAl2Si2O8 (Anorthite)
(Plagioclase: Anorthite)
36
Some Common Minerals
CARBONATES
• Calcite
CaCO3

• Dolomite
Ca,Mg (CO3)2

• Aragonite
Ca CO3

37
Some Common Minerals
SULFATES and CHLORIDES
• SULFATES
• Gypsum: CaSO4, 2H2O

• Anhydrite: CaSO4

• CHLORIDES
• Halite: NaCl

• Sylvite: KCl

38
Some Common Minerals
OTHER MINERALS
• Sulfides
– Pyrite: (FeS2)
Pyrite Galena
– Galena: (PbS)

– Sphalerite: (ZnS)

– Cinabre: (HgS )
Cinabre
Sphalerite
Some Common Minerals
OTHER MINERALS
• OXYDES
• Iron Oxyde
– Hématite (Fe2O3)
Hématite

– Limonite (2Fe2O3,3H2O)

Limonite

• PHOSPHATES
– Fluorapatite Ca10 (PO4)6 (F2)
Fluorapatite

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