My Blog

Uses of Magnesite

Magnesite has a chemical composition of MgCO3, and when it is heated it will dissociate into MgO and CO2. MgO has an extremely high melting temperature, and that makes it a good refractory material in many steelmaking, metallurgical, and ceramic processes. MgO is one of the most commonly used materials for making the bricks used…

March 23, 2023
Properties of Magnesite

Magnesite can be difficult to identify in hand specimens because it often departs from its anticipated properties. It is often cryptocrystalline, which can obscure its cleavage. Magnesite is often silicified or in an admixture with chert, which makes it deceptively hard. The presence of significant chert will also reduce the apparent effervescence with HCl. If…

March 23, 2023
How Does Magnesite Form?

Magnesite can form by several processes. Some of the more common are described below.

March 23, 2023
What Is Magnesite?

Magnesite is a magnesium carbonate mineral with a chemical composition of MgCO3. It is named after the presence of magnesium in its composition. Magnesite usually forms during the alteration of magnesium-rich rocks or carbonate rocks by metamorphism or chemical weathering. Magnesite is used to produce magnesium oxide (MgO), which serves as a refractory material for the steel industry…

March 23, 2023
Uses of Mercury

Because cinnabar is the only important ore of mercury, the demand for mercury has driven mining activity. Mercury has many uses, but its toxicity has reduced its use in any application where reasonable substitutes can be found. Large amounts of mercury are currently used in the chemical industry in the production of chlorine and caustic…

March 23, 2023
Uses of Cinnabar

Cinnabar is the only important ore of mercury. For thousands of years, cinnabar has been mined and heated in a furnace. The mercury escapes as a vapor that can be condensed into liquid mercury. People began using cinnabar for pigments thousands of years ago in Italy, Greece, Spain, Japan, China, Turkey, and the Mayan countries of South America. Through time, people in…

March 23, 2023
Metacinnabar

Metacinnabar is a polymorph of cinnabar. It has the same chemical composition (HgS) as cinnabar but a different crystal structure. Cinnabar is trigonal, while metacinnabar is isometric. The two minerals should not be confused with one another because metacinnabar has a metallic gray color, a gray-to-black streak and a metallic-to-submetallic luster.

March 23, 2023
Properties of Cinnabar

The most striking property of cinnabar is its red color. Its bright color makes it easy to spot in the field and is a fascination for those who discover it. It has a Mohs hardness of 2 to 2.5 and is very easily ground into a very fine powder. It has a specific gravity of 8.1, which…

March 23, 2023
Cinnabar is Toxic

As a mineral ore of mercury, cinnabar is a hazardous material. It should be treated as a toxic substance. It is not a mineral to be handled or used with students. It should be stored with a label that warns unknowing people who might encounter it in your specimen cabinet, display case, or storage location.

March 23, 2023
Geologic Occurrence of Cinnabar

Cinnabar is a hydrothermal mineral that precipitates from ascending hot waters and vapors as they move through fractured rocks. It forms at shallow depths where temperatures are less than about 200 degrees Celsius. It usually forms in rocks surrounding geologically recent volcanic activity but can also form near hot springs and fumaroles. Cinnabar precipitates as coatings…

March 23, 2023