Important Non-Silicates
Hematite-Corundum Ilmenite FeTiO 3 is similar
Halite and Galena
Pyrite
Diamond
Sphalerite
Chalcopyrite
Halite and Calcite
Calcite
Fluorite Uraninite UO 2 is isostructural
Goethite
Lepidocrocite
Bauxite and Limonite Bauxite MineralsLimonite Minerals Gibbsite Al(OH) 3 Boehmite AlO(OH)Lepidocrocite FeO(OH) Diaspore AlO(OH)Goethite FeO(OH)
Perovskite
Perovskite in the Mantle Perovskite is CaTiO 3 Enstatite (Mg Pyroxene) = MgSiO 3 Can collapse to perovskite structure at high pressure
Rutile
Cassiterite SnO 2 is isostructural
The Spinels AB 2 O 4 A is divalent, B is trivalent Oxygens in cubic close-packed structure In a close-packed structure, there is one octahedral site for every oxygen and two tetrahedral Ideally B occupies half of octahedral sites and A occupies 1/8 of tetrahedral sites
Normal and Inverse Spinels In normal spinels, B (trivalent) occupies octahedral sites and A (divalent) occupies tetrahedral sites In inverse spinels, A (divalent) occupies octahedral sites and B (trivalent) occupies tetrahedral sites In real spinels there is a lot of crossover
Important Spinels Spinel (normal) MgAl 2 O 4 Hercynite (normal) FeAl 2 O 4 Magnetite (inverse) Fe ++ Fe O 4 Chromite (inverse) FeCr 2 O 4 Ulvospinel (inverse) Fe 2 TiO 4 Franklinite (inverse) ZnFe O 4 Maghemite (inverse) Fe 2 O 3
Spinel
Spinel in the Mantle Spinel = AB 2 O 4 Forsterite (Mg olivine) = Mg 2 SiO 4 Can collapse to SiMg 2 O 4 at high pressure Si in octahedral sites, not tetrahedral!