Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
The kaolinite-serpentine group consists of T-O stacks (the 1:1 clay minerals); their hardness ranges from 2 to 4, as the sheets are held by hydrogen bonds. The 2:1 clay minerals (pyrophyllite-talc) consist of T-O-T stacks, but they are softer (hardness from 1 to 2), as they are instead held together by van der Waals forces.
Mineral tests are simple physical and chemical methods of testing samples, which can help to identify the mineral type. [1] This approach is used widely in mineralogy , ore geology and general geological mapping.
In geochemistry, compatibility is a measure of how readily a particular trace element substitutes for a major element within a mineral. Compatibility of an ion is controlled by two things: its valence and its ionic radius. [1] Both must approximate those of the major element for the trace element to be compatible in the mineral.
The geological definition of mineral normally excludes compounds that occur only in living beings. However, some minerals are often biogenic (such as calcite) or are organic compounds in the sense of chemistry (such as mellite). Moreover, living beings often synthesize inorganic minerals (such as hydroxylapatite) that also occur in rocks.
The Mohs scale of mineral hardness, based on scratch hardness comparison, defines value 1 as the hardness of talc, the softest mineral. When scraped on a streak plate , talc produces a white streak, though this indicator is of little importance, because most silicate minerals produce a white streak.
Industrial resources (minerals) are geological materials that are mined for their commercial value, which are not fuel (fuel minerals or mineral fuels) and are not sources of metals (metallic minerals) but are used in the industries based on their physical and/or chemical properties. [1]
A mineraloid is a naturally occurring substance that resembles a mineral, but does not demonstrate the crystallinity of a mineral. Mineraloid substances possess chemical compositions that vary beyond the generally accepted ranges for specific minerals, for example, obsidian is an amorphous glass and not a true crystal; lignite is derived from the decay of wood under extreme pressure ...
In the context of nutrition, a mineral is a chemical element. Some "minerals" are essential for life, but most are not. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ] Minerals are one of the four groups of essential nutrients; the others are vitamins , essential fatty acids , and essential amino acids . [ 4 ]