Field book of common rocks and minerals : $b for identifying the rocks and minerals of the United States and interpreting their origins and meaningsLoomis, Frederic Brewster
Science
Field book of common rocks and minerals : $b for identifying the rocks and minerals of the United States and interpreting their origins and meanings
Loomis, Frederic Brewster
Minerals -- United States; Rocks -- United States
Lead is used in making pipes, gutters, bullets, etc., and in its oxide
forms in the manufacture of paints and glass. Eighty-three parts of lead
with 17 parts of antimony make type metal. Lead and tin alloy to make
solder. Lead and tin with small amounts of copper, zinc and antimony
make pewter. The United States produce about 20% of the world’s supply
of this metal.
Galena
PbS
Pl. 17
_lead glance_
Occurs in cubes or cleavable masses; hardness 2.5; specific gravity 7.5;
color lead-gray; streak lead-gray; luster metallic; opaque.
While there is quite a group of lead-gray minerals, galena is easily
identified by its cleavage, which is perfect in three directions
parallel to the cube faces. Even a moderate blow of the hammer will
shatter a mass of galena into small cubic pieces. The crystals often
have the corners cut by octahedral faces, and occasionally the edges are
beveled by dodecahedral faces. It is not uncommon to find crystals of
large size, several inches across. If galena has 1 to 2% of bismuth as
an impurity, curiously enough, the cleavage changes to octahedral, but
this is a rare occurrence.
Galena may occur as a primary mineral in veins associated with igneous
intrusions, or in irregular masses in metamorphic rocks; but it is more
often found in irregular masses in limestones, where the limestone has
been dissolved, and the cavities thus formed, filled with secondary
deposits of galena. It also occurs at the contact between igneous rocks
and the adjacent rock, whatever this may be. Sometimes it is found in
residual clays.
Among the most important lead deposits are the Cœur d’Alene district in
Idaho, where galena with a high percentage of silver is mined; the
Leadville, Colo., district where lead, silver and gold occur together in
veins; the Joplin, Mo., district, where lead and zinc ores occur
together in irregular masses in limestones; and the Wisconsin district
of similar character.
When found galena is usually associated with sphalerite, argentite
chalcopyrite, pyrite and calcite. It will be found in every state.
Cerrusite
PbCO₃
Pl. 18
_White lead ore_
Occurs in fibrous or compact masses, or in orthorhombic crystals,
usually on galena; hardness 3.5; specific gravity 6.5; colorless; streak
white; luster adamantine; transparent on thin edges.
While the crystals of this mineral simulate hexagonal, they are actually
orthorhombic, the simple form being an octahedron with two of its edges
beveled, making double six-sided pyramids (see Pl. 18 A.) Usually prism
faces are present. Twinning is common, both the simple contact sort, as
shown on Plate 18 B, and also the sort in which three crystals have
grown through each other, so as to make a six-rayed crystal. The
considerable weight, and the fact that it effervesces in acid serve to
identify cerrusite. When pure it is colorless, but impurities cause it
to appear white, gray or grayish-black, and sometimes it has a tinge of
blue or green.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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