How does the structure of sphalerite differ from wurtzite?
Zinc sulfide (ZnS) is a unique compound that forms two types of crystalline structures. These two polymorphs are wurtzite and zincblende (also known as sphalerite). Wurtzite has a hexagonal structure, while zincblende is cubic.
What is the difference in the structures of zinc blende and wurtzite?
What is the difference between zinc blende and wurtzite? Zinc blende and wurtzite are two forms of zinc sulfide. However, the key difference between zinc blende and wurtzite is that zinc blend is cubic, whereas wurtzite has a hexagonal structure.
Is sphalerite metallic or nonmetallic?
The appearance and properties of sphalerite are variable. It occurs in a variety of colors, and its luster ranges from nonmetallic to submetallic and resinous to adamantine. Occasionally it will be transparent with a vitreous luster.
Why zinc blende can be called both mineral and ore of zinc?
Answer: Because it has zinc or it is made up of zinc.
What is the characteristics of sphalerite?
Sphalerite is the major ore of zinc. It is a sulphide mineral and exhibits a wide range of physical properties, such as colour, transparency, streak and lustre, because many elements can substitute for Zn in its crystal structure.
What are sphalerite properties?
| Sphalerite | |
|---|---|
| Streak | brownish white, pale yellow |
| Diaphaneity | Transparent to translucent, opaque when iron-rich |
| Specific gravity | 3.9–4.2 |
| Optical properties | Isotropic |
Which type of zinc ore is sphalerite?
sphalerite, also called blende, or zinc blende, zinc sulfide (ZnS), the chief ore mineral of zinc. It is found associated with galena in most important lead-zinc deposits.
Is sphalerite metamorphic sedimentary or igneous?
Sphalerite is a zinc sulfide mineral with a chemical composition of (Zn,Fe)S. It is found in metamorphic, igneous, and sedimentary rocks in many parts of the world. Sphalerite is the most commonly encountered zinc mineral and the world’s most important ore of zinc.
What is wurtzite boron nitride?
Wurtzite boron nitride (w-BN) is a metastable high-pressure polymorph of BN, which can only be fabricated as micrometer-size powders by the shock compression of hexagonal BN.
Is sphalerite a silicate?
Miners have been known to refer to sphalerite as zinc blende, black-jack, and ruby blende. Marmatite is an opaque black variety with a high iron content….
| Sphalerite | |
|---|---|
| Category | Sulfide mineral |
| Formula (repeating unit) | (Zn,Fe)S |
| IMA symbol | Sp |
| Strunz classification | 2.CB.05a |
What is sphalerite made of?
What type of rock is sphalerite?