magnesite
Sign in to saveMagnesite is a mineral with the chemical formula (magnesium carbonate). Iron, manganese, cobalt, and nickel may occur as admixtures, but only in small amounts. Magnesite occurs naturally in both cryptocrystalline and crystalline forms depending on the conditions of formation.
Key facts
- Mineral.name
- Magnesite
- Mineral.category
- Carbonate mineral
- Mineral.image
- Magnesite-121892.jpg
- Mineral.imagesize
- 260px
- Mineral.caption
- Magnesite crystals from Brazil (11.4 × 9.2 × 3.6 cm)
- Mineral.formula
- MgCO3
- Mineral.IMAsymbol
- Mgs
- Mineral.strunz
- 5.AB.05
- Mineral.system
- Trigonal
- Mineral.class
- Hexagonal scalenohedral (m)H-M symbol: ( 2/m)
- Mineral.symmetry
- Rc
- Mineral.color
- Colorless, white, pale yellow, pale brown, faintly pink, lilac-rose
- Mineral.habit
- Usually massive, rarely as rhombohedrons or hexagonal prisms
- Mineral.cleavage
- [101] perfect
- Mineral.fracture
- Conchoidal
- Mineral.tenacity
- Brittle
- Mineral.mohs
- 3.5–4.5
- Mineral.luster
- Vitreous
via Wikipedia infobox
Article
10 sectionsContents
- Occurrence
- Formation
- Isotopic evidence
- Uses
- Refractory material
- Other uses
- Artworks
- Occupational safety and health
- United States
- References
Magnesite is a mineral with the chemical formula (magnesium carbonate). Iron, manganese, cobalt, and nickel may occur as admixtures, but only in small amounts. Magnesite occurs naturally in both cryptocrystalline and crystalline forms depending on the conditions of formation.
Magnesite is used in the production of magnesium oxide for the refractory lining of kilns and furnaces, as well as artistically in jewelry and sculpture. Since it may be formed by carbonation of magnesium serpentine, there have also been efforts to use magnesite for carbon sequestration.