| Stibnite | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General | |
| Category | Sulfide mineral |
| Formula (repeating unit) | Sb2S3 |
| IMA symbol | Sbn[1] |
| Strunz classification | 2.DB.05a |
| Crystal system | Orthorhombic |
| Crystal class | Dipyramidal (mmm) H-M symbol: (2/m 2/m 2/m) |
| Space group | Pbnm |
| Unit cell | a = 11.229 Å, b = 11.31 Å, c = 3.8389 Å; Z = 4 |
| Identification | |
| Color | Lead-gray, tarnishing blackish or iridescent; in polished section, white |
| Crystal habit | Massive, radiating and elongated crystals. Massive and granular |
| Twinning | Rare |
| Cleavage | Perfect and easy on {010}; imperfect on {100} and {110} |
| Fracture | Subconchoidal |
| Tenacity | Highly flexible but not elastic; slightly sectile |
| Mohs scale hardness | 2 |
| Luster | Metallic[2] |
| Streak | Lead grey |
| Diaphaneity | Opaque |
| Specific gravity | 4.63 |
| Optical properties | Anisotropic |
| Solubility | Decomposed with hydrochloric acid |
| References | [3][4][5] |
| Major varieties | |
| Metastibnite | Earthy, reddish deposits |
Stibnite, sometimes called antimonite, is a sulfide mineral with the formula Sb2S3. This soft grey material crystallizes in an orthorhombic space group.[6] It is the most important source for the metalloid antimony.[7] The name is derived from the Greek στίβι stibi through the Latin stibium as the former name for the mineral and the element antimony.[3][4]
- ^ Warr, L.N. (2021). "IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols". Mineralogical Magazine. 85 (3): 291–320. Bibcode:2021MinM...85..291W. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43. S2CID 235729616.
- ^ "Stibnite | Antimony, Sulfide, Ore | Britannica".
- ^ a b Anthony, John W.; Bideaux, Richard A.; Bladh, Kenneth W.; Nichols, Monte C. (2005). "Stibnite" (PDF). Handbook of Mineralogy. Mineral Data Publishing. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
- ^ a b Stibnite, Mindat.org, retrieved 19 July 2022
- ^ Barthelmy, David (2014). "Stibnite Mineral Data". Webmineral.com. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
- ^ "Circular". United States National Bureau of Standards. 1–6 (539). U.S. Government Printing Office: 6. 1953.
- ^ Sabina C. Grund, K. Hanusch, H. J. Breunig, H. U. Wolf, "Antimony and Antimony Compounds" in Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry 2006, Wiley-VCH, Weinheim. doi:10.1002/14356007.a03_055.pub2