The sulfate minerals are a class of minerals that include the sulfate ion (SO2−
4) within their structure. The sulfate minerals occur commonly in primary evaporite depositional environments, as gangue minerals in hydrothermal veins and as secondary minerals in the oxidizing zone of sulfide mineral deposits. The chromate and manganate minerals have a similar structure and are often included with the sulfates in mineral classification systems.[1]
Sulfate minerals include:
- Anhydrous sulfates
- Hydroxide and hydrous sulfates
- Gypsum CaSO4·2H2O
- Chalcanthite CuSO4·5H2O
- Kieserite MgSO4·H2O
- Starkeyite MgSO4·4H2O
- Hexahydrite MgSO4·6H2O
- Epsomite MgSO4·7H2O
- Meridianiite MgSO4·11H2O
- Melanterite FeSO4·7H2O
- Antlerite Cu3SO4(OH)4
- Brochantite Cu4SO4(OH)6
- Alunite KAl3(SO4)2(OH)6
- Jarosite KFe3(SO4)2(OH)6
- ^ Klein, Cornelis and Cornelius S. Hurlbut, 1985, Manual of Mineralogy, 20th ed., John Wiley and Sons, New York, pp. 347–354 ISBN 0-471-80580-7.