Molybdenite
| Molybdenite | |
|---|---|
 Molybdenite ore on a quartz crystal. | |
| General | |
| Category | Mineral |
| Formula (repeating unit) | Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) |
| Identification | |
| Color | Black, Gray |
| Crystal habit | Thin, Hexagonal or Trigonal |
| Mohs scale hardness | 1–1.5 |
| Luster | Metallic |
| Streak | Bluish gray |
| Diaphaneity | Nearly non-transparent; transparent in thin parts |
| Pleochroism | Very strong |
| Other characteristics | It has a slippery feel and leaves marks on fingers |
| References | [1][2][3][4][5] |
Molybdenite (known by the mineral symbol Mol)[3] is a mineral form of molybdenum disulfide. It is similar to the texture of graphite. It sometimes has a slippery effect because of its structure, which is made of sheets of molybdenum and sulfur. It usually has a hexagonal shape, or has a trigonal shape.[2]
It occurs usually with minerals such as quartz or pyrite, and can be found in deposits across mines in the western US, notably New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, and Arizona. It can also be found in Mexico. Sometimes, Rhenium can be found in this mineral. It is very similar to graphite that it can be almost impossible in tell them apart.
References
[change | change source]- ↑ Mineralienatlas
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Handbook of Mineralogy
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Mindat.org
- ↑ Webmineral data for Molybdenite
- ↑ Dana's Manual of Mineralogy ISBN 0-471-03288-3
