Smithsonite

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Smithsonite

Smithsonite, or zinc spar, is zinc

Zinc

Zinc is a metallic chemical element with the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is a first-row transition metal of the group 12 element of the periodic table....
carbonate

Carbonate

In chemistry, a carbonate is a salt or ester of carbonic acid....
Zn

Zinc

Zinc is a metallic chemical element with the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is a first-row transition metal of the group 12 element of the periodic table....
C

Carbon

Carbon is a chemical element with chemical symbol C and atomic number 6. As a member of group 14 on the periodic table, it is nonmetallic and tetravalence?making four electrons available to form covalent bond chemical bonds....
O

Oxygen

Oxygen no O2 produced; 2) O2 produced, but absorbed in oceans & seabed rock; 3) O2 starts to gas out of the oceans, but is absorbed by land surfaces and formation of ozone layer; 4-5) O2 sinks filled and the gas accumulates]]...
₃, a mineral ore of zinc. Historically, smithsonite was identified with hemimorphite

Hemimorphite

Hemimorphite, is a Silicate minerals mineral which has been mined from days of old from the upper parts of zinc and lead ores, chiefly associated with smithsonite....
before it was realised that they were two distinct minerals. The two minerals are very similar in appearance and the term calamine

Calamine (mineral)

Calamine is a historic name for an ore of zinc. The name calamine was derived from the Belgium town of Kelmis, whose French language name is "La Calamine", which is home to a zinc mine....
has been used for both, leading to some confusion. The distinct mineral Smithsonite was first described in 1832 and named for British chemist and mineralogist, James Smithson

James Smithson

James Smithson, Fellow of the Royal Society, Master of Arts was a United Kingdom mineralogist and chemist noted for having left a bequest in his will to the United States, which was used to initially fund the Smithsonian Institution....
(1754-1829), whose estate financed the Smithsonian Institution

Smithsonian Institution

The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its Financial endowment, contributions, and profits from its shops and its magazine....
. Smithsonite is a variably colored trigonal mineral which only rarely is found in well formed crystals.

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Encyclopedia

Smithsonite, or zinc spar, is zinc

Zinc

Zinc is a metallic chemical element with the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is a first-row transition metal of the group 12 element of the periodic table....
carbonate

Carbonate

In chemistry, a carbonate is a salt or ester of carbonic acid....
Zn

Zinc

Zinc is a metallic chemical element with the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is a first-row transition metal of the group 12 element of the periodic table....
C

Carbon

Oxygen

Hemimorphite

Calamine (mineral)

James Smithson

Smithsonian Institution

Smithsonite is a variably colored trigonal mineral which only rarely is found in well formed crystals. The typical habit is as earthy botryoidal

Botryoidal

A botryoidal texture or mineral Crystal habit is one in which the mineral has a globular external form resembling a bunch of grapes as derived from the Greek language....
masses. It has a Mohs hardness of 4.5 and a specific gravity

Specific gravity

Specific gravity is defined as the ratio of the density of a given solid or liquid substance to the density of water at a specific temperature and pressure, typically at 4?C and , making it a dimensionless quantity ....
of 4.4 to 4.5.

Smithsonite occurs as a secondary mineral in the weathering or oxidation zone of zinc bearing ore deposits. It sometimes occurs as replacement bodies in carbonate rocks and as such may constitute zinc ore. It commonly occurs in association with hemimorphite, willemite

Willemite

Willemite is a zinc silicate mineral and a minor ore of zinc. It is highly fluorescent under shortwave ultraviolet light. It occurs in all different colors in daylight, in fibrous masses, solid brown masses , and apple green gemmy masses....
, hydrozincite

Hydrozincite

Hydrozincite, also known as zinc bloom, is a white Carbonate minerals consisting of Zinc526. It is usually found in massive rather than crystalline form....
, cerussite

Cerussite

Cerussite is a mineral consisting of lead carbonate , and an important ore of lead. The name is from the Latin cerussa, white lead. Basic lead carbonate was first prepared by the Alchemy and chemistry in Islam, Geber , in the 8th century....
, malachite

Malachite

Malachite is a Carbonate minerals normally known as "copper carbonate" with the chemical formula coppercarbonate.copperhydroxide2. This green-colored mineral crystallizes in the monoclinic crystal system, and most often forms botryoidal, fibrous, or stalagmite masses....
, azurite

Azurite

Azutite may also refer to a blue Green fluorescent protein#GFP derivatives.----Azurite is a soft, deep blue copper mineral produced by weathering of copper ore deposits....
, aurichalcite

Aurichalcite

Aurichalcite is a Carbonate minerals, usually found as a secondary mineral in copper and zinc deposits. Its chemical formula is 526....
and anglesite

Anglesite

Anglesite is a lead sulfate mineral, PbSO4. It occurs as an oxidation product of primary lead sulfide ore, galena. Anglesite occurs as prismatic orthorhombic crystals and earthy masses, and is isomorphous with barite and Celestine ....
. Forms two limited solid solution

Solid solution

A solid solution is a solid-phase solution of one or more soluble in a solvent. Such a mixture is considered a solution rather than a Chemical compound when the crystal structure of the solvent remains unchanged by addition of the solutes, and when the mixture remains in a single wiktionary:Homogeneous phase ....
series, with substitution of manganese leading to rhodochrosite

Rhodochrosite

Rhodochrosite is a manganese carbonate mineral with chemical composition Manganese carbonate. In its pure form, it is typically a rose-red color, but impure specimens can be shades of pink to pale brown....
and with iron leading to siderite

Siderite

Siderite is also the name of a type of iron meteorite.----Siderite is a mineral composed of iron carbonate ironcarbonoxygen3....
.

Uses

Zinc carbonate is used as an astringent

Astringent

An astringent substance is a chemical that tends to shrink or constrict body tissues, usually locally after topical medicinal application. The word "astringent" derives from Latin adstringere, meaning "to bind fast"....
and excipient

Excipient

An excipient is an inactive substance used as a carrier for the active ingredients of a medication. In many cases, an "active" substance may not be easily administered and absorbed by the human body; in such cases the substance in question may be dissolved into or mixed with an excipient....
in shampoo

Shampoo

Shampoo is a hair care product used for the removal of sebum, dirt, skin particles, dandruff, environmental pollutants and other contaminant particles that gradually build up in hair....
. It is also used as a fireproofing

Fireproofing

Fireproofing, a passive fire protection measure, refers to the act of making materials or building more resistant to fire, or to those materials themselves, or the act of applying such materials....
filler for rubber

Elastomer

An elastomer is a polymer with the property of elasticity. The term, which is derived from elastic polymer, is often used interchangeably with the term rubber, and is preferred when referring to vulcanization....
and plastics, as a feed additive, as a pigment

Pigment

A pigment is a material that changes the color of light it Reflection as the result of selective color absorption. This physical process differs from fluorescence, phosphorescence, and other forms of luminescence, in which the material itself emits light....
, in cosmetics

Cosmetics

Cosmetics are substances used to enhance or protect the appearance or odor of the human body. Cosmetics include skin-care Cream , lotions, Powder , perfumes, lipsticks, fingernail and toe nail polish, eye and facial makeup, permanent waves, colored contact lenses, hair colors, hair sprays and gels, deodorants, baby products, bath oils, bubb...
and lotions, and in the manufacturing of porcelain

Porcelain

Porcelain is a ceramic material made by heating raw materials, generally including clay in the form of kaolin, in a kiln to temperatures between and ....
, pottery

Pottery

Pottery is the ceramic ware made by potters. Major types of pottery include earthenware, stoneware, and porcelain. The places where such wares are made are called potteries....
, and rubber.

Smithsonite

Uses

See also