L1.3: Chemical Properties

• CHEMICAL PROPERTIES

  • Silicates
  • Oxides
  • Sulfates
  • Sulfides
  • Carbonates
  • Halides
  • Native Elements
• CHEMICAL PROPERTIES

  ● Silicates

  ○ Minerals containing 2 of the most abundant elements in the Earth’s crust, namely, Silicon (28%) and Oxygen(47%). Its chemical composition often includes SiO4.

  ○ Over 90% of the rock-forming minerals belong to this group.

  ○ Other most common elements that make the earth’s crust are Al (8.1%), Fe (5.0%), Ca (3.6%), Mg (3.1%), Na (2.8%), and K (2.6%)
• CHEMICAL PROPERTIES

  ● Oxides

  ○ Minerals containing Oxygen anion (O2-) combined with one or more metal ions
• CHEMICAL PROPERTIES

  ● Sulfates

  ○ Minerals containing Sulfur and Oxygen anion (SO4-) combined with other ions.
• CHEMICAL PROPERTIES

  ● Sulfides

  ○ Minerals containing sulfur anion (S2-) combined with one or more ions. Some sulfides are sources of economically important metals such as copper, lead, and zinc
• CHEMICAL PROPERTIES

  ● Carbonates

  ○ Minerals containing the carbonate anion (CO3)2- combined with other elements.
• CHEMICAL PROPERTIES

  ● Halides

  ○ Minerals containing halogen elements combined with one or more elements.

  ○ Halogen elements include F, Cl, Br, I, and At.
• CHEMICAL PROPERTIES

  ● Native Elements

  ○ Minerals that form as individual elements.

  ○ Metals and Inter-metals: minerals with high thermal and electrical conductivity. Typically with a metallic luster, low hardness (Gold, Lead)

  ○ Semi-metals: minerals that are more fragile than metals and have lower conductivity (Arsenic, Bismuth)

  ○ Non-metals: non-conductive (Diamond, Sulfur)