Dolomite Mineral Data

Dolomite Mineral Data +

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General Dolomite Information

Chemical Formula:

CaMg(CO3)2

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 184.40 gm

Calcium 21.73 % Ca 30.41 % CaO

Magnesium 13.18 % Mg 21.86 % MgO

Carbon 13.03 % C 47.73 % CO₂

Oxygen 52.06 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

CaMg(CO₃)₂

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1791

Locality:

Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named after the French mineralogist and geologist, Deodat Guy Tancrede Gratet de Dolomieu (1750-1801).

Synonym:

ICSD 31336

PDF 36-426

Dolomite Image

Images:

Dolomite

Comments: Pink rhombohedral crystals of dolomite on matrix.
Location: Eugui, Navarra Province, Navarra, Spain. Scale: Not Given.
© Lou Perloff / Photo Atlas of Minerals

Images:

Dolomite Dissakisite-(Ce)

Comments: Small, prisimatic, acicular crystals of tan-colored dissakisite-(Ce) scatterd on white crystalline dolomite.
Location: Trimouns mine, Luzenac, Ari?ge France. Scale: Picture size 5 cm.
© Fabre Minerals

Dolomite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:c = 1:3.29409

Cell Dimensions:

a = 4.842, c = 15.95, Z = 3; V = 323.85 Den(Calc)= 2.84

Crystal System:

Trigonal - RhombohedralH-M Symbol ( 3) Space Group: R 3

$Help on X Ray Diffraction:$ X Ray Diffraction:

By Intensity(I/I_o): 2.883(1), 1.785(0.6), 2.191(0.5),

Forms:

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Forms: [ 1 0 1]

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Crystal Structure:

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Steinfink H , Sans F J , American Mineralogist , 44 (1959) p.679-682, Refinement of the crystal structure of dolomite

View Additional jPOWD Structure files for Dolomite
[1] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [2] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25] [26] [27] [28] [29] [3] [30] [31] [32] [33] [34] [35] [36] [37] [38] [39] [4] [40] [41] [42] [43] [44] [45] [46] [47] [48] [49] [5] [50] [6] [7] [8] [9]

Physical Properties of Dolomite

Cleavage:

[1011] Perfect, [1011] Perfect, [1011] Perfect

Color:

White, Gray, Reddish white, Brownish white, Gray.

Density:

2.8 - 2.9, Average = 2.84

Diaphaniety:

Transparent to translucent

Fracture:

Brittle - Conchoidal - Very brittle fracture producing small, conchoidal fragments.

Habit:

Blocky - Rhombohedral - Crystal shape resembles rhomohedrons.

Habit:

Crystalline - Coarse - Occurs as well-formed coarse sized crystals.

Habit:

Massive - Uniformly indistinguishable crystals forming large masses.

Hardness:

3.5-4 - Copper Penny-Fluorite

Luminescence:

None.

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Dolomite

Dichroism (e):

none.

Dichroism (w):

none.

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.006 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.003 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2077,KPDmeas= 0.207,KC= 0.2083

Optical Data:

Uniaxial (-), e=1.5, w=1.679-1.681, bire=0.1790-0.1810.

Calculated Properties of Dolomite

Electron Density:

r_electron=2.83 gm/cc
note: r_Dolomite=2.84 gm/cc.

Fermion Index

Fermion Index = 0.01515
Boson Index = 0.98485

Photoelectric:

PE_Dolomite= 3.13 barns/electron
U=PE_Dolomite x r_electron= 8.86 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)

Dolomite is Not Radioactive

Dolomite Classification

Dana Class:

14.2.1.1 (14)Anhydrous Carbonates

(14.2)with Compound Formula A+ B++ (CO3)2

(14.2.1)Dolomite Group (Trigonal: R3¯)

14.2.1.1 Dolomite CaMg(CO3)2 R 3 3

14.2.1.2 Ankerite Ca(Fe,Mg,Mn)(CO3)2 R 3 3

14.2.1.3 Kutnohorite Ca(Mn,Mg,Fe)(CO3)2 R 3 3

14.2.1.4 Minrecordite CaZn(CO3)2 R 3 3

Strunz Class:

V/B.03-10 V - Nitrates, Carbonates and Borates

V/B - Waterfree carbonates [CO3]2- without unfamiliar anions

V/B.03 - Dolomite group

V/B.03-10 Dolomite CaMg(CO3)2 R 3 3

V/B.03-20 Ankerite Ca(Fe,Mg,Mn)(CO3)2 R 3 3

V/B.03-30 Kutnohorite Ca(Mn,Mg,Fe)(CO3)2 R 3 3

V/B.03-40 Minrecordite CaZn(CO3)2 R 3 3

V/B.03-50 Norsethite BaMg(CO3)2 R 32 3 2

V/B.03-70 Huntite CaMg3(CO3)4 R 32 3 2

V/B.03-80 Benstonite (Ba,Sr)6(Ca,Mn)6Mg(CO3)13 R 3 3

Other Dolomite Information

References:

NAME( ODonoghue90) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Ford32)

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Print or Cut-and-Paste your Dolomite Specimen Label here :

Dolomite

CaMg(CO3)2
Dana No: 14.2.1.1 Strunz No: V/B.03-10
Locality:

Notes: