General Moissanite Information
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Chemical Formula: |
SiC |
Composition: |
Molecular Weight = 40.10 gm |
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Silicon 70.04 % Si |
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Carbon 29.96 % C |
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______ |
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100.00 % |
Empirical Formula: |
SiC |
Environment: |
Found in lunar samples and meteorites. Widely used as an abrasive. Clear, synthetic material marketed as a gem under the mineral name. |
IMA Status: |
Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1905 |
Locality: |
Canyon Diablo meteorite, Meteor Crater, Coconino County, Arizona, USA. Link to MinDat.org Location Data. |
Name Origin: |
Named for Henri Moissan (1852-1907), French chemist. |
Synonym: |
Carborundum |
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Moissanite Image |
Images:
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Moissanite
Comments: Gemmy, platy crystal of moissanite shown with largest (001) face. The arrow indicates a drop-shaped, black metallic inclusion. (AmMin, 88:1818).
Location: Found in a cobble at a beach along the Turkish coast of the Mediterranean Sea, around 150 km NW from Izmir, and is most likely derived from Tertiary volcanic rocks outcropping in the area.
Scale: Scale bar 300 µ-m.
© American Mineralogist |
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Images:
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Moissanite Silicon
Comments: Backscattered electron image of metallic inclusion in moissanite (SiC). The gray shading in the BSE mage consists mainly of pure silicon (Si metal). The brighter areas are composed of Fe-silicide. (AmMin, 88:1818).
Location: Found in a cobble at a beach along the Turkish coast of the Mediterranean Sea, around 150 km NW from Izmir, and is most likely derived from Tertiary volcanic rocks outcropping in the area.
Scale: Scalebar 200 µ-m.
© American Mineralogist |
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Moissanite Crystallography
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Axial Ratios: |
a:c = 1:1.63291 |
Cell Dimensions: |
a = 3.081, c = 5.031, Z = 2; V = 41.36 Den(Calc)= 3.22 |
Crystal System: |
Hexagonal - Dihexagonal PyramidalH-M Symbol (6mm) Space Group: P 63mc |
X Ray Diffraction: |
By Intensity(I/Io): 2.36(1), 2.67(0.8), 2.52(0.5),1.54(0.4), 1.42(0.3), 1.31(0.2), 1.83(0.2), 1.29(0.1), |
Crystal Structure:
Mouse
drag1 - LMB Manipulate Structure
drag2 - RMB Resize/Rotate
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S - Stereo Pair on/off
H - Help Screen
I - Data Info
A - Atoms On/Off
P - Polyhedra On/Off
B - Bonds On/Off
Help on Above
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Wyckoff R W G , Crystal Structures , 1 (1963) p.85-237, Second edition. Interscience Publishers, New York, New York, Note: wurtzite structure
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Physical Properties of Moissanite
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Cleavage: |
[0001] Indistinct |
Color: |
Blue, Colorless, Green, Green yellow, Yellow. |
Density: |
3.218 - 3.22, Average = 3.21 |
Diaphaniety: |
Transparent to Opaque |
Fracture: |
Conchoidal - Fractures developed in brittle materials characterized by smoothly curving surfaces, (e.g. quartz). |
Habit: |
Inclusions - Generally found as inclusions in other minerals. |
Habit: |
Microscopic Crystals - Crystals visible only with microscopes. |
Hardness: |
9.5 - Silicon Carbide |
Luster: |
Metallic |
Streak: |
greenish gray |
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Optical Properties of Moissanite
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Dichroism (e): |
weak blue. |
Dichroism (w): |
weaker blue. |
Optical Data: |
Uniaxial (+), w=2.654, e=2.967, bire=0.3130. |
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Calculated Properties of Moissanite
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Electron Density: |
relectron=3.21 gm/cc note: rMoissanite =3.22 gm/cc. |
Fermion Index |
Fermion Index = 0.036 Boson Index = 0.964 |
Photoelectric: |
PEMoissanite = 2.39 barns/electron U=PEMoissanite x relectron= 7.67 barns/cc. |
Radioactivity: |
GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units) Moissanite is Not Radioactive |
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Moissanite Classification
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Dana Class: |
1.3.8.1 (1)Native Elements |
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(1.3)with semi-metallic and non-metallic elements |
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(1.3.8)Dana Group |
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1.3.8.1 Moissanite SiC P 63mc 6mm |
Strunz Class: |
I/B.02-30 I - Elements |
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I/B - Semimetals and nonmetals |
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I/B.02 - Carbon series, Graphite - Lonsdaleite |
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I/B.02-10 Graphite C P 63/mmc 6/m 2/m 2/m |
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I/B.02-20 Chaoite C P 6/mmm 6/m 2/m 2/m |
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I/B.02-30 Moissanite SiC P 63mc 6mm |
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I/B.02-40 Diamond C F d3m 4/m 3 2/m |
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I/B.02-50 Lonsdaleite C P 63/mmc 6/m 2/m 2/m |
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Other Moissanite Information
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References: |
NAME( Dana8) PHYS. PROP.(Dana8) OPTIC PROP.(Dana8) |
See Also: |
Links to other databases for Moissanite :
1 -Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery
3 -Athena
4 -Google Images
5 -Google Scholar
6 -Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
7 -MinDAT
8 -MinMax(Deutsch)
9 -MinMax(English)
10 -Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
11 -QUT Mineral Atlas
12 - Tradeshop.com - The Rainbow of Gems
13 - WWW-MINCRYST
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Moissanite
SiC
Dana No: 1.3.8.1 Strunz No: I/B.02-30
Locality:
Notes:
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