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Notes on the mineralogy and geochemistry of zinc

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 March 2018

Henrich Neumann
Henrich Neumann*
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, University of Leeds
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Extract

The ionic radius of zinc (0·83 Å.) is identical with that of divalent iron (0·83 Å.) and nearly the same as that of magnesium (0·78 Å.). One would therefore expect zinc to be mineralogically closely related to iron and magnesium. It is, however, well known that this is not the case. An examination of a list of the zinc minerals which have so far been described shows that only in a few cases are the corresponding isomorphous ferromagnesian species known. As a rule zinc minerals and iron-magnesium minerals with corresponding chemical formulae are entirely different in their crystal-structure.

Type
Research Article
Information
Mineralogical magazine and journal of the Mineralogical Society , Volume 28 , Issue 205 , June 1949 , pp. 575 - 581
Copyright
Copyright © The Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland 1949

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References

page 575 note 1 Goldschmidt, V. M. and Peters, C., Nachr. Gesell. Wiss. Göttingen, Math. phys. Kl., 1931, p. 165.Google Scholar

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page 576 note 1 According to Goldschmidt, V. M. (Vid.-Akad. Skr. Oslo, I. Kl., 1938 for 1937, p. 81) the average content of zinc in the earth's crust is 40 g./ton, mainly bound in ferromagnesian minerals in igneous rocks, augitcs, amphiboles, and especially biotite. The vast bulk of igneous ferromagnesian minerals should make their content of zinc the one important factor for the calculation of the above figure. It is quite possible, however, that zinc, contrary to Goldschmidt's view, is present in igneous rocks as submicroscopic crystals of blonde deposited on the surface of the rock-forming minerals (H. Neumann, Econ. Geol., 1948, vol. 43, p. 83) instead of being present in solid solution in augites, amphiboles, and biotite. Blende is reported as a rare mineral in igneous rocks, and is certainly not uncommon in granite-pegmatite dikes.Google Scholar

page 577 note 1 The radii used above for the calculation of the hypothetical distance between Zn and O, ff ZnO were an ionic compound, are the ionic radii for Zn and O in six-coordination. For four-coordination the hypothetical distance should be reduced by about 6%, if, indeed, elements in four-coordination are ever bound by purely ionic bonds.

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