Goslarite is a
hydrated
In chemistry, a hydrate is a substance that contains water or its constituent elements. The chemical state of the water varies widely between different classes of hydrates, some of which were so labeled before their chemical structure was understo ...
zinc
Zinc is a chemical element; it has symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is a slightly brittle metal at room temperature and has a shiny-greyish appearance when oxidation is removed. It is the first element in group 12 (IIB) of the periodic tabl ...
sulfate mineral
The sulfate minerals are a class of minerals that include the sulfate ion () within their structure. The sulfate minerals occur commonly in primary evaporite depositional environments, as gangue minerals in hydrothermal Vein (geology), veins and as ...
() which was first found in the Rammelsberg mine,
Goslar
Goslar (; Eastphalian dialect, Eastphalian: ''Goslär'') is a historic town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the administrative centre of the Goslar (district), district of Goslar and is located on the northwestern wikt:slope, slopes of the Harz ...
,
Harz
The Harz (), also called the Harz Mountains, is a highland area in northern Germany. It has the highest elevations for that region, and its rugged terrain extends across parts of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia. The name ''Harz'' der ...
,
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
. It was described in 1847. Goslarite belongs to the
epsomite
Epsomite, Epsom salt, or magnesium sulfate heptahydrate, is a hydrous magnesium sulfate mineral with formula .
Physical properties
Epsomite crystallizes in the orthorhombic system. The normal form is as massive encrustations, while acicula ...
group which also includes epsomite () and morenosite (). Goslarite is an unstable mineral at the surface and will dehydrate to other minerals like
bianchite (),
boyleite () and
gunningite
Gunningite is one of the minerals in the Kieserite group, with the chemical formula . Its name honours Henry Cecil Gunning (1901–1991) of the Geological Survey of Canada and a professor at the University of British Columbia.
Occurrence
Gunning ...
().
Physical properties
The composition of goslarite was determined by the US National Bureau of Standards (now the
National Institute of Standards and Technology
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is an agency of the United States Department of Commerce whose mission is to promote American innovation and industrial competitiveness. NIST's activities are organized into Outline of p ...
) in 1959 as follows: SO
3 27.84 wt%, ZnO 28.30 wt% and 43.86 wt%.
Goslarite's cleavage is perfect in , as for epsomite and morenosite. The color of goslarite ranges from brownish to pinkish, blue, brown, colorless, green and green blue. The luster ranges from vitreous to nacreous and silky (if fibrous). Goslarite is soluble in water, has an astringent taste, and is strongly
diamagnetic
Diamagnetism is the property of materials that are repelled by a magnetic field; an applied magnetic field creates an induced magnetic field in them in the opposite direction, causing a repulsive force. In contrast, paramagnetic and ferromagn ...
.
Geologic occurrence
Goslarite is formed from the
oxidation
Redox ( , , reduction–oxidation or oxidation–reduction) is a type of chemical reaction in which the oxidation states of the reactants change. Oxidation is the loss of electrons or an increase in the oxidation state, while reduction is ...
of
sphalerite
Sphalerite is a sulfide mineral with the chemical formula . It is the most important ore of zinc. Sphalerite is found in a variety of deposit types, but it is primarily in Sedimentary exhalative deposits, sedimentary exhalative, Carbonate-hoste ...
((Zn, Fe)S). It was first found in Rammelsberg mine, Goslar, Harz, Germany. It often occurs as an
efflorescence
In chemistry, efflorescence (Derived from the Latin verb 'efflorescere' roughly meaning 'to flower') is the migration of a salt to the surface of a porous material, where it forms a coating. The essential process involves the dissolving of an i ...
on timbers and walls of mine passages. Goslarite is widespread as a post mining efflorescence in mines that contain sphalerite or any zinc minerals.
Economical uses
In the pharmaceutical industry it is used as a direct
emetic
Vomiting (also known as emesis, puking and throwing up) is the forceful expulsion of the contents of one's stomach through the mouth and sometimes the nose.
Vomiting can be the result of ailments like food poisoning, gastroenteritis, preg ...
,
antiseptic
An antiseptic ( and ) is an antimicrobial substance or compound that is applied to living tissue to reduce the possibility of sepsis, infection, or putrefaction. Antiseptics are generally distinguished from ''antibiotics'' by the latter's abil ...
and disinfectant.
References
{{Reflist, 35em
External links
Mineral Picture
Zinc minerals
Sulfate minerals
Heptahydrate minerals
Orthorhombic minerals
Minerals in space group 19
Minerals described in 1847