Jamison Brizendine
Meg Streepey
Mineralogy
20 October 2005
Mineralogy Poster Outline
I. Fluorite (CaF2)
A. Physical and Chemical Properties:
1. Color= Purple, Yellow, Blue, Green, Orange, Red, Brown, White
2. Vitreous Luster
3. Transparent to Translucent
4. 4 perfect cleavages forming octahedrons
5. Hardness is 4, Streak is White
6. It is Isometric, 4/m bar 3 2/m, habit is cubic
7. Twinning can occur forming cubic twins
8. Exhibits Flourescence, which that names come from Fluorite
Musquiz, Coahuila, Mexico
II. Geologic Background
A. Geologic Areas- Rosiclare, Illinois, Cave-In-Rock, Illinois, Germany; Elmwood,
Tennessee; Fort Wayne, Indiana; Pugh Quarry and Wood County, Ohio; Nancy
Hanks Mine, Colorado, China, Japan, Morocco, Namibia and Mexico. Common
and Widespread
B. Several Minerals are found with Fluorite including Calcite, Quartz, Apatite,
Barite, Sphalerite, Calcite, Dolomite, Pyrite, Willimenite, and several others.
C. Fluorite is formed when a competent limestone layer is under a sandstone layer to
allow fluid flow. The fluid replaces a Carbonate cation (CO3) with 2 Flourine
cations. It can also form when normal faulting may occur and fluid quickly falls
in the cracks forming veins. Fluorite is also found in hydrothermal environments.
III Industrial Uses
A. About 90 percent of all the Fluorite is imported from other countries including
China, Mexico, and Brazil. However Illinois is the chief United States producer of
Fluorite.
B. Fluorite is typically mined by open pits. The Fluorite is then extracted from the
limestone host rock. Small amounts of Fluorite are then discarded into tailings
piles. Mining Fluorite is a low risk environmental hazard because the only
dangerous thing to have is a large pit of limestone that was mined previously.
IV Social/Enviroment Affects
A. Mining Fluorite luckily is one of the low risk mining operations. The country rock
of limestone is usually crushed up into small piles to be sold as gravel, ballast,
ready-mix and even cement. The Fluorite that is then extracted and refined for
making other products, which are helpful.
B. Fluorite is used in smelting iron, special fluxes as welding rods, and toothpastes.
It is also important in making Hydrofluoric acid.
C. Uses as HF:
1. Refining uranium fuel, rocket fuel, and refining aluminum
D. As an organic chemical it was used as a refrigerant (Freon which is now
outlawed), plastics, lubricants, dyes, herbicides, degreasing agents, cleaning
solvents and stain repellents.
E. Freon was outlawed because it made CFC (Chlorofluorocarbons) which destroyed
the ozone in the enviroment.
F. It does not make an appropriate gemstone because of it’s hardness, but it has
many nice colors for collectors to find.
V. Sources Used:
http://mineral.galleries.com/minerals/halides/fluorite/fluorite.htm- This website has basic
information on the mineral.
http://www.isgs.uiuc.edu/servs/pubs/geobits-pub/geobit4/geobit4.htm - Document on the
state mineral of Illinois. This is the Ill. Geological Survey Website.
http://www.ivy-rose.co.uk/Topics/Fluorite.htm - A fun website suckering poor souls to
spend hundreds of dollars on the special “Metaphysical Properties” of Flourite.
http://www.minerals-n-more.com/Fluorite_Info.html - Website deals with the properties,
industrial Uses and where the mineral could be found in.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluorspar - This website has basic definitions and properties
of the mineral.
http://www.mii.org/Minerals/photofluor.html - A website by the Mineral Information
Institute. It shows some sketches and the uses of Flourite.
http://dnr.state.il.us/mines/education/indus2.htm - An educational website made by the
state government of Illinois. Also has the industrial properties of Flourite and the state
industrial uses of the mineral
http://www.mineralminers.com/html/fluminfo.htm - A website that sells minerals. Shows
basic properties and some other uses as well
http://geoinfo.nmt.edu/publications/memoirs/34/home.html - A website by the Geological
Survey of New Mexico. Talks about the uses of Flourite, and Flourspar, which is the
aggregate form of Flourite.
http://www.museums.udel.edu/mineral/mineral_site/displaycollection/Halides/100125_D
3631.html - A website by the University of Delaware about minerals. Not very much
information.
Chesterman, Charles. National Audubon Society of Minerals, 1979, Chanticleer Press. –
Field guide that has basic information on the mineral. As well as crystal s
Johnson, Ole. Minerals of the World, 2004, Narayana Press, Denmark. – Another field
guide with information on the mineral. Also shows multiple pictures and has accurate
information.
Pictures from mineralauctions.com and http://www.isgs.uiuc.edu/servs/pubs/geobitspub/geobit4/geobit4.htm.
Okarusu Mine, Otjiwarongo, Namibia