RICCA P.

JAVIER ASSIGNMENT 1
GEO101_A8

Rock-forming material: OLIVINE

Chemical Formula: (Mg²⁺, Fe²⁺)₂SiO ₄.
USES:

 Most olivine is used in metallurgical processes as a slag conditioner.

 High-magnesium olivine (forsterite) is added to blast furnaces to remove impurities
from steel and to form a slag.
 used as a refractory material.
 used to make refractory brick and used as a casting sand.

Rock-forming material: PYROXENE

Chemical Formula: XYZ2O6
USES:

 Pyroxene minerals are primary or secondary constituents of many rocks used to

make crushed stone, dimension stone, and architectural stone.
 Pyroxene is in the trap rock of the construction industry and in the "black granites"
that are popular for making decorative tile and facing stone.
Rock-forming material: HORNBLENDE
Chemical Formula: (Ca,Na) 2-3(Mg,Fe,Al) 5(Al,Si) 8O 22(OH,F)2
USES:

 Hornblende is the most abundant mineral in a rock known as amphibolite which has
a large number of uses.
 Its primary use might be as a mineral specimen.
 It is crushed and used for highway construction and as railroad ballast.
 It is cut for use as dimension stone.
 The highest quality pieces are cut, polished, and sold under the name "black granite"
for use as building facing, floor tiles, countertops, and other architectural uses.
 Hornblende has been used to estimate the depth of crystallization of plutonic rocks.
Those with low aluminum content are associated with shallow depths of
crystallization, while those with higher aluminum content are associated with greater
depths of crystallization.

Rock-forming material: BIOTITE

Chemical Formula: K(Mg,Fe)3(AlSi3O10)(F,OH)2
USES:

 Biotite has a small number of commercial uses.

  Ground mica is used as a filler and extender in paints, as an additive to drilling muds,
as an inert filler and mold-release agent in rubber products, and as a non-stick
surface coating on asphalt shingles and rolled roofing.
 It is also used in the potassium-argon and argon-argon methods of dating igneous
rocks.

Rock-forming material: FELDSPARS

Chemical Formula: X(Al,Si)4O8
USES:

 They are used to manufacture a wide variety of glass and ceramic products. Most of
this feldspar is crushed into fine granules or powders and then consumed in factories
that produce plate glass, ceramic tile, fiberglass insulation, paints, plastics, pottery,
container glass and other products.
 They are also widely used as fillers in paints, plastics and rubber. Most of these
products play an important role in commercial and residential construction, and the
demand for feldspar is supported by the health of the construction industry.

Rock-forming material: QUARTZ

Chemical Formula: SiO2

Sources: Geology.com
Minerals.net
USES:

 Quartz is an important mineral with numerous uses.

 Sand, which is composed of tiny Quartz pebbles, is the primary ingredient for the
manufacture of glass.
 Transparent Rock Crystal has many electronic uses; it is used as oscillators in
radios, watches, and pressure gauges, and in the study of optics.
 Quartz is also used as an abrasive for sandblasting, grinding glass, and cutting soft
stones. It is also essential in the computer industry, as the important silicon
semiconductors are made from Quartz.
 In addition to all the practical uses, Quartz is essential to the gem trade. Many
varieties are faceted as gems. Amethyst and Citrine are the most well-known gem
varieties. Rose Quartz, Smoky Quartz, Rock Crystal, and Aventurine are also cut or
polished into gems. Small colorless Quartz crystals are worn by some as pendants
for good luck.
 Quartz is also a very popular among collectors. Certain collectors specialize their
collection entirely on Quartz alone.

METALLIC ORES

Rock-forming material: MAGNETITE

Chemical Formula: Fe3O4
USES:

 Magnetite is an important ore of iron. Well-formed crystals are popular among

mineral collectors, and the magnetic Lodestone variety is frequently sold in hobby
shops to amateur collectors.
 Magnetite is also of significant interest to the science community due to its strong
magnetic properties.
 Small amounts of magnetite are also used as a toner in electrophotography, as a
micronutrient in fertilizers, as a pigment in paints, and as an aggregate in high-
density concrete.
 Powdered magnetite is often mixed with a liquid to produce a thick, high-density
slurry that is used for specific gravity separations.
Rock-forming material: PYRITE
Chemical Formula: FeS2
USES:

 Pyrite was once used as a source of sulfur, but is now only a minor ore for both sulfur
and iron.
 Pyrite from some localities is auriferous, and therefore is used as an ore of gold in
gold-bearing localities.
 Pyrite was polished by the Native Americans in the early times and used as mirrors.
 Today, it is used as an ornamental stone, as well as a very popular stone for amateur
collectors.
 It is sometimes used as gemstone by being faceted and polished for use as an
inexpensive side gemstone in some rings, necklaces, and bracelets.

Rock-forming material: SPHALERITE

Chemical Formula: (Zn,Fe)S
USES:

 Sphalerite is the principle ore of zinc. In some localities, it occurs with significant
amounts of the rare elements cadmium, gallium, and iridium, and it is also the main
ore of those metals.
 Sphalerite is an important mineral to collectors, and some transparent varieties are
occasionally faceted for collectors.

Sources: Geology.com
Minerals.net