Molybdenite
Molybdenite (Molybdenum disulfide)
General
Category	Mineral
Chemical formula	molybdenum sulfide:MoS2
Identification
Color	Black, lead-silvery gray
Crystal habit	Thin, platy hexagonal crystals terminated by pinacoidal faces, also as tapering six-sided pyramids that can be truncated by the pinacoids. Also massive, lamellar and in small grains in sulfide ore bodies.
Crystal system	Hexagonal; 6/m 2/m 2/m
Cleavage	[0001] Perfect
Fracture	flaky
Mohs Scale hardness	1 - 1.5
Luster	Metallic
Refractive index	Opaque
Pleochroism	N/A
Streak	bluish - gray
Specific gravity	4.73
Fusibility	Infusible
Solubility	?
Other Characteristics	Thin cleavage sheets and crystals are flexible, but not elastic. It has a greasy feel and leaves marks on fingers.
Major varieties

Molybdenite is a mineral of molybdenum disulfide, MoS₂. Similar in appearance and feel to graphite, molybdenite has a lubricating effect that is a consequence of its layered structure. The atomic structure consists of a sheet of molybdenum atoms sandwiched between sheets of sulfide atoms. The Mo-S bonds are strong, but the interaction between the sulfur atoms at the top and bottom of separate sandwich-like tri-layers is weak, resulting in easy slippage as well as cleavage planes. Image File history File links Molybdenite. ... Image File history File links Molybdenite. ... This article is about minerals in the geologic sense; for nutrient minerals see dietary mineral; for the band see Mineral (band). ... A chemical formula (also called molecular formula) is a concise way of expressing information about the atoms that constitute a particular chemical compound. ... General Name, Symbol, Number molybdenum, Mo, 42 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 6, 5, d Appearance gray metallic Atomic mass 95. ... The term sulfide (sulphide in British) refers to several types of chemical compounds containing sulfur in its lowest oxidation number of -2. ... In mineralogy, shape and size give rise to descriptive terms applied to the typical appearance, or habit of crystals. ... Rose des Sables (Sand Rose), formed of gypsum crystals In mineralogy and crystallography, a crystal structure is a unique arrangement of atoms in a crystal. ... A regular hexagon A hexagon (also known as sexagon) is a polygon with six edges and six vertices. ... Cleavage, in mineralogy, is the tendency of crystalline materials to split along definite planes, creating smooth surfaces, of which there are several named types: Basal cleavage: cleavage parallel to the base of a crystal, or to the plane of the lateral axes. ... A fracture is the separation of a body into two, or more, pieces under the action of stress. ... Mohs scale of mineral hardness characterizes the scratch resistance of various minerals through the ability of a harder material to scratch a softer. ... The refractive index of a material is the factor by which the phase velocity of electromagnetic radiation is slowed relative to vacuum. ... Pleochroism is an optical phenomenon where due to double refraction of light by a colored gem or crystal, the light is divided into two paths which are polarized at a 90° angle to each other. ... The term streak is used in several ways: Streaking, the act of running around nude in public places. ... Relative density (also known as specific gravity) is a measure of the density of a material. ... Fusibility is the ease with which a material will melt. ... A substance is soluble in a fluid if it dissolves in that fluid. ... Molybdenum disulfide, also called molybdenum sulfide or molybdenum(IV) sulfide, with the formula MoS2, is a black crystalline sulfide of molybdenum. ... General Name, Symbol, Number molybdenum, Mo, 42 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 6, 5, d Appearance gray metallic Atomic mass 95. ... General Name, Symbol, Number sulfur, S, 16 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 16, 3, p Appearance lemon yellow Atomic mass 32. ... Graphite (named by Abraham Gottlob Werner in 1789, from the Greek γραφειν: to draw/write, for its use in pencils) is one of the allotropes of carbon. ... The term sulfide (sulphide in British) refers to several types of chemical compounds containing sulfur in its lowest oxidation number of -2. ... In embryology, cleavage is the division of cells in the early embryo. ...

Associated minerals include pyrite, chalcopyrite, quartz, anhydrite, fluorite, and scheelite. Occurs in high temperature hydrothermal ore deposits. Important deposits include the disseminated porphyry molybdenum deposit at Questa, New Mexico. Molybdenite also occurs in porphry copper deposits of Arizona, Colorado, Utah, and Mexico. The mineral pyrite, or iron pyrite, is iron disulfide, FeS2. ... Chalcopyrite is a copper iron sulfide mineral that crystallizes in the tetragonal system. ... Quartz is amongst one of the most common minerals in the Earths continental crust. ... Anhydrite is a mineral - anhydrous calcium sulfate, CaSO4. ... Fluorite (also called fluor-spar) is a mineral composed of calcium fluoride, CaF2. ... Scheelite is a calcium tungstate mineral with the chemical formula CaWO4. ... Hydrothermal circulation in the oceans is the passage of the water through mid-ocean Ridge (MOR) systems. ... Iron ore (Banded iron formation) Manganese ore Lead ore Gold ore An ore is a volume of rock containing components or minerals in a mode of occurrence which renders it valuable for mining. ... Questa, New Mexico - Wikipedia /**/ @import /w/skins-1. ... Official language(s) English Capital Phoenix Largest city Phoenix Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 6th 295,254 km² 500 km 645 km 0. ... Official language(s) English Capital Denver Largest city Denver Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 8th 269 837 km² 451 km 612 km 0. ... Official language(s) English Capital Salt Lake City Largest city Salt Lake City Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 13th 219,887 km² 435 km 565 km 3. ...

The element rhenium is always present in molybdenite as a substitute for molybdenum usually in the parts per million (ppm) range, but often up to 1-2%. High rhenium content results in a structural variety detectable by X-ray diffraction techniques. Molybdenite ores are essentially the only source for rhenium. The presence of the radioactive isotope rhenium-187 and its daughter isotope osmium-187 provides a useful geochronologic dating technique. General Name, Symbol, Number rhenium, Re, 75 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 7, 6, d Appearance grayish white Atomic mass 186. ... X-ray crystallography is a technique in crystallography in which the pattern produced by the diffraction of x-rays through the closely spaced lattice of atoms in a crystal is recorded and then analyzed to reveal the nature of that lattice. ... A radionuclide is an atom with an unstable nucleus. ... General Name, Symbol, Number osmium, Os, 76 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 8, 6, d Appearance silvery, blue cast Atomic mass 190. ... Geochronology is the science of determining the age of rocks, fossils, and sediments. ...

References and external links

• Dana's Manual of Mineralogy ISBN 0471032883
• Mineralgalleries.com
• Webmineral
• Mindat.org
• Molybdenite Dating