Calcite: the Principal Constituent of Limestone and Marble

Calcite: the Principal Constituent of Limestone and Marble

Calcite: the Principal Constituent of Limestone and Marble

The principal constituent of limestone and marble is called calcite. Calcite is a rock-forming mineral with a chemical formula of CaCO3. It is extremely common and found throughout the world in sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous rocks. Next to quartz, it is the most abundant of the Earth’s minerals. Crystallizing in the hexagonal system, calcite is noted for its wide variety of crystalline forms.

 

Calcite the Principal Constituent of Limestone and Marble

Calcite is the principal constituent of limestone and marble. These rocks are extremely common and make up a significant portion of Earth’s crust. They serve as one of the largest carbon repositories on our planet. The properties of calcite make it one of the most widely used minerals. It is used as a construction material, abrasive, agricultural soil treatment, construction aggregate, pigment, pharmaceutical and more. It has more uses than almost any other mineral.

 

Calcite Etymology

Calcite is derived from the German Calcit, a term coined in the 19th century from the Latin word for lime, calx (genitive calcis) with the suffix -ite used to name minerals. It is thus etymologically related to chalk. When applied by archaeologists and stone trade professionals, the term alabaster is used not just as in geology and mineralogy, where it is reserved for a variety of gypsum; but also for a similar-looking, translucent variety of fine-grained banded deposit of calcite.

 

Calcite: the Principal Constituent of Limestone and Marble
Calcite: the Principal Constituent of Limestone and Marble

 

 

Color Range of Calcite

Calcite is colorless or white when pure, but it may be of almost any color – reddish, pink, yellow, greenish, blueish, lavender, black, or brown, owing to the presence of diverse impurities. It may be transparent, translucent, or opaque. Its luster ranges from vitreous to dull; many crystals, especially the colorless ones, are vitreous, whereas granular masses, especially those that are fine-grained, tend to be dull.

 

Calcite Features

Calcite is number 3 on the Mohs hardness scale; it can be scratched readily by a knife blade or geologic pick. It has a specific gravity of 2.71. Three perfect cleavages give calcite its six-sided polyhedrons with diamond shaped faces; the angles defining the faces are 78 and 102 degrees. When light passes through some minerals, it is split into two rays that travel at different speeds and in different directions. This phenomenon is known as birefringence. Calcite consequently exhibits double refraction that can be observed with the naked eye.

 

Calcite Uses:

Some common calcite uses are as follows:

  • Animal feed
  • Antacid – from calcium carbonate
  • Building construction
  • Chemical Industry
  • Dough strengthener
  • Facing stone for building interiors/exteriors
  • Filter in baking powder
  • Glass industry
  • Manufacturing of Paper and the Paper Industry
  • Optical purposes
  • Photography
  • Statues
  • Waste treatment

 

Calcite as Limestone

Limestone is a sedimentary rock that is composed primarily of calcite. It forms from both the chemical precipitation of calcium carbonate and the transformation of shell, coral, fecal and algal debris into calcite during diagenesis. Limestone also forms as a deposit in caves from the precipitation of calcium carbonate.

 

Calcite as Marble

Marble is a metamorphic rock that forms when limestone is subjected to heat and pressure. A close examination of a broken piece of marble will usually reveal obvious cleavage faces of calcite. The size of the calcite crystals is determined by the level of metamorphism. Marble that has been subjected to higher levels of metamorphism will generally have larger calcite crystals.

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Sources

uwaterloo.ca/earth-sciences-museum/resources/detailed-rocks-and-minerals-articles/calcite-limestone-and-marble

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcite

geology.com/minerals/calcite.shtml

 

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