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Author Topic: Tetrahedrite & Galena, do not contain silver, but sulfur IRL?  (Read 1486 times)

Crustypeanut

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Tetrahedrite & Galena, do not contain silver, but sulfur IRL?
« on: August 09, 2011, 04:15:20 pm »

While at a bookstore recently with some friends, I came across a field manual for identifying rocks and minerals (they have officially called me a dwarf in a human's body), and I found that both Galena and Tetrahedrite do not contain silver, but instead, Sulfur.  Did Toady mistake the S in their chemical make up with Silver, when in fact its Sulfur? Silver is Ag on the periodic table.. 

I double checked this on Wikipedia when I got home, and Galena's makeup is PbS (Lead Sulphite) and Tetrahedrite is (Cu,Fe)12Sb4S13.  So in actuality, we should be getting iron and copper from tetrahedrite, and simply lead from galena. 

Or, is the current situation with Galena and Tetrahedrite planned by Toady for some reason, even though its not accurate?


EDIT: Nevermind this question, it was pointed out to me why it was like this.  Duurp on my part.
« Last Edit: August 09, 2011, 04:31:16 pm by Crustypeanut »
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nogoodnames

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Re: Tetrahedrite & Galena, do not contain silver, but sulfur IRL?
« Reply #1 on: August 09, 2011, 04:21:23 pm »

The silver does not come from their molecular composition but from silver being present in the ore.
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Richards

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Re: Tetrahedrite & Galena, do not contain silver, but sulfur IRL?
« Reply #2 on: August 09, 2011, 04:22:56 pm »

Galena deposits often contain significant amounts of silver as included silver sulfide mineral phases or as limited solid solution within the galena structure. These argentiferous galenas have long been the most important ore of silver in mining. In addition zinc, cadmium, antimony, arsenic and bismuth also occur in variable amounts in lead ores
 
Tetrahedrite is a copper antimony sulfosalt mineral with formula: (Cu,Fe)12Sb4S13. It is the antimony endmember of the continuous solid solution series with arsenic bearing tennantite. Pure endmembers of the series are seldom if ever seen in nature. Of the two, the antimony rich phase is more common. Other elements also substitute in the structure, most notably iron and zinc along with less common silver, mercury and lead.
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Crustypeanut

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Re: Tetrahedrite & Galena, do not contain silver, but sulfur IRL?
« Reply #3 on: August 09, 2011, 04:25:54 pm »

Note to self: Read EVERYTHING on the wiki page before opening my big mouth.   XD  Thanks for clearing this up.
« Last Edit: August 09, 2011, 04:27:29 pm by Crustypeanut »
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Richards

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Re: Tetrahedrite & Galena, do not contain silver, but sulfur IRL?
« Reply #4 on: August 09, 2011, 04:30:49 pm »

No worries. Here are some more definitions I was typing up for you.

ARGENTIF'EROUS, a. [L. argentum, silver, and fero, to produce.] Producing silver; as argentiferous ore.

AN'TIMONY, n. [Low L. antimonium.]
Primarily, a metallic ore consisting of sulphur combined with a metal; the sulphuret of antimony, the stibium of the Romans and of the Greeks. It is a blackish mineral, which stains the hands, hard, brittle, full of long, shining, needlelike striae. It is found in the mines of Bohemia, and Hungary; in France and England, and in America. This word is also used for the pure metal of regulus of antimony, a metal of a grayish or silvery white, very brittle, and of a plated or scaly texture, and of moderate specific gravity. By exposure to air, its surface becomes tarnished, but does not rust. It is used as an ingredient in concave mirrors, giving them a finer texture. In bells, it renders the sound more clear; it renders tin more hard, white and sonorous, and gives to printing types more firmness and smoothness. It is also useful in promoting the fusion of metals, and especially in casting cannon balls. In its crude state, it is harmless to the human constitution; but many of its preparations act violently as emetics and cathartics. It has also a peculiar efficacy in promoting the secretions, particularly as a sudorific.

It is strange that certain Galenas are described as argentiferous when it is not written in Wikipedia that they contain ferrous.

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