Greenockite

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Greenockite is a rare cadmium mineral that consists of cadmium sulfide, CdS, in crystalline form. Greenockite crystallizes in the hexagonal system. It occurs as massive encrustations and as six-sided pyramidal crystals which vary in color from a honey yellow through shades of red to brown. The Mohs hardness is 3 to 3.5 and the specific gravity is 4.5 to 5.

Greenockite occurs with other sulfide minerals such as sphalerite and galena. It is the only ore mineral of cadmium, most cadmium is recovered as a byproduct of zinc and lead mining.

It was first recognized in 1840 in Bishopton, Scotland, during the cutting of a tunnel for the Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock Railway. The mineral was named after the land owner Lord Greenock. It is also known from the lead-zinc districts of the central United States.

[edit] References

• Mindat
• Webmineral
• Mineral galleries
• Glasgow museum site