Hematite

Hematite
Hematite, also spelled as haematite, is a

common iron oxide with a formula of
Fe2O3 and is widespread in rocks and
soils.[5] Hematite forms in the shape of
crystals through the rhombohedral lattice
system, and it has the same crystal
structure as ilmenite and corundum.
Hematite and ilmenite form a complete
solid solution at temperatures above
950 °C (1,740 °F).
Hematite
Brazilian trigonal hematite crystal
General
Category Oxide minerals
Formula iron(III) oxide, Fe2O3,

(repeating unit) α-Fe2O3[1]
Strunz classification 4.CB.05
Dana classification 4.3.1.2
Crystal system Trigonal
Crystal class Hexagonal

scalenohedral (3m)
H–M symbol: (3
2/m)
Space group R3c
Unit cell a = 5.038(2) Å;

c = 13.772(12) Å;
Z = 6
Identification
Color Metallic gray, dull to

bright "rust-red" in
earthy, compact, fine-
grained material,
steel-grey to black in
crystals and
massively crystalline
ores
Crystal habit Tabular to thick

crystals; micaceous
or platy, commonly in
rosettes; radiating
fibrous, reniform,
botryoidal or
stalactitic masses,
columnar; earthy,
granular, oolitic
Twinning Penetration and
lamellar
Cleavage None, may show

partings on {0001}
and {1011}
Fracture Uneven to sub-

conchoidal
Tenacity Brittle
Mohs scale hardness 5.5–6.5
Luster Metallic to splendent
Streak Bright red to dark red
Diaphaneity Opaque
Specific gravity 5.26
Density 5.3
Optical properties Uniaxial (−)
Refractive index nω = 3.150–3.220, nε

= 2.870–2.940
Birefringence δ = 0.280
Pleochroism O = brownish red; E =

yellowish red
References [2][3][4]
Hematite is colored black to steel or
silver-gray, brown to reddish-brown, or
red. It is mined as the main ore of iron.
Varieties include kidney ore, martite
(pseudomorphs after magnetite), iron
rose and specularite (specular hematite).
While these forms vary, they all have a
rust-red streak. Hematite is harder than
pure iron, but much more brittle.
Maghemite is a polymorph of hematite
with the same chemical formula, but with
the crystal structure of magnetite.
Large deposits of hematite are found in

banded iron formations. Gray hematite is
typically found in places that can have
still, standing water or mineral hot
springs, such as those in Yellowstone
National Park in North America. The
mineral can precipitate out of water and
collect in layers at the bottom of a lake,
spring, or other standing water. Hematite
can also occur without water, usually as
the result of volcanic activity.
Clay-sized hematite crystals can also

occur as a secondary mineral formed by
weathering processes in soil, and along
with other iron oxides or oxyhydroxides
such as goethite, is responsible for the
red color of many tropical, ancient, or
otherwise highly weathered soils.
Etymology and history

The name hematite is derived from the
Greek word for blood αἷμα (haima), due
to the red coloration found in some
varieties of hematite.[5] The color of
hematite lends itself to use as a pigment.
The English name of the stone is derived
from Middle French hématite pierre,
which was imported from Latin lapis
haematites c. the 15th century, which
originated from Ancient Greek αἱματίτης
λίθος (haimatitēs lithos, "blood-red
stone").
Ochre is a clay that is colored by varying

amounts of hematite, varying between
20% and 70%.[6] Red ochre contains
unhydrated hematite, whereas yellow
ochre contains hydrated hematite
(Fe2O3 · H2O). The principal use of ochre
is for tinting with a permanent color.[6]
The red chalk writing of this mineral was

one of the earliest in the history of
humans. The powdery mineral was first
used 164,000 years ago by the Pinnacle-
Point man, possibly for social
purposes.[7] Hematite residues are also
found in graves from 80,000 years ago.
Near Rydno in Poland and Lovas in
Hungary red chalk mines have been
found that are from 5000 BC, belonging
to the Linear Pottery culture at the Upper
Rhine.[8]
Rich deposits of hematite have been
found on the island of Elba that have
been mined since the time of the
Etruscans.
Magnetism
Hematite is an antiferromagnetic
material below the Morin transition at
250 K (−23 °C), and a canted
antiferromagnet or weakly ferromagnetic
above the Morin transition and below its
Néel temperature at 948 K (675 °C),
above which it is paramagnetic.
The magnetic structure of α-hematite

was the subject of considerable
discussion and debate during the 1950s,
as it appeared to be ferromagnetic with a
Curie temperature of approximately
1,000 K (730 °C), but with an extremely
small magnetic moment (0.002 Bohr
magnetons). Adding to the surprise was
a transition with a decrease in
temperature at around 260 K (−13 °C) to
a phase with no net magnetic moment. It
was shown that the system is essentially
antiferromagnetic, but that the low
symmetry of the cation sites allows
spin–orbit coupling to cause canting of
the moments when they are in the plane
perpendicular to the c axis. The
disappearance of the moment with a
decrease in temperature at 260 K
(−13 °C) is caused by a change in the
anisotropy which causes the moments to
align along the c axis. In this
configuration, spin canting does not
reduce the energy.[9][10] The magnetic
properties of bulk hematite differ from
their nanoscale counterparts. For
example, the Morin transition
temperature of hematite decreases with
a decrease in the particle size. The
suppression of this transition has been
observed in hematite nanoparticles and
is attributed to the presence of
impurities, water molecules and defects
in the crystals lattice. Hematite is part of
a complex solid solution oxyhydroxide
system having various contents of water,
hydroxyl groups and vacancy
substitutions that affect the mineral's
magnetic and crystal chemical
properties.[11] Two other end-members
are referred to as protohematite and
hydrohematite.
Enhanced magnetic coercivities for

hematite have been achieved by dry-
heating a two-line ferrihydrite precursor
prepared from solution. Hematite
exhibited temperature-dependent
magnetic coercivity values ranging from
289 to 5,027 oersteds (23–400 kA/m).
The origin of these high coercivity values
has been interpreted as a consequence
of the subparticle structure induced by
the different particle and crystallite size
growth rates at increasing annealing
temperature. These differences in the
growth rates are translated into a
progressive development of a subparticle
structure at the nanoscale. At lower
temperatures (350–600 °C), single
particles crystallize however; at higher
temperatures (600–1000 °C), the growth
of crystalline aggregates with a
subparticle structure is favored.[12]
A microscopic picture of hematite
Crystal structure of hematite
Mine tailings
Hematite is present in the waste tailings
of iron mines. A recently developed
process, magnetation, uses magnets to
glean waste hematite from old mine
tailings in Minnesota's vast Mesabi
Range iron district.[13] Falu red is a
pigment used in traditional Swedish
house paints. Originally, it was made
from tailings of the Falu mine.[14]
Mars
Image mosaic from the Mars Exploration Rover

Microscopic Imager shows Hematite spherules
partly embedded in rock at the Opportunity landing
site Image is around 5 cm (2 in) across
site. Image is around 5 cm (2 in) across.
The spectral signature of hematite was

seen on the planet Mars by the infrared
spectrometer on the NASA Mars Global
Surveyor[15] and 2001 Mars Odyssey
spacecraft in orbit around Mars. The
mineral was seen in abundance at two
sites[16] on the planet, the Terra Meridiani
site, near the Martian equator at 0°
longitude, and the Aram Chaos site near
the Valles Marineris.[17] Several other
sites also showed hematite, such as
Aureum Chaos.[18] Because terrestrial
hematite is typically a mineral formed in
aqueous environments or by aqueous
alteration, this detection was
scientifically interesting enough that the
second of the two Mars Exploration
Rovers was sent to a site in the Terra
Meridiani region designated Meridiani
Planum. In-situ investigations by the
Opportunity rover showed a significant
amount of hematite, much of it in the
form of small spherules that were
informally named "blueberries" by the
science team. Analysis indicates that
these spherules are apparently
concretions formed from a water
solution. "Knowing just how the hematite
on Mars was formed will help us
characterize the past environment and
determine whether that environment was
favorable for life".[19]
Jewelry
Hematite's popularity in jewelry rose in
England during the Victorian era, due to
its use in mourning jewelry.[20][21] Certain
types of hematite- or iron-oxide-rich clay,
especially Armenian bole, have been
used in gilding. Hematite is also used in
art such as in the creation of intaglio
engraved gems. Hematine is a synthetic
material sold as magnetic hematite.[22]
Gallery
A rare pseudo-scalenohedral crystal
habit
Three gemmy quartz crystals containing

bright rust-red inclusions of hematite, on
a field of sparkly black specular hematite
Golden acicular crystals of rutile
radiating from a center of platy hematite
Cypro-Minoan cylinder seal (left) made

from hematite with corresponding
impression (right), approximately 14th
century BC
A cluster of parallel-growth, mirror-bright,
metallic-gray hematite blades from Brazil
Hematite carving, 5 cm (2 in) long

Hematite, variant specularite (specular
hematite), with fine grain shown
Red hematite from banded iron

formation in Wyoming
Hematite on Mars as found in form of
"blueberries" (named by Nasa)
Streak plate, showing that Hematite

consistently leaves a rust-red streak.
Hematite in Scanning Electron
Microscope, magnification 100x.
See also
Mill scale
Mineral redox buffer
Wüstite
References
1. Dunlop, David J.; Özdemir, Özden
(2001). Rock Magnetism:
Fundamentals and Frontiers.
Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press. p. 73. ISBN 9780521000987.
2. Anthony, John W.; Bideaux, Richard
A.; Bladh, Kenneth W.; Nichols,
Monte C. (eds.). "Hematite" (PDF).
Handbook of Mineralogy. III.
Chantilly, VA: Mineralogical Society
of America. ISBN 978-0962209727.
Retrieved December 22, 2018.
3. "Hematite Mineral Data" .
WebMineral.com. Retrieved
December 22, 2018.
4. "Hematite" . Mindat.org. Retrieved
December 22, 2018.
5. Cornell, Rochelle M.; Schwertmann,
Udo (1996). The Iron Oxides .
Germany: Wiley. pp. 4, 26.
ISBN 9783527285761.
LCCN 96031931 . Retrieved
December 22, 2018.
6. "Ochre" . Industrial Minerals.
Minerals Zone. Archived from the
original on November 15, 2016.
7. "Researchers find earliest evidence
for modern human behavior in South
Africa" (Press release). AAAS. ASU
News. October 17, 2007. Retrieved
December 22, 2018.
8. Levato, Chiara (2016). "Iron Oxides
Prehistoric Mines: A European
Overview" (PDF). Anthropologica et
Præhistorica. 126: 9–23. Retrieved
December 22, 2018.
9. Dzyaloshinsky, I. E. (1958). "A
thermodynamic theory of "weak"
ferromagnetism of
antiferromagnetics". Journal of
Physics and Chemistry of Solids. 4
(4): 241–255.
Bibcode:1958JPCS....4..241D .
doi:10.1016/0022-3697(58)90076-
3.
10. Moriya, Tōru (1960). "Anisotropic
Superexchange Interaction and
Weak Ferromagnetism" (PDF).
Physical Review. 120 (1): 91.
Bibcode:1960PhRv..120...91M .
doi:10.1103/PhysRev.120.91 .
11. Dang, M.-Z.; Rancourt, D. G.; Dutrizac,
J. E.; Lamarche, G.; Provencher, R.
(1998). "Interplay of surface
conditions, particle size,
stoichiometry, cell parameters, and
magnetism in synthetic hematite-like
materials". Hyperfine Interactions.
117 (1–4): 271–319.
Bibcode:1998HyInt.117..271D .
doi:10.1023/A:1012655729417 .
S2CID 94031594 .
12. Vallina, B.; Rodriguez-Blanco, J. D.;
Brown, A. P.; Benning, L. G.; Blanco,
J. A. (2014). "Enhanced magnetic
coercivity of α-Fe2O3 obtained from
carbonated 2-line ferrihydrite" (PDF).
Journal of Nanoparticle Research.
16 (3): 2322.
Bibcode:2014JNR....16.2322V .
doi:10.1007/s11051-014-2322-5 .
S2CID 137598876 .
13. Redman, Chris (May 20, 2009). "The
next iron rush" . Money.cnn.com.
14. "Sveriges mest beprövade husfärg"
[Sweden's most proven house color]
(in Northern Sami). Retrieved
December 22, 2018.
15. "Mars Global Surveyor TES
Instrument Identification of Hematite
on Mars" (Press release). NASA.
May 27, 1998. Archived from the
original on May 13, 2007. Retrieved
December 22, 2018.
16. Bandfield, Joshua L. (2002). "Global
mineral distributions on Mars"
(PDF). Journal of Geophysical
Research. 107 (E6): E65042.
Bibcode:2002JGRE..107.5042B .
doi:10.1029/2001JE001510 .
17. Glotch, Timothy D.; Christensen,
Philip R. (2005). "Geologic and
mineralogic mapping of Aram
Chaos: Evidence for a water-rich
history" . Journal of Geophysical
Research. 110 (E9): E09006.
Bibcode:2005JGRE..110.9006G .
doi:10.1029/2004JE002389 .
S2CID 53489327 .
18. Glotch, Timothy D.; Rogers, D.;
Christensen, Philip R. (2005). "A
Newly Discovered Hematite-Rich
Unit in Aureum Chaos: Comparison
of Hematite and Associated Units
With Those in Aram Chaos" (PDF).
Lunar and Planetary Science. 36:
2159. Bibcode:2005LPI....36.2159G .
19. "Hematite" . NASA. Retrieved
December 22, 2018.
20. "Black Gemstones, Diamonds and
Opals: The Popular New Jewelry
Trend" . TrueFacet.com. October 23,
2015. Retrieved December 22, 2018.
21. "(What's the Story) Mourning
Jewelry?" . Retrieved December 22,
2018.
22. "Magnetic Hematite" . Mindat.org.
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Hematite, also spelled as haematite, is a

Brazilian trigonal hematite crystal

Category Oxide minerals

Formula iron(III) oxide, Fe2O3,

Strunz classiﬁcation 4.CB.05

Dana classiﬁcation 4.3.1.2

Crystal system Trigonal

Crystal class Hexagonal

Space group R3c

Unit cell a = 5.038(2) Å;

Color Metallic gray, dull to

Crystal habit Tabular to thick

Cleavage None, may show

Fracture Uneven to sub-

Streak Bright red to dark red

Speciﬁc gravity 5.26

Optical properties Uniaxial (−)

Refractive index nω = 3.150–3.220, nε

Pleochroism O = brownish red; E =

Large deposits of hematite are found in

Clay-sized hematite crystals can also

Etymology and history

Ochre is a clay that is colored by varying

The red chalk writing of this mineral was

The magnetic structure of α-hematite

Enhanced magnetic coercivities for

Crystal structure of hematite

Image mosaic from the Mars Exploration Rover

The spectral signature of hematite was

Three gemmy quartz crystals containing

Cypro-Minoan cylinder seal (left) made

Hematite carving, 5 cm (2 in) long

Red hematite from banded iron

Streak plate, showing that Hematite

Wikimedia Commons has media

Last edited 2 days ago by Citation bot

Content is available under CC BY-SA 3.0 unless

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