Images
Formula: Pb2+2Pb4+O4
Multiple oxide, minium group
Specific gravity: 9.05
Hardness: 2½
Streak: Orange-yellow
Colour: Red to brownish red
Solubility: Soluble in hydrochloric acid with evolution of Cl2. Decomposed by nitric acid, with brown residue of PbO2
Environments:
Minium occurs in the oxidised portions of lead ore deposits
(Webmin), formed under extreme oxidising conditions
(R&M 91.1.33).
Localities
At the Nakhlak Mine, Anarak District, Nain County, Isfahan Province, Iran, epigenetic (formed later than the
surrounding or underlying rock formation) vein deposits and metasomatic replacement bodies are hosted by a chalky
Upper Cretaceous (100.5 to 66 million years ago) limestone. The
limestone underwent
dolomitisation prior to sulphide mineralisation. The principal
primary ore mineral is
galena, associated with minor or trace amounts of
sphalerite, tetrahedrite
-tennantite, pyrite and
chalcopyrite as inclusions. The main
secondary ore mineral is
cerussite, sometimes associated with minor amounts of
anglesite, plattnerite,
wulfenite, minium,
mimetite, covellite,
chalcanthite, malachite and
goethite. Many trace elements are present in the
primary galena, but
most notably it is rich in silver and
antimony and poor in bismuth.
Minium occurs rarely as orange botryoidal layers in the
supergene zone
(Minrec 54.3.383-408).
At the Santa Fé mine, Bolaños, Mun. de Bolaños, Jalisco, Mexico, minium is associated with massicot
and cerussite
(Dana).
At the Berg Aukas mine, Grootfontein, Otjozondjupa Region, Namibia, minium has been found forming red encrustations on
coarse-grained galena
(R&M 96.2.132).
At the Långban mine, Långban Ore District, Filipstad, Värmland County, Sweden, minium is associated with native
lead
(Dana).
At Leadville, Lake county, Colorado, USA, minium is associated with
galena,
cerussite and iron oxides
(Dana).
At the Jay Gould Mine, Wood River Mining District, Blaine county, Idaho, USA, minium is associated with native
lead and galena
(Dana).
Back to Minerals