Mineral

Definisi Mineral
Ikatan kimia padat yang terbentuk secara alamiah, dan
termasuk di dalamnya materi geologi padat yang
menjadi penyusun terkecil dari batuan (Klein and
Hurlbut, 1993).
Suatu unsur atau senyawa kimia yang umumnya
berbentuk kristal dan merupakan produk dari proses-
proses geologi (Hibbard, 2002).
Sebagian besar mineral adalah anorganik, kristal-kristal
organik yang terbentuk dari material organik pada
lingkungan geologi tertentu juga dapat dikelompokkan
sebagai mineral (Hibbard, 2002).

A Mineral is a
a) naturally occurring,
b) homogeneous solid,
c) with a definite (not fixed) chemical
composition,
d) and a highly ordered atomic arrangement.
e) usually formed by inorganic processes.
a) naturally occurring
distintinguishes man-made substances, -
ie., synthetic material (eg. synthetic
diamond, synthetic zeolite) is not a mineral
b) homogeneous solid
means that it consists of a single, solid
substance that can not be divided into chemical
compounds.
the qualification solid excludes gases and
liquids; thus H
2
O as ice in a glacier is a mineral,
but water is not; however, liquid Hg present in
some ore deposits is called mineraloid.
rocks such as granite and basalt can not be
defined as mineral since they are composed by
several components.
c) definite (not fixed) chemical
composition
implies that minerals have specific but
variable chemical formula, ie. dolomite
CaMg(CO
3
)
2
, but generally MgFe, Mn;
thus, Ca(Mg
0.6
Fe
0.3
Mn
0.1
)(CO
3
)
2
.
however, opal having indefinite chemical
composition SiO
2
.nH
2
O is a mineraloid
Mineraloid
A mineraloid is a mineral-like substance that does not demonstrate
crystallinity.
Mineraloids possess chemical compositions that vary beyond the
generally accepted ranges for specific minerals.
For example, obsidian is an amorphous glass and not a crystal.
Jet is derived from decaying wood under extreme pressure.
Opal is another mineraloid because of its non-crystal nature.
Pearl, considered by some to be a mineral because of the presence
of calcium carbonate crystals within its structure, would be better
considered a mineraloid because the crystals are bonded by an
organic material, and there is no definite proportion of the
components.
Common Mineraloids
Amber, non-crystalline structure, organic
Jet, non-crystalline nature, organic (very compact coal)
Native mercury, liquid (IMA/CNMNC valid mineral name)
Lechatelierite, nearly pure silica glass
Limonite, a mixture of oxides
Lapis Lazuli, a mixture of minerals
Obsidian, volcanic glass - non-crystalline structure, a glass and quartz
mixture
Opal, non-crystalline silicon dioxide, a mix of minerals (IMA/CNMNC valid
mineral name)
Pearl, organically produced carbonate
Petroleum, liquid, organic
Pyrobitumen, amorphous fossilized petroleum (noncrystalline, organic)
Ebonite, vulcanized natural or synthetic rubber (organic); not a mineral due
lack of crystalline structure
Tektites, meteoritic silica glass

Figures of Mineraloid
Liquid mercury Native mercury with cinnabar
Opal (amorphous silica)
Figures of Mineraloid
Obsidian (volcanic glass, rock) Jet (very compact coal; organic)
White and black pearl (mutiara)
d) highly ordered atomic
arrangement
indicates an internal structural framework of atoms
(or ions) arranged in a regular geometric pattern
crystalline solid. In the crystalline structure atoms are
in order and shows repeated patterns in 3-D. The
position of an atom in the structure is definite and is
predictable. Solids that lack an ordered atomic
arrangement are called amorphous, eg. volcanic glass
(obsidian), limonite and metamict minerals where
original crystallinity is destroyed by radiation from radio
active elements present in the original structure
(ie. U and Th in zircon destroys biotite structure); leaving
the mineral amorphous.
Figures of Mineraloid
Limonite; mixture of (iron) oxides; FeO(OH).nH
2
O
e) usually formed by inorganic
processes
generally inorganic in origin but some
biogenically produced inorganic
compounds such as aragonite in shell and
pearl, and also opal, magnetite), fluorite,
some phosphates, sulphates and Mn-
oxides, pyrite) and elemental S of bacterial
origin are included. However, organic
compounds of petroleum and coal
(macerals) are excluded.
Therefore, MgO chemical compound
that satisfying above conditions is a
mineral and named as periclase.