Cerussite (redirected from ceruse)

cerussite (sēr`əsīt), colorless to white or gray mineral, sometimes yellowish or greenish, transparent to opaque, very brittle, crystallizing in the orthorhombic system and occurring also in granular and massive form. It is a carbonate of lead, PbCO₃, formed by the action of carbonate and bicarbonate solutions on galena. It is an important ore of lead widely distributed throughout the world and found associated with galena and other lead minerals.

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cerussite [sə′rəs‚īt]

(mineralogy)

PbCO₃A yellow or white member of the aragonite group occurring in orthorhombic crystals; produced by the action of carbon dioxide on lead ore.

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Cerussite 

a mineral; lead carbonate, PbCO₃. Cerussite contains minute amounts of Ca, Zn, Sr, and Mg. It crystallizes in the orthorhombic system, forming columnar, dipyramidal, or tabular crystals. It often occurs in the form of stellate clusters of twinned or triplet crystals. It is usually found in the form of granular or sinter aggregates. A white, yellowish, or brownish gray mineral, it has a density of 6,400–6,600 kg/m³ and a hardness of 3.0–3.5 on Mohs’ scale. Cerussite is brittle. Under an electron beam it often gives off a greenish blue light.

Cerussite is a common secondary mineral in the zone of oxidation of lead deposits and occurs in association with anglesite, vanadinite, limonite, and other minerals. It is used mainly as an ore of lead and in the production of white mineral pigments. Deposits in the USSR have been found in Eastern Transbaikalia, the Altai, and Kazakhstan. There are also deposits of cerussite in the United States and Australia.