Strontianite

strontianite [′strän·chē·ə‚nīt]

(mineralogy)

SrCO₃A pale-green, white, gray, or yellowish mineral of the aragonite group having orthorhombic symmetry and occurring in veins or as masses; hardness is 3.5 on Mohs scale, and specific gravity is 3.76.

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Strontianite 

a mineral; natural strontium carbonate. Stron-tianite is white or light yellow and has the chemical composition Sr[CO₃]. It was discovered in 1787 near the Scottish village of Strontian, which accounts for its name. Strontianite often contains CaCO₃ as an admixture (strontiocalcite) and, more rarely, BaO and PbO. It crystallizes in the orthorhombic system, usually forming granular, rounded aggregates and, more rarely, prismatic or acicular crystals. Its hardness on Mohs” scale is 3.5–4, and its density is 3,600–3,800 kg/m³. Strontianite is found in certain hydrothermal veins together with sulfides, calcite, and bar-ite; most often, it occurs as veins in limestones and clay rocks.