Mascagnite
Encyclopedia
Mascagnite is a rare ammonium sulfate
mineral (N
H
4)2S
O
4. It crystallizes in the orthorhombic system typically forming as stalactitic masses exhibiting good cleavage
. It is soft (not higher than 2.5 on the Mohs Scale) and water soluble. Optical properties are variable; the purest form is transparent and colorless, but opaque gray or yellow deposits are also known.
It occurs in fumaroles, as at Mount Vesuvius
and associated with coal seam fires. It was named for Italian anatomist Paolo Mascagni
(1752-1815) who first described the mineral.
Ammonium sulfate
Ammonium sulfate , 2SO4, is an inorganic salt with a number of commercial uses. The most common use is as a soil fertilizer. It contains 21% nitrogen as ammonium cations, and 24% sulfur as sulfate anions...
mineral (N
Nitrogen
Nitrogen is a chemical element that has the symbol N, atomic number of 7 and atomic mass 14.00674 u. Elemental nitrogen is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, and mostly inert diatomic gas at standard conditions, constituting 78.08% by volume of Earth's atmosphere...
H
Hydrogen
Hydrogen is the chemical element with atomic number 1. It is represented by the symbol H. With an average atomic weight of , hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant chemical element, constituting roughly 75% of the Universe's chemical elemental mass. Stars in the main sequence are mainly...
4)2S
Sulfur
Sulfur or sulphur is the chemical element with atomic number 16. In the periodic table it is represented by the symbol S. It is an abundant, multivalent non-metal. Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms form cyclic octatomic molecules with chemical formula S8. Elemental sulfur is a bright yellow...
O
Oxygen
Oxygen is the element with atomic number 8 and represented by the symbol O. Its name derives from the Greek roots ὀξύς and -γενής , because at the time of naming, it was mistakenly thought that all acids required oxygen in their composition...
4. It crystallizes in the orthorhombic system typically forming as stalactitic masses exhibiting good cleavage
Cleavage (crystal)
Cleavage, in mineralogy, is the tendency of crystalline materials to split along definite crystallographic structural planes. These planes of relative weakness are a result of the regular locations of atoms and ions in the crystal, which create smooth repeating surfaces that are visible both in the...
. It is soft (not higher than 2.5 on the Mohs Scale) and water soluble. Optical properties are variable; the purest form is transparent and colorless, but opaque gray or yellow deposits are also known.
It occurs in fumaroles, as at Mount Vesuvius
Mount Vesuvius
Mount Vesuvius is a stratovolcano in the Gulf of Naples, Italy, about east of Naples and a short distance from the shore. It is the only volcano on the European mainland to have erupted within the last hundred years, although it is not currently erupting...
and associated with coal seam fires. It was named for Italian anatomist Paolo Mascagni
Paolo Mascagni
Paolo Mascagni was an Italian physician.He was born in Pomarance to Aurelio Mascagni and Elizabeth Rivendell ', both belonging to the ancient families Chiusdino...
(1752-1815) who first described the mineral.