Notes on the mineralogy and geochemistry of zinc

Abstract

The ionic radius of zinc (0·83 Å.) is identical with that of divalent iron (0·83 Å.) and nearly the same as that of magnesium (0·78 Å.). One would therefore expect zinc to be mineralogically closely related to iron and magnesium. It is, however, well known that this is not the case. An examination of a list of the zinc minerals which have so far been described shows that only in a few cases are the corresponding isomorphous ferromagnesian species known. As a rule zinc minerals and iron-magnesium minerals with corresponding chemical formulae are entirely different in their crystal-structure.