Corundum

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Corundum
Several corundum crystals.jpg
General
Category Oxide mineral – Hematite group
Formula
(repeating unit)
Al2O3
IMA symbol Crn [1]
Strunz classification 4.CB.05
Dana classification 4.3.1.1
Crystal system Trigonal
Crystal class Hexagonal scalenohedral (3m)
H-M symbol: (3 2/m)
Space group R3c (No. 167)
Unit cell a = 4.75 Å, c = 12.982 Å; Z = 6
Identification
ColorColorless, gray, golden-brown, brown; purple, pink to red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet; may be color zoned, asteriated mainly grey and brown
Crystal habit Steep bipyramidal, tabular, prismatic, rhombohedral crystals, massive or granular
Twinning Polysynthetic twinning common
Cleavage None – parting in 3 directions
Fracture Conchoidal to uneven
Tenacity Brittle
Mohs scale hardness9 (defining mineral) [2]
Luster Adamantine to vitreous
Streak Colorless
Diaphaneity Transparent, translucent to opaque
Specific gravity 3.95–4.10
Optical propertiesUniaxial ()
Refractive index nω = 1.767–1.772
nε = 1.759–1.763
Pleochroism None
Melting point 2,044 °C (3,711 °F)
Fusibility Infusible
Solubility Insoluble
Alters toMay alter to mica on surfaces causing a decrease in hardness
Other characteristicsMay fluoresce or phosphoresce under UV light
References [3] [4] [5] [6]
Major varieties
Sapphire Any color except red
Ruby Red
Emery Black granular corundum intimately mixed with magnetite, hematite, or hercynite

Corundum is a crystalline form of aluminium oxide (Al2O3) typically containing traces of iron, titanium, vanadium, and chromium. [3] [4] It is a rock-forming mineral. It is a naturally transparent material, but can have different colors depending on the presence of transition metal impurities in its crystalline structure. [7] Corundum has two primary gem varieties: ruby and sapphire. Rubies are red due to the presence of chromium, and sapphires exhibit a range of colors depending on what transition metal is present. [7] A rare type of sapphire, padparadscha sapphire, is pink-orange.

Contents

The name "corundum" is derived from the Tamil-Dravidian word kurundam (ruby-sapphire) (appearing in Sanskrit as kuruvinda). [8] [9]

Because of corundum's hardness (pure corundum is defined to have 9.0 on the Mohs scale), it can scratch almost all other minerals. It is commonly used as an abrasive on sandpaper and on large tools used in machining metals, plastics, and wood. Emery, a variety of corundum with no value as a gemstone, is commonly used as an abrasive. It is a black granular form of corundum, in which the mineral is intimately mixed with magnetite, hematite, or hercynite. [6]

In addition to its hardness, corundum has a density of 4.02 g/cm3 (251 lb/cu ft), which is unusually high for a transparent mineral composed of the low-atomic mass elements aluminium and oxygen. [10]

Geology and occurrence

Corundum from Brazil, size about 2 cm x 3 cm (0.8 in x 1 in) Corindon azulEZ.jpg
Corundum from Brazil, size about 2 cm × 3 cm (0.8 in × 1 in)

Corundum occurs as a mineral in mica schist, gneiss, and some marbles in metamorphic terranes. It also occurs in low-silica igneous syenite and nepheline syenite intrusives. Other occurrences are as masses adjacent to ultramafic intrusives, associated with lamprophyre dikes and as large crystals in pegmatites. [6] It commonly occurs as a detrital mineral in stream and beach sands because of its hardness and resistance to weathering. [6] The largest documented single crystal of corundum measured about 65 cm × 40 cm × 40 cm (26 in × 16 in × 16 in), and weighed 152 kg (335 lb). [11] The record has since been surpassed by certain synthetic boules. [12]

Corundum for abrasives is mined in Zimbabwe, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Russia, Sri Lanka, and India. Historically it was mined from deposits associated with dunites in North Carolina, US, and from a nepheline syenite in Craigmont, Ontario. [6] Emery-grade corundum is found on the Greek island of Naxos and near Peekskill, New York, US. Abrasive corundum is synthetically manufactured from bauxite. [6]

Four corundum axes dating to 2500 BC from the Liangzhu culture and Sanxingcun culture (the latter of which is located in Jintan District) have been discovered in China. [13] [14]

Synthetic corundum

The Verneuil process allows the production of flawless single-crystal sapphire and ruby gems of much larger size than normally found in nature. It is also possible to grow gem-quality synthetic corundum by flux-growth and hydrothermal synthesis. Because of the simplicity of the methods involved in corundum synthesis, large quantities of these crystals have become available on the market at a fraction of the cost of natural stones. [17]

Apart from ornamental uses, synthetic corundum is also used to produce mechanical parts (tubes, rods, bearings, and other machined parts), scratch-resistant optics, scratch-resistant watch crystals, instrument windows for satellites and spacecraft (because of its transparency in the ultraviolet to infrared range), and laser components. For example, the KAGRA gravitational wave detector's main mirrors are 23 kg (50 lb) sapphires, [18] and Advanced LIGO considered 40 kg (88 lb) sapphire mirrors. [19] Corundum has also found use in the development of ceramic armour thanks to its high hardiness. [20]

Structure and physical properties

Crystal structure of corundum Corundum.png
Crystal structure of corundum
Molar volume vs. pressure at room temperature Corundum-pV.svg
Molar volume vs. pressure at room temperature

Corundum crystallizes with trigonal symmetry in the space group R3c and has the lattice parameters a = 4.75 Å and c = 12.982 Å at standard conditions. The unit cell contains six formula units. [4] [21]

The toughness of corundum is sensitive to surface roughness [22] [23] and crystallographic orientation. [24] It may be 6–7 MPa·m1/2 for synthetic crystals, [24] and around 4 MPa·m1/2 for natural. [25]

In the lattice of corundum, the oxygen atoms form a slightly distorted hexagonal close packing, in which two-thirds of the octahedral sites between the oxygen ions are occupied by aluminium ions. [26] The absence of aluminium ions from one of the three sites breaks the symmetry of the hexagonal close packing, reducing the space group symmetry to R3c and the crystal class to trigonal. [27] The structure of corundum is sometimes described as a pseudohexagonal structure. [28]

The Young’s modulus of corundum (sapphire) has been reported by many different sources with values varying between 300-500 GPa, but a commonly cited value used for calculations is 345 GPa. [29] The Young’s modulus is temperature dependent, and has been reported in the [0001] direction as 435 GPa at 323 K and 386 GPa at 1,273 K [29] . The shear modulus of corundum is 145 GPa [30] , and the bulk modulus is 240 GPa. [30]

Single crystal corundum fibers have potential applications in high temperature composites, and the Young’s modulus is highly dependent on the crystallographic orientation along the fiber axis. The fiber exhibits a max modulus of 461 GPa when the crystallographic c-axis [0001] is aligned with the fiber axis, and minimum moduli ~373 GPa when a direction 45° away from the c-axis is aligned with the fiber axis. [31]

The hardness of corundum measured by indentation at low loads of 1-2 N has been reported as 22-23 GPa [32] in major crystallographic planes: (0001) (basal plane), (1010) (rhombohedral plane), (1120) (prismatic plane), and (1012). The hardness can drop significantly under high indentation loads. The drop with respect to load varies with the crystallographic plane due to the difference in crack resistance and propagation between directions. One extreme case is seen in the (0001) plane, where the hardness under high load (~1kN) is nearly half the value under low load (1-2 N). [32]

Polycrystalline corundum formed through sintering and treated with a hot isostatic press process can achieve grain sizes in the range of 0.55-0.7 μm, and has been measured to have four-point bending strength between 600-700 MPa and three-point bending strength between 750-900 Mpa. [33]

Generalization

Because of its prevalence, corundum has also become the name of a major structure type (corundum type) found in various binary and ternary compounds. [34]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gemstone</span> Piece of mineral crystal used to make jewelry

A gemstone is a piece of mineral crystal which, when cut or polished, is used to make jewelry or other adornments. Certain rocks and occasionally organic materials that are not minerals may also be used for jewelry and are therefore often considered to be gemstones as well. Most gemstones are hard, but some softer minerals such as brazilianite may be used in jewelry because of their color or luster or other physical properties that have aesthetic value. However, generally speaking, soft minerals are not typically used as gemstones by virtue of their brittleness and lack of durability.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kyanite</span> Aluminosilicate mineral

Kyanite is a typically blue aluminosilicate mineral, found in aluminium-rich metamorphic pegmatites and sedimentary rock. It is the high pressure polymorph of andalusite and sillimanite, and the presence of kyanite in metamorphic rocks generally indicates metamorphism deep in the Earth's crust. Kyanite is also known as disthene or cyanite.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mineral</span> Crystalline chemical element or compound formed by geologic processes

In geology and mineralogy, a mineral or mineral species is, broadly speaking, a solid substance with a fairly well-defined chemical composition and a specific crystal structure that occurs naturally in pure form.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spinel</span> Mineral or gemstone

Spinel is the magnesium/aluminium member of the larger spinel group of minerals. It has the formula MgAl
2
O
4
in the cubic crystal system. Its name comes from the Latin word spinella, a diminutive form of spine, in reference to its pointed crystals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sapphire</span> Gem variety of corundum

Sapphire is a precious gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum, consisting of aluminium oxide (α-Al2O3) with trace amounts of elements such as iron, titanium, cobalt, lead, chromium, vanadium, magnesium, boron, and silicon. The name sapphire is derived from the Latin word sapphirus, itself from the Greek word sappheiros (σάπφειρος), which referred to lapis lazuli. It is typically blue, but natural "fancy" sapphires also occur in yellow, purple, orange, and green colors; "parti sapphires" show two or more colors. Red corundum stones also occur, but are called rubies rather than sapphires. Pink-colored corundum may be classified either as ruby or sapphire depending on locale. Commonly, natural sapphires are cut and polished into gemstones and worn in jewelry. They also may be created synthetically in laboratories for industrial or decorative purposes in large crystal boules. Because of the remarkable hardness of sapphires – 9 on the Mohs scale (the third hardest mineral, after diamond at 10 and moissanite at 9.5) – sapphires are also used in some non-ornamental applications, such as infrared optical components, high-durability windows, wristwatch crystals and movement bearings, and very thin electronic wafers, which are used as the insulating substrates of special-purpose solid-state electronics such as integrated circuits and GaN-based blue LEDs. Sapphire is the birthstone for September and the gem of the 45th anniversary. A sapphire jubilee occurs after 65 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Topaz</span> Silicate mineral

Topaz is a silicate mineral made of aluminum and fluorine with the chemical formula Al2SiO4(F, OH)2. It is used as a gemstone in jewelry and other adornments. Common topaz in its natural state is colorless, though trace element impurities can make it pale blue or golden brown to yellow-orange. Topaz is often treated with heat or radiation to make it a deep blue, reddish-orange, pale green, pink, or purple.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Garnet</span> Mineral, semi-precious stone

Garnets are a group of silicate minerals that have been used since the Bronze Age as gemstones and abrasives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruby</span> Variety of corundum, mineral, gemstone

A ruby is a pinkish red to blood-red colored gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum. Ruby is one of the most popular traditional jewelry gems and is very durable. Other varieties of gem-quality corundum are called sapphires. Ruby is one of the traditional cardinal gems, alongside amethyst, sapphire, emerald, and diamond. The word ruby comes from ruber, Latin for red. The color of a ruby is due to the element chromium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chrysoberyl</span> Mineral or gemstone of beryllium aluminate

The mineral or gemstone chrysoberyl is an aluminate of beryllium with the formula BeAl2O4. The name chrysoberyl is derived from the Greek words χρυσός chrysos and βήρυλλος beryllos, meaning "a gold-white spar". Despite the similarity of their names, chrysoberyl and beryl are two completely different gemstones, although they both contain beryllium. Chrysoberyl is the third-hardest frequently encountered natural gemstone and lies at 8.5 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness, between corundum (9) and topaz (8).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gemology</span> Science dealing with natural and artificial gemstone materials

Gemology or gemmology is the science dealing with natural and artificial gemstone materials. It is a geoscience and a branch of Stoneology and mineralogy. Some jewelers are academically trained gemologists and are qualified to identify and evaluate gems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aluminium oxide</span> Chemical compound with formula Al2O3

Aluminium oxide (or aluminium(III) oxide) is a chemical compound of aluminium and oxygen with the chemical formula Al2O3. It is the most commonly occurring of several aluminium oxides, and specifically identified as aluminium oxide. It is commonly called alumina and may also be called aloxide, aloxite, or alundum in various forms and applications. It occurs naturally in its crystalline polymorphic phase α-Al2O3 as the mineral corundum, varieties of which form the precious gemstones ruby and sapphire. Al2O3 is significant in its use to produce aluminium metal, as an abrasive owing to its hardness, and as a refractory material owing to its high melting point.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nepheline</span> Silica-undersaturated aluminosilicate mineral

Nepheline, also called nephelite (from Ancient Greek νεφέλη (nephélē) 'cloud'), is a rock-forming mineral in the feldspathoid group – a silica-undersaturated aluminosilicate, Na3KAl4Si4O16, that occurs in intrusive and volcanic rocks with low silica, and in their associated pegmatites. It is used in glass and ceramic manufacturing and other industries, and has been investigated as an ore of aluminium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jewel bearing</span> Jewel-lined bearing used in precision instruments, particularly mechanical watches

A jewel bearing is a plain bearing in which a metal spindle turns in a jewel-lined pivot hole. The hole is typically shaped like a torus and is slightly larger than the shaft diameter. The jewels are typically made from the mineral corundum, usually either synthetic sapphire or synthetic ruby. Jewel bearings are used in precision instruments where low friction, long life, and dimensional accuracy are important. Their main use is in mechanical watches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Superhard material</span> Material with Vickers hardness exceeding 40 gigapascals

A superhard material is a material with a hardness value exceeding 40 gigapascals (GPa) when measured by the Vickers hardness test. They are virtually incompressible solids with high electron density and high bond covalency. As a result of their unique properties, these materials are of great interest in many industrial areas including, but not limited to, abrasives, polishing and cutting tools, disc brakes, and wear-resistant and protective coatings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aluminium oxynitride</span> Transparent ceramic material

Aluminium oxynitride is a transparent ceramic composed of aluminium, oxygen and nitrogen. Aluminium oxynitride is optically transparent (≥ 80%) in the near-ultraviolet, visible, and mid-wave-infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. It is four times as hard as fused silica glass, 85% as hard as sapphire, and nearly 115% as hard as magnesium aluminate spinel. It can be fabricated into transparent windows, plates, domes, rods, tubes, and other forms using conventional ceramic powder processing techniques.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Verneuil method</span> Manufacturing process of synthetic gemstones

The Verneuil method, also called flame fusion, was the first commercially successful method of manufacturing synthetic gemstones, developed in the late 1883 by the French chemist Auguste Verneuil. It is primarily used to produce the ruby, sapphire and padparadscha varieties of corundum, as well as the diamond simulants rutile, strontium titanate and spinel. The principle of the process involves melting a finely powdered substance using an oxyhydrogen flame, and crystallising the melted droplets into a boule. The process is considered to be the founding step of modern industrial crystal growth technology, and remains in wide use to this day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aluminium silicate</span> Chemical compound

Aluminum silicate (or aluminium silicate) is a name commonly applied to chemical compounds which are derived from aluminium oxide, Al2O3 and silicon dioxide, SiO2 which may be anhydrous or hydrated, naturally occurring as minerals or synthetic. Their chemical formulae are often expressed as xAl2O3·ySiO2·zH2O. It is known as E number E559.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trapiche emerald</span> Variety of the gemstone emerald

Trapiche emerald is a rare variety of the gemstone emerald, characterized by a six-arm radial pattern of usually black spokes separating areas of green emerald. If weathered, the black spokes may become light in color. Trapiche emerald is one of an assortment of trapiche or trapiche-type minerals. Others include trapiche ruby, sapphire, tourmaline, quartz, and chiastolite. The name comes from the Spanish term trapiche, a sugar mill, because of the resemblance of the pattern to the spokes of a grinding wheel. Emerald is a gem variety of the mineral beryl, and owes it distinctive green color to the presence of chromium and/or vanadium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gemstone industry in Greenland</span>

Gemstones have been found in Greenland, including diamond, ruby, sapphire, kornerupine, tugtupite, lapis lazuli, amazonite, peridot, quartz, spinel, topaz, and tourmaline. Most of Greenland's ruby and sapphire occurrences are located near the village of Fiskenaesset/Qeqertarsuatsiaat on the southwest coast.

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