pollucite
Definition
- Noun:
- A rare mineral: A naturally occurring, inorganic solid with a specific chemical composition and crystalline structure.
- An important source of cesium: It is the principal ore mineral for the element cesium (chemical symbol Cs), a soft, silvery-gold alkali metal.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Geologists were excited to discover a vein of pollucite in the granite pegmatite.
- The mining company extracts cesium primarily from pollucite.
- Under UV light, some specimens of pollucite can exhibit fluorescence.
Advanced Usage
- In mineralogy and economic geology: The term is used specifically to denote the cesium-rich endmember of the zeolite group of minerals. Its chemical formula is often given as (Cs,Na)₂Al₂Si₄O₁₂·H₂O, indicating it contains cesium, sodium, aluminum, silicon, oxygen, and water.
- The high cesium content makes pollucite a mineral of significant strategic and industrial importance.
Variants and Related Words
- Cesium (Caesium): (Noun) The chemical element (Cs) derived from pollucite.
- Zeolite: (Noun) The larger group of hydrated aluminosilicate minerals to which pollucite belongs.
- Pegmatite: (Noun) The type of coarse-grained igneous rock where pollucite is most commonly found.
Synonyms
- Cesium ore: A descriptive synonym highlighting its primary economic use.
- Caesium aluminosilicate: A technical name referring to its chemical composition.
Notes on Meaning
The word pollucite refers exclusively to the mineral itself. It is not used as a verb or adjective. Its significance is almost entirely technical, confined to fields like mineralogy, geology, and industrial mining for rare elements. The name derives from Pollux, a figure in Greek mythology, pairing with the mineral "castorite" (now known as petalite).
Noun
-
a rare mineral that is an important source of cesium
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