Today we are going to talk about a mineral that is not simple as such. It is a mineral that is composed, in turn, of a mixture of minerals that fall within a class. It's about the limonite. This mineral is composed of different types of other minerals within the class of oxides and is also known by the name of goethite.
In this article we are going to tell you about all the characteristics and properties of limonite.
What is limonite
It is a type of mineral composed of several oxide minerals and that can be presented in a form composed of other materials in different proportions. Among these minerals we have hematite, magnetite, hisingerite, jarosite, lepidocrocite, among others. It belongs to the class of oxides and has a brown color. On the hardness scale it has a value of 5.5.
Limonite uses
This mineral has been used throughout the first civilizations. It has been used for decorative purposes both in the home and in the different commercial establishments or offices since the industrial revolution. It is used so often that it can be ground fairly easily into a dye that is used to dye garments or various textile materials.
It has great versatility when it comes to use. So much so that it can also be used in the world of painting to give different ocher tones to works. Many painters used limonite to shape their paintings. In order to use it efficiently, they had to grind them and see how it would gradually turn into dust. This mineral could not be used directly on the paint, but had to be mixed with other elements so that it could have consistency and give it the touch that was needed in the painting.
In the field of construction, it was used in limonite so that the structures could better withstand the passage of time. In the world of painting today it is not used as much. To give consistency to the works, nowadays other types of materials are used such as iron girls. The highest quality iron is found within limonite. As long as we carry out an adequate treatment, the iron can be released within this mineral to be able to take full advantage of it. Limonite minerals are also used to create fertilizers and growing manures for different plants.
Of course, it also has some more magical or mystical uses. And it is that this mineral is used in geotherapy since it is thought that it may have certain healing properties. It is said that they are capable of giving willpower to those people who have a lot of energy and strength but who do not know how to organize themselves to complete their objectives. It is also a mineral that serves to be able to have some spiritual calm and manages to channel the energies as far as the user wishes.
In geotherapy, it is believed that limonite is golden in color and can help improve self-esteem and the mood of that person above it.
How to recognize it
It is a fairly common misconception that limonite is just a mineral. You could say that more paying attention to science is considered a type of rock. In the definition of rock we see that it is the union of two or more minerals after a geological process that lasts thousands of years. In this case, we find a type of mineral that, in turn, is composed of other minerals. To understand whether we are really facing a mineral, we must study its composition.
In the main composition we see that it is composed by ferrous oxide minerals such as goethite and lepidocrocite. Some experts know this type of mineral by the name of ocher because it is represented by its color. Taking into account the type of composition it has, it is not the most normal thing to call the mineral. Limonite cannot be formed directly, but they need some type of iron to be able to do it. If you are looking in a deposit for different types of minerals and you find limonite, it is quite likely that there is an iron ore nearby.
Since we have seen that its composition is the result of various concentrations of different elements, limonite is considered not to have a stable chemical composition. Only the experts are the ones who can analyze the entire area where they are found and what oxide components are those that have been part of this mineral.
Where to find it
Unlike what usually happens with the rest of minerals, it is not common for limonite to form in rock and silicate or carbonate deposits. This does not indicate that this cannot be the case. The possibilities that they can form in this type of reservoir depends on the type of climate. This probability of limonite formation occurring in silicate or carbonate rock reservoirs can occur in tropical climates.
It is taken into account that iron oxide is necessary for the material to finish forming. The reason this is so is that there must be certain bacteria that make it possible. Bacteria only have the ability to reproduce in swamps and similar conditions. Limonite deposits exist in many parts of the world. The most important are located in tropical and warm areas such as the deposits located in Brazil, India, Cuba, the Congo and some in Canada.
In Spain we have some deposits of this mineral such as the mines of Teruel or Vizcaya. However, these places are not considered active.
As an interesting fact, we can say that geologists consider that limonite plays a fairly important role in the earth and that it helps to rebuild iron minerals. Thanks to these types of minerals we can understand the history of our planet much better.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about limonite.