Biotite and Antigorite Physical Properties
Tenacity
Brittle
Not Available
Solubility
Not Available
Not Available
Durability
Not Available
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.7-3.3
2.58-2.80
Fracture
Uneven, Even, Yellow, White
Conchoidal, Brittle, Metallic, Conchoidal, Handbook of mineralogy (2001)
Cleavage
Perfect on the {001}
{001} Good
Mohs Hardness
2.5-3.0
5-5.5
Chemical Composition
K(Mg,Fe++)3[AlSi3O10(OH,F)2
(Mg,Fe2+ ) 3Si 2O 5(OH) 4Anthony et al , Handbook of mineralogy (2001)
Biotite and Antigorite Chemical Formula
While comparing Biotite and Antigorite physical properties, the important data you should know is its chemical composition. Since chemical formula defines the molecular structure of the crystal, most of the physical properties like color, tenacity, solubility are governed by Biotite and Antigorite chemical formula.
- Chemical formula of Biotite- K(Mg,Fe++)3[AlSi3O10(OH,F)2
- Chemical formula of Antigorite- (Mg,Fe2+ ) 3Si 2O 5(OH) 4Anthony et al , Handbook of mineralogy (2001)
Biotite and Antigorite Specific Gravity
Another important criteria for qualitative analysis of gemstones is Biotite and Antigorite Specific gravity. Specific gravity is the relative density of a gemstone compared with respect to density of water. Gemologists use Biotite and Antigorite Optical Properties during the identification of gemstone. Specific gravity of Biotite is 2.58-2.80 whereas that of Antigorite is 2.58-2.80.