Fluorite

Fluorite (also called fluor-spar) is a mineral composed of calcium fluoride, CaF2. It is an isometric mineral with a cubic habit, though octahedral and more complex isometric forms are not uncommon. Crystal twinning is common and adds complexity to the observed crystal habits.

Uses

As well as ornamental uses, fluorite is also used as a flux in the manufacture of steel, in the making of opalescent glass, enamels for cooking utensils, and for hydrofluoric acid. Fluorite is also used in some high performance telescopes and camera lens elements instead of glass. It has a very low dispersion so light diffraction is far less than ordinary glass and in telescopes it allows crisp images of astronomical objects even at high power. Most optical material is now synthetic. The name fluorite is derived from the Latin fluo, flow, in reference to its use as a flux. Fluorite is slightly soluble in water, and is decomposed by sulfuric acid and forms free hydrofluoric acid.

Related Topics:
Flux - Steel - Opalescent - Glass - Enamels - Hydrofluoric acid - Telescope - Camera - Lens - Latin - Sulfuric acid

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