Mineral Solubility

 

This page mainly exists as a guide for mineral cleaning and preparation. For instance, let’s say you have nice Barite crystals, but they are embedded and covered over by Calcite. From the tables below you would find that Calcite dissolves readily in Hydrochloric Acid, but Barite is unaffected by it. So that acid could be used to etch away the Calcite, exposing the Barite crystals.

Legend
Readily Affected
Moderately Affected
Slightly Affected
Minerals Soluble in Water
Carnallite Hanksite Orpiment
Chalcanthite Inyoite Polyhalite
Colemanite Kernite Sylvite
Cryolite Melanterite Thenardite
Greenockite Nahcolite Trona
Halite Natron Ulexite
Halotrichite Niter
Minerals Soluble in Hydrochloric Acid
Acanthite Franklinite Phillipsite
Adamite Galena Polyhalite
Aegirine Goethite Prehnite
Allanite Gmelinite Priceite
Amblygonite Greenockite Psilomelane
Analcime Gypsum Purpurite
Andradite Halotrichite Pyrolusite
Anhydrite Hanksite Pyromorphite
Ankerite Harmotome Rhodochrosite
Anorthite Hematite Rhodonite
Apatite Hemimorphite Rosasite
Apophyllite Heulandite Samarskite
Aragonite Howlite Scheelite
Aurichalcite Hübnerite Scolecite
Autunite Ilmenite Scorodite
Azurite Ilvaite Scorzalite
Benitoite Inderite Serpentine
Bismuth Inyoite Siderite
Braunite Iron Smithsonite
Brochantite Jarosite Sodalite
Brucite Kernite Sphalerite
Calcite Kurnakovite Stibnite
Calomel Laumontite Stilbite
Cancrinite Lazulite Strontianite
Carnallite Lazurite Sylvite
Carnotite Lepidolite Tenorite
Cassiterite Leucite Thenardite
Celestine Lithiophilite Thomsonite
Cerussite Ludlamite Torbernite
Cervantite Magnesite Triphylite
Chabazite Magnetite Triplite
Chalcanthite Malachite Trona
Chondrodite Manganite Turquoise
Chrysocolla Margarite Tyuyamunite
Colmanite Melanterite Uraninite
Copper Metatorbernite Vanadinite
Cordierite Metazeunerite Variscite
Covellite Meyerhofferite Vesuvianite
Crocoite Mimetite Vivianite
Cuprite Monazite Wardite
Cyanotrichite Mottramite Wavellite
Datolite Nahcolite Willemite
Descloizite Natrolite Witherite
Dioptase Natron Wollastonite
Dolomite Nepheline Wulfenite
Epidote Niter Wurtzite
Ferberite Olivenite Zeunerite
Fergusonite Olivine Zincite
Fluorite Pectolite  
Minerals Unaffected by Hydrochloric Acid
Amphibole Enstatite Pyrite
Andalusite Gahnite Pyrope
Andesine Gold Quartz
Antimony Graphite Riebeckite
Arsenic Grossular Rutile
Arsenopyrite Hedenbergite Sanidine
Barite Hornblende Scapolite
Beryl Hypersthene Sillimanite
Bismuthinite Kyanite Silver
Brookite Labrodorite Spessartine
Bytownite Löllingite Spinel
Cerargyrite Marcasite Spodumene
Chalcedony Microcline Sulfur
Chromite Millerite Talc
Chrysoberyl Neptunite Tantalite
Cinnabar Niccolite Topaz
Columbite Oligoclase Tourmaline
Corundrum Opal Tremolite
Cryolite Orthoclase Xenotime
Danburite Perovskite Zircon
Diamond Phenakite
Diaspore Platinum
Minerals Soluble in Sulfuric Acid
Acanthite Cyanotrichite Priceite
Adamite Descloizite Pyromorphite
Amblygonite Ferberite Pyrophyllite
Anhydrite Fergusonite Rhodochrosite
Ankerite Fluorite Rosasite
Antimony Gahnite Rutile
Apatite Halotrichite Samarskite
Aragonite Hanksite Scorodite
Arsenic Howlite Scorzalite
Aurichalcite Hübnerite Siderite
Autunite Inyoite Silver
Azurite Iron Smithsonite
Barite Kernite Sodalite
Biotite Kurnakovite Spinel
Bismuth Lazulite Strontianite
Brochantite Lithiophilite Sylvite
Brookite Ludlamite Tantalite
Brucite Magnesite Thenardite
Calaverite Malachite Topaz
Calcite Manganite Torbernite
Carnallite Melanterite Triphylite
Carnotite Metatorbernite Triplite
Celestine Metazeunerite Trona
Cerussite Meyerhofferite Tyuyamunite
Chalcanthite Mimetite Uraninite
Chlorite Molybdenite Vivianite
Chrysocolla Monazite Wardite
Clinochlore Mottramite Wavellite
Columbite Nahcolite Willemite
Copper Natron Witherite
Covellite Niter Wulfenite
Crocoite Olivenite Xenotime
Cryolite Perovskite Zeunerite
Cuprite Phlogopite Zincite
Minerals Unaffected by Sulfuric Acid
Amphibole Diaspore Opal
Andalusite Enstatite Orthoclase
Andesine Epidote Phenakite
Arsenopyrite Gold Platinum
Beryl Graphite Pyrite
Bismuthinite Grossular Pyrope
Bytownite Hedenbergite Quartz
Calomel Hornblende Riebeckite
Cassiterite Hypersthene Sanidine
Cerargyrite Kyanite Scapolite
Cervantite Labrodorite Sillimanite
Chalcedony Löllingite Spessartine
Chromite Marcasite Spodumene
Chrysoberyl Microcline Sulfur
Cinnabar Millerite Talc
Corundrum Neptunite Tourmaline
Danburite Niccolite Tremolite
Diamond Oligoclase Zircon
Minerals Soluble in Nitric Acid
Amblygonite Enargite Pyrargyrite
Anhydrite Galena Pyrite
Antimony Halotrichite Pyromorphite
Apatite Hanksite Realgar
Aragonite Howlite Rhodochrosite
Argentite Inyoite Rosasite
Arsenic Iron Samarskite
Arsenopyrite Kernite Scheelite
Aurichalsite Kurnakovite Scorodite
Autunite Lazulite Scorzalite
Azurite Linarite Siderite
Bismuth Lithiophilite Silver
Bismuthinite Ludlamite Smaltite
Bornite Magnesite Smithsonite
Bournonite Malachite Sphalerite
Breithauptite Marcasite Stibnite
Brochantite Melanterite Strontianite
Brucite Metatorbernite Sylvanite
Calcite Metazeunerite Sylvite
Celedonite Meyerhofferite Tennantite
Calomel Millerite Tenorite
Carnallite Mimetite Tetrahedrite
Carnotite Molybdenite Thenardite
Cassiterite Monazite Torbernite
Celestite Mottramite Triphylite
Cerussite Nahcolite Trona
Chalcanthite Natron Tyuyamunite
Chalcocite Nickel-Iron Uraninite
Chalcopyrite Niter Vanadinite
Chrysocolla Olivenite Vivianite
Colbaltite Orpiment Wardite
Copper Pentlandite Wavellite
Covellite Petzite Witherite
Crocoite Phosgenite Wulfenite
Cuprite Polybasite Wurtzite
Cyanotrichite Priceite Zeuenrite
Descloizite Proustite Zincite
Minerals Unaffected by Nitric Acid
Amphibole Fergusonite Pyrolusite
Andalusite Gahnite Pyrope
Andesine Gold Quartz
Barite Graphite Riebeckite
Beryl Grossular Rutile
Brookite Hedenbergite Sanidine
Bytownite Hornblende Scapolite
Cerargyrite Hypersthene Sillimanite
Cervantite Kyanite Spessartine
Chalcedony Labrodorite Spinel
Chromite Löllingite Spodumene
Chrysoberyl Metacinnabar Sulfur
Cinnabar Microcline Talc
Columbite Neptunite Tantalite
Corundum Niccolite Topaz
Cryolite Oligoclase Tourmaline
Danburite Opal Tremolite
Diamond Orthoclase Xenotime
Diaspore Perovskite Zircon
Enstaitite Phenakite
Epidote Platinum
 Posted by at 1:47 am

  15 Responses to “Mineral Solubility”

  1. please sent solubility of Franklinite in aqua regia

    • I was not able to locate any information on Franklinite in aqua regia (or in nitric acid), but it is at least moderately dissolved in hydrochloric acid. Since aqua regia is a mixture of hydrochloric and nitric, I think is is safe to assume “moderately to readily dissolved”.

  2. Is there any plan to include solubility in HNO3 (Nitric Acid) . Many minerals are insoluble in HCl and H2SO4 but are readily soluble in HNO3. When properly used, with PPE HNO3 is no more dangerous than HCl or H2SO4.

  3. Do you have mineral solubility data for hydrofluoric acid?

    • My original source for this does list hydroflouric acid, but I do not plan to add it here. That is some seriously nasty stuff and I would not recommend messing with it. First, it’s the only acid that can eat through glass. Second, the HF molecule is so small (one hydrogen atom bonded to one fluorine atom) that closing any container tightly enough is almost impossible. In fact, the molecule is so small it can pass right through skin and muscle and then start to attack the calcium carbonate in your bones. If you think having your bones dissolved from the inside out is bad, you’d be correct. I actually ordered some from a chemical supplier many years ago, when I was far more foolish. It came in a plastic bottle, sealed inside a thick plastic zip-lock bag, surrounded by vermiculite (an absorbent), inside another sealed plastic bag, inside a plastic-lined metal can. Even with all that, the metal can started corroding in about month. I quickly neutralized and disposed of it. No mineral specimen is worth your life.

  4. Hey Matt. Is there a source for this information available somewhere or is all of this done empirically?

    • The main source is referenced in the comment below. The few minerals not in the original work are compiled from various web sites.

  5. what’s the source for this information?

    • It is mainly from a long out-of-print book: “Prospecting for Gemstones and Minerals” by John Sinkankas, copyright 1961. I have added a few minerals not in the book from various other sources.

  6. The only thing I don’t see on her is Muscovite

    • The only info I have on Muscovite is that is dissolves moderately well in hydrofluoric acid. However, I would not mess with that acid.

  7. Hi, is there any chance you can add data for Retgersite and Antlerite?

    • Probably not. If you can’t find it online, then I likely can not either. On the other hand, if you do find it, let me know and I will add them.

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