Editorial Feature

Galena – Occurrence, Properties and Distribution

May 14 2014

Galena is the primary ore mineral of lead. Its discovery dates back to 3000 BC, and its name is derived from the Latin word galena, meaning dross from melted lead.

Properties of Galena

The key physical properties of Galena are as below:

Cell Data
- Space group: Fm3m
- a = 5.936
- Z = 4

Crystal Data
- Cubic
- Point group: 4/m 3 2/m
- Crystals: most commonly cubic, crystals to a meter on edge are known; more rarely cubo-octahedral. May be tabular on {001}; also form reticulated masses and skeletal crystals. As cleavable masses coarse to very fine granular; fibrous plumose
  Twinning: twin plane {111}, as both contact and penetration twins; twin plane {114}, lamellar
- X-ray powder pattern: Synthetic 2.969 (100), 3.429 (84), 2.099 (57), 1.790 (35), 1.327 (17), 1.714 (16), 1.484 (10)

Chemical Composition

Elements	Content 1	Content 2	Content 3
Pb	85.50	85.9	86.60
Cu	0.07	Trace	-
Sb	-	0.7	-
Bi	-	0.2	-
S	13.31	12.6	13.40

Optical Properties
- Opaque
- Lustre – Metallic
- Color- lead-grey, white in polished section

Estimated Properties

Electron density	Bulk density (electron density) = 6.23 g/cm³ note: Specific gravity of Galena = 7.60 g/cm³
Photoelectric	PE_Galena = 1623.65 barns/electron U = PE_Galena x ρelectron density = 10108.40 barns/cm³
Fermion index	Fermion index = 0.19 Boson index = 0.81
Radioactivity	GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units) Galena is not radioactive

How to Identify Galena

The color of galena is lead-grey, but it appears white in polished sections. It is brittle by nature. Its hardness varies from 2.5 to 2.75. It exhibits a metallic lustre.

Global Distribution

Galena is widely distributed in the following locations:

USA – from Coueur d’ Alene district, Idaho; Shoshone Co. Colarado; Mississippi Region; Tri-state District, Missouri
Czech Republic – from Pribram
Germany – from Saxony, Hesse; Clausthal in Harz Mountains
France – from Pontigibaud
England – from Alston Moor, Cumbria
Scotland – from Wanlockhead, Dumfries
Mexico – from Santa Eulalia
Ireland – Mogul Mine, Tipperary

Occurrence of Galena and Useful Mineral Association

Galena occurs in a number of environments, such as hydrothermal veins (formed under various temperatures), metamorphic deposits, and in pegmatites. Limestones and dolostones are common in host rocks.

Some of the minerals with which galena is associated are spharelite, marcasite, pyrite, chalcopyrite, siderite, silver minerals, dolomite, quartz, and many other hydrothermal minerals.