Constituent
Name
Brucite
IMA name
Brucite
Class
non-silicate mineral
Compound type
oxide-hydroxide
Comments
luster can be also pearly or waxy
Constituent abundance in material
Relevance
main - major
Arrangement
single phase
Mass fraction
1.0
Chemical composition
Formula
$Mg(OH)_2$
Chemical formula
Mg(OH)2
Elemental formula
Mg O2 H2
Isotope mixture type
terrestrial abundance
  Formula Name Family Number min-max Isotope mole fraction State Relevance
$Mg$ Magnesium element 1 constituent element main
$O$ Oxygen element 1 constituent element main
$(OH)^-$ Hydroxide anion chemical function 1 anionic radical main
Composition comments
Common impurities: Fe,Mn,Zn
Chemical functions
  Function Number
$(OH)^-$ 2
Chemical bonds
  Bond Number
$O^--H$ 1
Oxides
Formula $MgO$ $H_{2}O$
Mass fraction (%) 69.11 30.89

Strunz

Class
oxides - hydroxides - arsenites (04)
Division
hydroxides (without V or U) (04.F)
Family
Hydroxides with OH, without H2O; sheets of edge-sharing octahedral (04.FE)
Code
04.FE.05

Dana

Major class
oxides and hydroxides (III)
Class
hydroxides and oxides containing hydroxyl (06)
Type
where X++ (OH)2 (06.02)
Group
Brucite group (Rhombohedral: P-3m1) (06.02.01)
Code
06.02.01.01
Phase type
crystalline
Crystal system
trigonal
Crystal class
ditrigonal-scalenohedral
Crystal class symbol
-3m (D3d)
Crystal spacegroup
P-3m1
Crystal sites
Label Nb Type Wp Specie Specie coordinence Specie occupancy Specie oxidation state
Mg 1 main 1a-3m.  $Mg^{2+}$ trigonal prismatic VI 1.0
O 2 main 6i.m.  $O$ 1.0
H 6 main 6i.m.  $H$ linear I 0.333
Texture
monocrystalline
Molar mass
58.32 $g/mol$
Density
2.39 $g/cm^3$
Refringence type
uniaxial
Refringence sign
positive
Birefringence
0.020
Refraction index $n_{\alpha}$
1.56 - 1.59
Refraction index $n_{\beta}$
1.58 - 1.60
Color
blue, gray, gray blue, yellow, light greenish, honey-yellow, brownish red deep brown (manganoan varieties)
Diaphaneity
transparent
Luster
vitreous