Solid phase
Official name
mercury(II) sulfide beta
Secondary names
Metacinnabar; alpha-HgS; mercury sulfide; mercury sulphide; black Cinnabar
CAS number
23333-45-1
Family
covalent network solid
Class
tridimentional covalent network solid
Compound type
non-oxide ceramic
Formula
$\beta-HgS$
Chemical formula
HgS
Elemental formula
Hg S
Isotope mixture type
terrestrial abundance
4.0
  Formula Name Family Number min-max Mole fraction Isotope mole fraction State Relevance
$Hg$ Mercury element 1 0.5 1 constituent element main
$S$ Sulfur element 1 0.5 1 constituent element main
Class
tridimensional covalent networks (11)
Type
metal homonuclear tridimensional networks (elemental) (11.02)
Equivalent mineral
Metacinnabar
Phase name
$\beta-HgS$
Phase type
crystalline
Crystal system
isometric (cubic)
Crystal class
hextetrahedral
Crystal class symbol
-43m (Td)
Crystal spacegroup
F-43m
Comments
There are three $HgS$ crystalline phases: $\alpha-HgS$, $\beta-HgS$, $\gamma-HgS$ and an amorphous one $\alpha'-HgS$
Molar mass
232.66 $g/mol$
Density
7.7 - 7.8 $g/cm^3$
State NTP
solid
Phase transitions
Phase transition type Other phases Temperature - Pressure
solid-solid $\alpha-HgS$ above 617K (344°C) at 1 bar
Refringence type
isotropic
Refringence sign
no
Color
grayish black
Diaphaneity
opaque
Luster
metallic