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The mineralogy of Chlorine

General Properties
Symbol:Cl
Atomic Number:17
Standard atomic weight (Ar):35.453(2)
Electron configuration:[Ne] 3s2 3p5
Photos
<
Chlorine
>
Atomic Properties
Electronegativity (Pauling scale):3.16
Atomic Radius:79 pm
Ionic Radius:181 pm (-1)
Van der Waals Radius:175 pm
1st Ionization energy:1251 kJ/mol
1st Electron affinity:-349 kJ/mol
Oxidation States:-1,1,2,3,4,5,6,7
Physical Properties
Standard State:gas
Bonding Type:covalent network
Melting Point:172 K
Boiling Point:239 K
Metal/Non-Metal:halogen
Main isotopes of Chlorine
Isotope% in NatureHalf LifeDecay typeDecay product
35Cl75.77%stable
36Cltrace3.01×105yβ−36Ar
ε36S
37Cl24.23%stable
Main ions of Chlorine
NameIonExample minerals
chlorideCl-Halite
Other Information
Year Discovered:1774
Discovered By:
06212910017362063701800.jpg
Carl Wilhelm Scheele
Recognised as an element:1808
Recognised By:
08556590017362062496397.jpg
Humphry Davy
Named For:from Greek:khlôros - "green"
CPK color coding:#1FF01F
External Links:WikipediaWebElementsLos Alamos National LaboratoryTheodore Gray's PeriodicTable.com
Simple Compounds
Hydrideschlorine fluorideClF+1
chlorine trifluorideClF3+3
chlorine pentafluorideClF5+5
Oxideschlorine dioxideClO2+4
cichlorine oxideCl2O+1
dichlorine hexoxideCl2O6+5,+7
dichlorine heptoxideCl2O7+7
Mineral Diversity of Chlorine
2. Sulfides And Sulfosalts 21 valid mineral species
3. Halides153 valid mineral species
4. Oxides 41 valid mineral species
5. Carbonates 14 valid mineral species
6. Borates27 valid mineral species
7. Sulfates 46 valid mineral species
8. Phosphates, Arsenates, Vanadates45 valid mineral species
9. Silicates 75 valid mineral species
10. Organic Compounds6 valid mineral species
Total:428 valid species containing essential Chlorine
Minerals with the greatest weight % of Chlorine
ChloromagnesiteMgCl274.47 %
SalammoniacNH4Cl66.28 %
MolysiteFeCl365.57 %
Kremersite(NH4,K)2[Fe3+Cl5(H2O)]61.72 %
HaliteNaCl60.66 %
Panichiite(NH4)2SnCl657.88 %
ChlorocalciteKCaCl357.33 %
ScacchiteMnCl256.34 %
Lawrencite(Fe2+,Ni)Cl255.94 %
ErythrosideriteK2[Fe3+Cl5(H2O)]53.83 %
Geochemistry of Chlorine
Goldschmidt classification:Lithophile
Cl- is one of the eight most abundant solutes in average river water.
Cl- solute is a micronutrient on land.
Cl- is essential to nutrition of at least some vertebrates ('essential minerals').
Cl- forms minerals with K+ and Na+.
Cl- forms minerals with Cu+.
Cl- forms minerals with Ag+.
Elemental Abundance for Chlorine
Crust (CRC Handbook)1.45 x 10-4mass fraction, kg/kg
Crust (Kaye & Laby)1.9 x 10-4mass fraction, kg/kg
Crust (Greenwood)1.26 x 10-4mass fraction, kg/kg
Crust (Ahrens/Wänke)1.900 x 10-3mass fraction, kg/kg
Sea Water (CRC Handbook)1.94 x 10-2mass per volume fraction, kg/L
Sea Water (Kaye & Laby)1.9 x 10-2mass per volume fraction, kg/L
The Sun (Kaye & Laby)9.0 x 10-3atom mole fraction relative to Si=1
Solar System (Kaye & Laby)5.2 x 10-3atom mole fraction relative to Si=1
Solar System (Ahrens)5.24 x 10-3 (15%)atom mole fraction relative to Si=1 (% uncertainty)
Element association of Chlorine in the Mineral World
This table compares the known valid mineral species listed listed with Chlorine and the other elements listed based on the official IMA formula. Note that unlike other sections on this page this includes non-essential elements.

The first data column contains the total number of minerals listed with Chlorine and the element listed for that row.

The second data column lists this number as a percentage of all minerals listed with Chlorine.

The final data column compares this percentage against the percentage of all minerals that contain the element listed in each row.

Click on a heading to sort.
ElementValid Minerals listed with element and Chlorine% of Cl mineralsRelative to % in all minerals
Oxygen403 minerals with Cl and O87.80%8.14% higher
Hydrogen260 minerals with Cl and H56.64%1.91% higher
Calcium120 minerals with Cl and Ca26.14%4.98% higher
Copper108 minerals with Cl and Cu23.53%73.88% higher
Lead108 minerals with Cl and Pb23.53%118.26% higher
Silicon102 minerals with Cl and Si22.22%19.27% lower
Sodium97 minerals with Cl and Na21.13%13.61% higher
Sulfur86 minerals with Cl and S18.74%14.93% lower
Potassium81 minerals with Cl and K17.65%78.82% higher
Iron72 minerals with Cl and Fe15.69%29.80% lower
Aluminium65 minerals with Cl and Al14.16%28.83% lower
Arsenic53 minerals with Cl and As11.55%11.10% lower
Magnesium48 minerals with Cl and Mg10.46%21.32% lower
Manganese43 minerals with Cl and Mn9.37%19.66% lower
Boron39 minerals with Cl and B8.50%70.26% higher
Carbon36 minerals with Cl and C7.84%3.85% lower
Fluorine31 minerals with Cl and F6.75%14.18% lower
Nitrogen27 minerals with Cl and N5.88%129.85% higher
Barium26 minerals with Cl and Ba5.66%22.12% higher
Mercury26 minerals with Cl and Hg5.66%216.20% higher
Zirconium23 minerals with Cl and Zr5.01%107.47% higher
Zinc18 minerals with Cl and Zn3.92%29.75% lower
Tellurium17 minerals with Cl and Te3.70%3.84% higher
Selenium16 minerals with Cl and Se3.49%29.72% higher
Titanium15 minerals with Cl and Ti3.27%53.67% lower
Vanadium15 minerals with Cl and V3.27%32.12% lower
Antimony15 minerals with Cl and Sb3.27%42.93% lower
Phosphorus14 minerals with Cl and P3.05%75.14% lower
Strontium12 minerals with Cl and Sr2.61%4.97% lower
Iodine12 minerals with Cl and I2.61%395.31% higher
Bismuth11 minerals with Cl and Bi2.40%42.81% lower
Niobium11 minerals with Cl and Nb2.40%22.37% lower
Bromine10 minerals with Cl and Br2.18%656.72% higher
Silver9 minerals with Cl and Ag1.96%49.96% lower
Nickel9 minerals with Cl and Ni1.96%41.62% lower
Cerium6 minerals with Cl and Ce1.31%57.66% lower
Thallium6 minerals with Cl and Tl1.31%12.12% lower
Chromium5 minerals with Cl and Cr1.09%41.79% lower
Tungsten5 minerals with Cl and W1.09%19.48% higher
Yttrium4 minerals with Cl and Y0.87%62.68% lower
Molybdenum4 minerals with Cl and Mo0.87%44.40% lower
Beryllium3 minerals with Cl and Be0.65%69.73% lower
Cadmium3 minerals with Cl and Cd0.65%20.18% higher
Tin3 minerals with Cl and Sn0.65%64.16% lower
Lithium2 minerals with Cl and Li0.44%78.21% lower
Cobalt2 minerals with Cl and Co0.44%64.62% lower
Uranium2 minerals with Cl and U0.44%91.59% lower
Rubidium1 mineral with Cl and Rb0.22%240.52% higher
Caesium1 mineral with Cl and Cs0.22%57.43% lower
Gadolinium1 mineral with Cl and Gd0.22%127.02% higher
Dysprosium1 mineral with Cl and Dy0.22%354.03% higher
Periodic Table
1H 2He
3Li 4Be 5B 6C 7N 8O 9F 10Ne
11Na 12Mg 13Al 14Si 15P 16S 17Cl 18Ar
19K 20Ca 21Sc 22Ti 23V 24Cr 25Mn 26Fe 27Co 28Ni 29Cu 30Zn 31Ga 32Ge 33As 34Se 35Br 36Kr
37Rb 38Sr 39Y 40Zr 41Nb 42Mo 43Tc 44Ru 45Rh 46Pd 47Ag 48Cd 49In 50Sn 51Sb 52Te 53I 54Xe
55Cs 56Ba 57La 72Hf 73Ta 74W 75Re 76Os 77Ir 78Pt 79Au 80Hg 81Tl 82Pb 83Bi 84Po 85At 86Rn
87Fr 88Ra 89Ac 104Rd 105Db 106Sg 107Bh 108Hs 109Mt 110Ds 111Rg 112Cn 113Nh 114Fl 115Mc 116Lv 117Ts 118Og
 
58Ce 59Pr 60Nd 61Pm 62Sm 63Eu 64Gd 65Tb 66Dy 67Ho 68Er 69Tm 70Yb 71Lu
90Th 91Pa 92U 93Np 94Pu 95Am 96Cm 97Bk 98Cf 99Es 100Fm 101Md 102No 103Lr
Default Categories CPK Electronegativity Atomic Radius Lowest Oxidation Highest Oxidation Crustal Abundance Goldschmidt Mineral Species Minerals with Cl Relative Frequency
Sulfur << Chlorine >> Argon


Most widespread minerals containing Chlorine
This list of minerals containing Chlorine is built from the mindat.org locality database. This is based on the number of localities entered for mineral species and is therefore slanted towards minerals interesting to collectors with less coverage of common rock-forming-minerals so it does not give an undistorted distribution of Chlorine mineral species. It is more useful when comparing rare species rather than common species.
NameFormulaCrystal SystemMindat Localities
PyromorphitePb5(PO4)3ClHexagonal2077
HaliteNaClIsometric1861
ChlorargyriteAgClIsometric1817
MimetitePb5(AsO4)3ClHexagonal1422
SodaliteNa4(Si3Al3)O12ClIsometric787
VanadinitePb5(VO4)3ClHexagonal772
AtacamiteCu2(OH)3ClOrthorhombic711
ConnelliteCu19(SO4)(OH)32Cl4 · 3H2OHexagonal382
SylviteKClIsometric376
EudialyteNa15Ca6Fe3Zr3Si(Si25O73)(O,OH,H2O)3(Cl,OH)2Trigonal282
Photos
05996450017864973682344.jpg
Pyromorphite

Bunker Hill Mine, Wardner, Shoshone County, Idaho, USA
04320110017864713403618.jpg
Halite

PCA Mine, Carlsbad Potash Mining District, Eddy County, New Mexico, USA
07423100017271922016456.jpg
Chlorargyrite

Reward Mine, Kohatk, Vekol Mining District, Vekol Mountains, Pinal County, Arizona, USA
02539300017272472153906.jpg
Mimetite

Mount Bonnie Mine, Grove Hill, Victoria-Daly Region, Northern Territory, Australia
05996450017864973682344.jpg
Pyromorphite

Bunker Hill Mine, Wardner, Shoshone County, Idaho, USA
01813130017362063716513.jpg
Halite

PCA Mine, Carlsbad Potash Mining District, Eddy County, New Mexico, USA
06592620017864769561079.jpg
Chlorargyrite

Reward Mine, Kohatk, Vekol Mining District, Vekol Mountains, Pinal County, Arizona, USA
07896950017866630023294.jpg
Mimetite

Mount Bonnie Mine, Grove Hill, Victoria-Daly Region, Northern Territory, Australia
08134910017271928105431.jpg
Pyromorphite

Bunker Hill Mine, Wardner, Shoshone County, Idaho, USA
02069940017271923562739.jpg
Halite

PCA Mine, Carlsbad Potash Mining District, Eddy County, New Mexico, USA
07423100017271922016456.jpg
Chlorargyrite

Reward Mine, Kohatk, Vekol Mining District, Vekol Mountains, Pinal County, Arizona, USA
02539300017272472153906.jpg
Mimetite

Mount Bonnie Mine, Grove Hill, Victoria-Daly Region, Northern Territory, Australia

Localities with greatest number of different Chlorine mineral species
Mount Vesuvius, Metropolitan City of Naples, Campania, Italy37 Cl minerals
Vesuvius fumaroles, Metropolitan City of Naples, Campania, Italy34 Cl minerals
Lavrion Slag Localities, Lavreotiki, East Attica, Attica, Greece32 Cl minerals
4Cap Garonne Mine, Le Pradet, Toulon, Var, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France30 Cl minerals
5La Fossa crater, Vulcano Island, Lipari, Eolie Islands (Aeolian Islands), Metropolitan City of Messina, Sicily, Italy27 Cl minerals
6Mammoth-Saint Anthony Mine, St. Anthony deposit, Tiger, Mammoth Mining District, Pinal County, Arizona, USA23 Cl minerals
7Thorikos Bay slag locality, Velatouri, Lavreotiki, East Attica, Attica, Greece23 Cl minerals
8North mine, Cap Garonne Mine, Le Pradet, Toulon, Var, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France23 Cl minerals
 
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