Galena

Lead Sulfide
PbS Galena is the primary ore mineral for Lead. Galena in its chemically purified form is known as lead sulfide. It is one of the most abundant and most widely distributed sulfide minerals. The crystals of galena are usually cubic and sometimes octahedral. Often it is associated with minerals sphalerite and fluorite.

The word 'galena' is derived from a Greek word 'galene,' which mean 'lead ore.' It was worked for its content of lead since 3000 BC. Sometimes galena deposits also contained significant amount of silver as an impurity and it was then the most important ore of silver in mining.

Galena group is composed of minerals with similar isometric structure and related chemistry. It is similar to the structure of halite. Members of the galena group are as follows:

• Alabandite (Manganese Sulfide)
• Altaite (Lead Telluride)
• Borovskite (Palladium Antimony Telluride)
• Clausthalite (Lead Selenide)
• Crerarite (Platinum Bismuth Sulfide Selenide)
• Niningerite (Magnesium Iron Manganese Sulfide)
• Oldhamite (calcium Magnesium Iron Manganese Sulfide)

Occurrences of Galena

• Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Idaho, Utah, Montana, and Wisconsin in the US
• Germany
• France
• Romania
• Austria
• Belgium
• Italy
• Spain
• Scotland
• England
• Australia
• Mexico

Varieties of Galena

• Argentiferous Galena - It is a mixture of galena and silver.
• Auriferous Galena - It is a gold-bearing variety of galena.
• Johnstonite (of Haidinger) - It is a galena with a supposed excess of S. It is probably a mixture of Galena, Anglesite and/or Sulphur.
• Plumbein - It is a galena pseudomorphs after Pyromorphite.
• Selenian Galena - It is a selenium-bearing variety of galena.
• U-Galena - It is a variety of galena containing uranium-derived lead of isotope Pb-206.

Health Warning with Galena

• Galena contains lead, so one should always wash hands after handling it.
• Do not inhale the dust while breaking it.
• Never lick galena.