Definition

Noun: 1. A metallic mineral: Smaltite is a naturally occurring, opaque, metallic-gray mineral. It is an important ore, meaning it is a primary natural source, for the elements cobalt and nickel. Its chemical composition is primarily cobalt arsenide (CoAs₂) but always contains some nickel, formally making it a member of the cobaltite group with the simplified formula (Co,Ni)As₂.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The geologist identified the metallic veins in the rock as smaltite.
  • Historically, smaltite was a crucial ore for extracting cobalt, which was used to make blue glass and ceramics.
  • The mine was once rich in smaltite, but the high-grade deposits have been largely exhausted.

Advanced Usage

• In mineralogy and economic geology: The term is used specifically to describe the nickel-bearing variety of the mineral cobaltite. It is distinguished in hand samples by its silver-white to tin-white color and metallic luster, often with a reddish tarnish.
  • Under the microscope, the smaltite exhibited its characteristic cubic crystal form.

Variants and Related Words

• Cobaltite (n): A very similar cobalt-arsenic-sulfide mineral (CoAsS) and the namesake of the mineral group to which smaltite belongs. Smaltite is essentially the nickel-rich, sulfur-free end-member.
• Skutterudite (n): Another important cobalt-nickel arsenide mineral, but with a different crystal structure and formula (e.g., (Co,Ni)As₃).

Synonyms

• Cobalt-nickel arsenide: A descriptive chemical synonym.
• (Nickel-bearing) cobaltite: A mineralogical synonym indicating its group classification.

Notes on Meaning

This word has a single, highly specific meaning within the fields of geology, mineralogy, and mining. It is not used in everyday language and does not have idiomatic or phrasal verb forms. Its definition is strictly tied to its chemical composition and economic use.

Noun

1. a grey mineral consisting of cobalt arsenide and nickel; an important source of cobalt and nickel