Molybdenite
Mineral MoS2
About it
Soft, greasy bluish grey hexagonal plates that look like graphite but are heavier and bluer. The main molybdenum ore; fine crystals come from Quebec, Ontario, and Kingsgate, New South Wales.
- Type
- Mineral
- Group
- Sulfide, molybdenite group
- Formula
- MoS2
- Hardness (Mohs)
- 1–1.5
- Specific gravity
- 4.62–4.73
- Streak
- bluish grey; greenish on glazed porcelain
- Lustre
- metallic
- Crystal system
- Hexagonal
- Colours
- lead grey with a bluish tint
- Transparency
- opaque
- Cleavage and fracture
- perfect basal, flexible thin sheets
Typical values: real specimens vary. For more, see mindat.org.