Pyrite: Difference between revisions
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One of the most common semiconducting minerals, pyrite exhibits high conductivity and easily provides a voltage drop - often in both polarities equally, rectification is harder to find than some minerals. More decayed material seems to perform better than freshly exposed or well crystallised pyrite. The crustiest and worst (massive) crystallisation the better it seems to be, for our purposes. | One of the most common semiconducting minerals, pyrite exhibits high conductivity and easily provides a voltage drop - often in both polarities equally, rectification is harder to find than some minerals. More decayed material seems to perform better than freshly exposed or well crystallised pyrite. The crustiest and worst (massive) crystallisation the better it seems to be, for our purposes. | ||
Pyrite seems to vary quite widely across different localities. Material from Nangiles mine near Bissoe seems to provide particularly noisy point contact junctions - great for use in the [[noise generator]], perhaps due to decay and formation of [[marcasite]]. Otherwise this mine is fairly recent, shutting only in the early 90s. In comparison, pyrite from the much older Wheal Lovelace (perhaps under a kilometer away) is much better preserved but harder to use effectively. | |||
Revision as of 21:14, 21 June 2026
- Lustre:Metallic
- Transparency:Opaque
- Colour:Pale brass-yellow
- Streak:Greenish-black
- Hardness:6 - 6½ on Mohs scale
- Tenacity:Brittle
- Cleavage:Poor/Indistinct Indistinct on {001}.
- Fracture:Irregular/Uneven, Conchoidal
Data from the pyrite page on mindat
One of the most common semiconducting minerals, pyrite exhibits high conductivity and easily provides a voltage drop - often in both polarities equally, rectification is harder to find than some minerals. More decayed material seems to perform better than freshly exposed or well crystallised pyrite. The crustiest and worst (massive) crystallisation the better it seems to be, for our purposes.
Pyrite seems to vary quite widely across different localities. Material from Nangiles mine near Bissoe seems to provide particularly noisy point contact junctions - great for use in the noise generator, perhaps due to decay and formation of marcasite. Otherwise this mine is fairly recent, shutting only in the early 90s. In comparison, pyrite from the much older Wheal Lovelace (perhaps under a kilometer away) is much better preserved but harder to use effectively.