The mineralogy of Lead

General Properties
Symbol:	Pb
Commodity pages:	Lead
Atomic Number:	82
Standard atomic weight (A_r):	207.2(1)
Electron configuration:	[Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s² 6p²

Photos

<	Oxidized lead nodules	>

Atomic Properties
Electronegativity (Pauling scale):	2.33
Atomic Radius:	154 pm
Ionic Radius:	119 pm (+2)
Van der Waals Radius:	202 pm
1st Ionization energy:	716 kJ/mol
1st Electron affinity:	-35 kJ/mol
Oxidation States:	-4,2,4

Physical Properties
Standard State:	solid
Bonding Type:	metallic
Melting Point:	601 K
Boiling Point:	2022 K
Density:	11.34 g/cm³
Metal/Non-Metal:	metal

Main isotopes of Lead
Isotope	% in Nature	Half Life	Decay type	Decay product
²⁰⁴Pb	1.4%	>1.4×10¹⁷y	α ?	²⁰⁰Hg
²⁰⁵Pb	synthetic	1.53×10⁷y	ε	²⁰⁵Tl
²⁰⁶Pb	24.1%	-	α ?	²⁰²Hg
²⁰⁷Pb	22.1%	-	α ?	²⁰³Hg
²⁰⁸Pb	52.4%	>2×10¹⁹y	α ?	²⁰⁴Hg
²¹⁰Pb	trace	22.3y	α	²⁰⁶Hg
²¹⁰Pb	trace	22.3y	β−	²¹⁰Bi

Main ions of Lead
Name	Ion	Example minerals
lead(II)	Pb²⁺	Cerussite, Galena
lead(IV)	Pb⁴⁺	Plattnerite

Other Information
Year Discovered:	7000 BC
Discovered By:	Middle Easterns
Named For:	from the Anglo-Saxon word "lead"
CPK color coding:	#575961
External Links:	Wikipedia WebElements Los Alamos National Laboratory Theodore Gray's PeriodicTable.com

Simple Compounds and Mineral Names
Sulfides	lead sulphide	PbS	+2	Galena
Selenides	lead selenide	PbSe	+2	Clausthalite
Tellurides	lead telluride	PbTe	+2	Altaite
Hydrides	plumbane	PbH₄	+4
Fluorides	lead difluoride	PbF₂	+2	Fluorocronite
Fluorides	lead tetrafluoride	PbF₄	+4
Chlorides	lead dichloride	PbCl₂	+2	Cotunnite
Chlorides	lead tetrachloride	PbCl₄	+4
Bromides	lead tetrabromide	PbBr₄	+4
Iodides	lead diiodide	PbI₂	+2
Oxides	lead oxide	PbO	+2	Litharge, Massicot
	lead dioxide	PbO₂	+4	Plattnerite, Scrutinyite
	dilead trioxide	Pb₂O₃	+2,+4
	trilead tetroxide	Pb₃O₄	+2,+4	Minium

Mineral Diversity of Lead
1. Elements	9 valid mineral species
2. Sulfides And Sulfosalts	231 valid mineral species
3. Halides	49 valid mineral species
4. Oxides	90 valid mineral species
5. Carbonates	23 valid mineral species
6. Borates	1 valid mineral species
7. Sulfates	89 valid mineral species
8. Phosphates, Arsenates, Vanadates	100 valid mineral species
9. Silicates	47 valid mineral species
Total:	639 valid species containing essential Lead

Minerals with the greatest weight % of Lead
Rosièresite	(Pb, Cu, Al, P, O, H)	100.00 %
Native Lead	Pb	100.00 %
Massicot	PbO	92.83 %
Litharge	PbO	92.83 %
Minium	Pb₃O₄	90.67 %
Plumboferrite	Pb[Fe³⁺_10.67Mn²⁺_0.33Pb]O_18.33	89.27 %
Santanaite	Pb₁₁(CrO₄)O₁₂	88.10 %
Damaraite	Pb₃Cl(OH)O₂	88.04 %
Sundiusite	Pb₁₀(SO₄)O₈Cl₂	87.54 %
Blixite	Pb₈O₅(OH)₂Cl₄	86.63 %

Geochemistry of Lead
Goldschmidt classification:	Chalcophile
Pb²⁺ is concentrated in residual soils and sediments (less certainty.)
Pb²⁺ enters later phases in igneous rocks due to its large size.
Pb²⁺ is essential to nutrition of at least some vertebrates ('essential minerals').

Elemental Lead in Nature
Found as native element:	Native Lead	Pb

Elemental Abundance for Lead
Crust (CRC Handbook)	1.4 x 10^-5	mass fraction, kg/kg
Crust (Kaye & Laby)	1.0 x 10^-5	mass fraction, kg/kg
Crust (Greenwood)	1.3 x 10^-5	mass fraction, kg/kg
Crust (Ahrens/Taylor)	8.000 x 10^-6	mass fraction, kg/kg
Crust (Ahrens/Weaver)	1.5000 x 10^-5	mass fraction, kg/kg
Upper Crust (Ahrens/Taylor)	2.0000 x 10^-5	mass fraction, kg/kg
Upper Crust (Ahrens/Shaw)	1.7000 x 10^-5	mass fraction, kg/kg
Sea Water (CRC Handbook)	3 x 10^-11	mass per volume fraction, kg/L
Sea Water (Kaye & Laby)	3 x 10^-11	mass per volume fraction, kg/L
The Sun (Kaye & Laby)	2.0 x 10^-6	atom mole fraction relative to Si=1
Solar System (Kaye & Laby)	3.1 x 10^-6	atom mole fraction relative to Si=1
Solar System (Ahrens)	3.15 x 10^-6 (7.8%)	atom mole fraction relative to Si=1 (% uncertainty)

Element association of Lead in the Mineral World
This table compares the known valid mineral species listed listed with Lead 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 Lead and the element listed for that row. The second data column lists this number as a percentage of all minerals listed with Lead. 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.

Element	Valid Minerals listed with element and Lead	% of Pb minerals	Relative to % in all minerals
Oxygen	412 minerals with Pb and O	61.13%	24.64% lower
Sulfur	309 minerals with Pb and S	45.85%	107.78% higher
Hydrogen	266 minerals with Pb and H	39.47%	29.03% lower
Copper	154 minerals with Pb and Cu	22.85%	68.73% higher
Arsenic	149 minerals with Pb and As	22.11%	70.12% higher
Antimony	128 minerals with Pb and Sb	18.99%	231.70% higher
Chlorine	108 minerals with Pb and Cl	16.02%	117.07% higher
Bismuth	99 minerals with Pb and Bi	14.69%	249.93% higher
Iron	95 minerals with Pb and Fe	14.09%	37.17% lower
Silver	92 minerals with Pb and Ag	13.65%	249.28% higher
Tellurium	61 minerals with Pb and Te	9.05%	154.64% higher
Silicon	55 minerals with Pb and Si	8.16%	70.38% lower
Manganese	46 minerals with Pb and Mn	6.82%	41.22% lower
Zinc	42 minerals with Pb and Zn	6.23%	10.71% higher
Phosphorus	41 minerals with Pb and P	6.08%	50.49% lower
Calcium	41 minerals with Pb and Ca	6.08%	75.57% lower
Uranium	40 minerals with Pb and U	5.93%	15.32% higher
Selenium	38 minerals with Pb and Se	5.64%	111.19% higher
Carbon	38 minerals with Pb and C	5.64%	30.99% lower
Aluminium	38 minerals with Pb and Al	5.64%	71.66% lower
Vanadium	29 minerals with Pb and V	4.30%	10.52% lower
Thallium	29 minerals with Pb and Tl	4.30%	187.68% higher
Fluorine	23 minerals with Pb and F	3.41%	56.70% lower
Chromium	21 minerals with Pb and Cr	3.12%	65.59% higher
Potassium	18 minerals with Pb and K	2.67%	73.17% lower
Sodium	13 minerals with Pb and Na	1.93%	89.66% lower
Magnesium	12 minerals with Pb and Mg	1.78%	86.65% lower
Germanium	11 minerals with Pb and Ge	1.63%	136.00% higher
Mercury	11 minerals with Pb and Hg	1.63%	8.58% lower
Titanium	10 minerals with Pb and Ti	1.48%	78.89% lower
Yttrium	10 minerals with Pb and Y	1.48%	37.24% lower
Tin	10 minerals with Pb and Sn	1.48%	19.07% lower
Gold	10 minerals with Pb and Au	1.48%	114.55% higher
Tungsten	9 minerals with Pb and W	1.34%	48.27% higher
Boron	9 minerals with Pb and B	1.34%	73.30% lower
Palladium	8 minerals with Pb and Pd	1.19%	16.13% lower
Barium	8 minerals with Pb and Ba	1.19%	74.46% lower
Nickel	6 minerals with Pb and Ni	0.89%	73.52% lower
Molybdenum	6 minerals with Pb and Mo	0.89%	43.52% lower
Cadmium	6 minerals with Pb and Cd	0.89%	62.80% higher
Platinum	5 minerals with Pb and Pt	0.74%	1.86% lower
Niobium	5 minerals with Pb and Nb	0.74%	75.98% lower
Iodine	5 minerals with Pb and I	0.74%	39.78% higher
Strontium	4 minerals with Pb and Sr	0.59%	78.67% lower
Nitrogen	4 minerals with Pb and N	0.59%	76.64% lower
Tantalum	3 minerals with Pb and Ta	0.45%	61.02% lower
Gallium	3 minerals with Pb and Ga	0.45%	207.52% higher
Indium	3 minerals with Pb and In	0.45%	62.80% higher
Caesium	3 minerals with Pb and Cs	0.45%	16.13% lower
Iridium	3 minerals with Pb and Ir	0.45%	10.71% higher
Rhodium	2 minerals with Pb and Rh	0.30%	26.20% lower
Beryllium	2 minerals with Pb and Be	0.30%	86.23% lower
Cobalt	2 minerals with Pb and Co	0.30%	76.04% lower
Cerium	2 minerals with Pb and Ce	0.30%	90.39% lower
Neodymium	2 minerals with Pb and Nd	0.30%	65.19% lower
Rubidium	1 mineral with Pb and Rb	0.15%	84.51% higher
Zirconium	1 mineral with Pb and Zr	0.15%	93.85% lower
Samarium	1 mineral with Pb and Sm	0.15%	53.76% higher
Bromine	1 mineral with Pb and Br	0.15%	45.73% lower
Lanthanum	1 mineral with Pb and La	0.15%	89.15% lower
Gadolinium	1 mineral with Pb and Gd	0.15%	53.76% higher
Thorium	1 mineral with Pb and Th	0.15%	77.50% lower

Periodic Table

2He

3Li

4Be

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Default Categories CPK Electronegativity Atomic Radius Lowest Oxidation Highest Oxidation Crustal Abundance Goldschmidt Mineral Species Minerals with Pb Relative Frequency

Thallium << Lead >> Bismuth

Name	Formula	Crystal System	Mindat Localities
Galena	PbS	Isometric	30199
Cerussite	PbCO₃	Orthorhombic	6056
Anglesite	PbSO₄	Orthorhombic	3428
Pyromorphite	Pb₅(PO₄)₃Cl	Hexagonal	2061
Wulfenite	Pb(MoO₄)	Tetragonal	2046
Bournonite	PbCuSbS₃	Orthorhombic	1425
Mimetite	Pb₅(AsO₄)₃Cl	Hexagonal	1413
Linarite	PbCu(SO₄)(OH)₂	Monoclinic	1194
Boulangerite	Pb₅Sb₄S₁₁	Monoclinic	1127
Jamesonite	Pb₄FeSb₆S₁₄	Monoclinic	1025

Name	Formula	Crystal System
Cerussite	PbCO₃	Orthorhombic
Anglesite	PbSO₄	Orthorhombic