Type
Mineral
Mineral Classification
Oxide
Chemical Formula
TiO2
Streak
Bright red to dark red
Mohs Hardness
6.0 – 6.5
Type
Mineral
Mineral Classification
Oxide
Chemical Formula
TiO2
Streak
Bright red to dark red
Mohs Hardness
6.0 – 6.5
Crystal System
Tetragonal ditetragonal dipyramidal
Color
Reddish brown, red, pale yellow, pale blue, violet, rarely grass-green, or black
Luster
Adamantine to submetallic
Fracture
Uneven to sub-conchoidal
Rutile is the most common and stable form of titanium dioxide found in nature. It forms under high pressure and high temperature in igneous and metamorphic rocks. It is a key ingredient in paint and also a useful component in optical equipment.
Rutile is recovered through surface mining and dredging of dense beach sands.
Because it has a very high index of refraction, rutile is used for many purposes in optics, a vast majority of which come from synthetic rutile, which was first produced in 1948. As a source of titanium dioxide pigment, rutile is used in plastics, paper products, paints, sunscreen, and even food coloring. Certain welding equipment also uses it.
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