It occurs in serpentine, in chlorite or dolomitic schists, or in crystalline limestones as an alteration product of periclase.
IMA Status:
Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1824
Locality:
New Jersey, USA serpentine. Asbestos mines of Asbestos and Black Lake in Quebec, Canada. crystalline limestones at Crestmore, California, USA. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.
Name Origin:
Named after the American mineralogist, A. Bruce (1777-1818).
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Physical Properties of Brucite
Cleavage:
{0001} Perfect
Color:
Blue, Gray, Gray blue, Yellow, White.
Density:
2.39 - 2.4, Average = 2.39
Diaphaneity:
Transparent
Fracture:
Irregular - Flat surfaces (not cleavage) fractured in an irregular pattern.
Massive - Uniformly indistinguishable crystals forming large masses.
Hardness:
2.5-3 - Finger Nail-Calcite
Luminescence:
Non-fluorescent.
Luster:
Vitreous - Pearly
Magnetism:
Nonmagnetic
Streak:
white
Optical Properties of Brucite
Gladstone-Dale:
CI meas= 0.022 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC) CI calc= 0.011 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2405,KPDmeas= 0.238,KC= 0.2432 Ncalc = 1.58
Optical Data:
Uniaxial (+), w=1.56, e=1.58, bire=0.0200.
Calculated Properties of Brucite
Electron Density:
Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.44 gm/cc note: Specific Gravity of Brucite =2.37 gm/cc.
Fermion Index:
Fermion Index = 0.04 Boson Index = 0.96
Photoelectric:
PEBrucite = 1.01 barns/electron U=PEBrucite x rElectron Density= 2.45 barns/cc.
Radioactivity:
GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units) Brucite is Not Radioactive
Brucite Classification
Dana Class:
06.02.01.01(06)Hydroxides and Oxides Containing Hydroxyl
Chemical Formula: 
