Calcite – CaCO3
lenses, windows, mirrors, filters and prisms
Calcite is a negative uniaxial crystal with high birefringence. It is usually mined and cuts and polishes well. It is a negative uniaxial crystals and is usually used for visible and near IR polarizers. Calcite offers a wide range of spectral transmission making it prefect for precision optics. Calcite is perfect for manufacture of polarizers used in visible-IR range. These include Glan-Taylor polarizers, Glan-Thompson polarizers and Glan laser polarizers. Calcite plates/blocks are now routinely used for time delay compensation between two orthogonally polarized ultrafast pulses.
| Transmission Range | 0.3 – 5.5 µ |
| Crystal Structure | Sodium Nitrate |
| Cleavage Plane | 1011 |
| Colour | Colourless |
| Density | 2.7102 (20°) |
| Melting Point (°) | 1339 (under 102.5 atmosphere pressure) Decomposes at 894.4°C |
| Reflection Loss | 10.6% (2µ) for 2 surfaces |
| Solubility index | 1.0×10-3/100gm / 8.7°C |
| Hardness (Knoop) | 3.0 (Moh) |
| Thermal Conductivity (cal/cm sec°C) | 1.32×10-2 (Parallel to C axis) 1.11×10-2 (Vertical to C axis) |
| Thermal Expansion coefficient (/°C) | 25×10-6 (Parallel to C axis) -5.8×10-6 (Vertical to C axis) |
Whilst every effort has been made to verify the data provided, no responsibility can be accepted for its accuracy
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Whilst every effort has been made to verify all data provided, no responsibility can be accepted for its accuracy.