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Silicate Mineral Structures Overview

This document summarizes several classes of silicate minerals, including their general formulas and structures. It discusses garnets, whose structure consists of SiO4 tetrahedra bonded to BO6 octahedra. It also covers sorosilicates like epidote, single chain inosilicates like pyroxenes, and double chain inosilicates like amphiboles. Pyroxenes and amphiboles have structures of chains of tetrahedra and octahedra running parallel to the c-axis that can be visualized as I-beams, with their directionality distinguishing types within each class.

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Salem Garrab
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264 views7 pages

Silicate Mineral Structures Overview

This document summarizes several classes of silicate minerals, including their general formulas and structures. It discusses garnets, whose structure consists of SiO4 tetrahedra bonded to BO6 octahedra. It also covers sorosilicates like epidote, single chain inosilicates like pyroxenes, and double chain inosilicates like amphiboles. Pyroxenes and amphiboles have structures of chains of tetrahedra and octahedra running parallel to the c-axis that can be visualized as I-beams, with their directionality distinguishing types within each class.

Uploaded by

Salem Garrab
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Series Mineral Formula

Pyralspite Pyrope Mg3Al2Si3O12


Almandine Fe3Al2Si3O12
Spessartine Mn3Al2Si3O12

Ugrandite Uvarovite Ca3Cr2Si3O12


Grossular Ca3Al2Si3O12
Andradite Ca3Fe2Si3O12

The structure of garnets consists of a continuous network of SiO4 tetrahedra bonded to BO6 octahedra at the
apices.

Sorosilicates

Sorosilicates are fairly rare. The most important group of minerals in this class is the epidote group.

Group Mineral Formula

Epidote Epidote Ca2(Fe3+, Al)Al2O(SiO4)(Si2O7)(OH)


Clinozoisite Ca2Al3O(SiO4)(Si2O7)(OH)
Allanite X2Y3O(SiO4)(Si2O7)(OH)

Single Chain Inosilicates

Pyroxenes are an important group of minerals in the single chain inosilicate class. They have the general
formula XYZ2O6, where X and Y represent octahedral sites and Z represents the tetrahedral sites occupied
by Si4+ or Al3+. The most common pyroxenes can be represented as part of the ternary system whose
endmembers are wollastonite (CaSiO3), enstatite (MgSiO3), and ferrosilite (FeSiO3).
The structure of pyroxenes consists of chains of tetrahedra and octahedra that run parallel to the c axis.

One chain of octahedra is sandwiched between two chains of tetrahedra. This arrangement of chains can be

visualized as I-beams.

Pyroxenes differ in the direction of their I-beams. When the I-beams all have the same direction, the
pyroxene is a clinopyroxene. When the I-beams alternate directions, the pyroxene is a protopyroxene.
When two I-beams pointing in the same direction are followed by another two I beams pointing in the
opposite direction—and so on—the pyroxene is an orthopyroxene.

Direction of I beams

+ + +
+ - +
+ + -
+ - -
+ + +
+ - +
clino- proto- ortho-
The arrangement of I-beams in pyroxene accounts for the 90° cleavage.

Double Chain Inosilicates

Amphiboles are an important group of minerals in the double-chain inosilicate class. They have the general
formula W0-1X2Y5Z8O22(OH, F)2. W represents 10- to 12-coordinated sites occupied by Na+ or K+; X
represents 6- to 8-coordinated sites occupied by Ca2+, Fe2+, Mg2+, Mn2+, Na+, or Li+; Y represents 6-
coordinated sites occupied by Fe2+, Fe3+, Mg2+, Mn2+, Al3+, or Ti4+; and Z represents tetrahedral sites
occupied by Al3+ or Si4+. The most common amphiboles can be represented as part of the quaternary
system whose endmembers are anthophylite (Mg7Si8O22(OH)2), tremolite (Ca2Mg5Si8O22(OH)2),
ferroactinolite (Ca2Fe5Si8O22(OH)2), and grunerite (Fe7Si8O22(OH)2).
The structure of amphibole is very similar to the structure of pyroxene. It is based on chains of tetrahedra
and octahedra that run parallel to the c-axis and can be visualized as I-beams. Just as in the structure of
pyroxene, the directionality of the I-beams distinguishes different types of amphibole. Their arrangement
accounts for cleavage.

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