Mineral Structures

Silicates are classified on the basis of

Si-O polymerism
The culprit: the [SiO4]4-
tetrahedron
 Mineral Structures
Silicates are classified on the basis of Si-O
polymerism [SiO ]4- Independent tetrahedra Nesosilicates
4

Examples: olivine garnet

[Si2O7]6- Double tetrahedra Sorosilicates

Examples: lawsonite

n[SiO3]2- n = 3, 4, 6 Cyclosilicates

Examples: benitoite BaTi[Si3O9]

axinite Ca3Al2BO3[Si4O12]OH
beryl Be3Al2[Si6O18]
Different numbers of oxygen ions are shared among tetrahedra
 Mineral Structures
Silicates are classified on the basis of Si-O
polymerism

[SiO3]2- single chains Inosilicates [Si4O11]4- Double tetrahedra

pryoxenes pyroxenoids amphiboles
 Mineral Structures
Silicates are classified on the basis of Si-O
polymerism

[Si2O5]2- Sheets of tetrahedra Phyllosilicates

micas talc clay minerals serpentine
 Mineral Structures
Silicates are classified on the basis of Si-O
polymerism

low-quartz

[SiO2] 3-D frameworks of tetrahedra: fully polymerized Tectosilicates

quartz and the silica minerals feldspars feldspathoids zeolites
 b

projection

Olivin (100) view blue = M1 yellow = M2

 b

M1 in
rows and
share
edges

M2 form
layers in
a a-c that
share
corners

Some M2
and M1
share
edges

Olivine (001) view blue = M1 yellow = M2

Fig. 6-10. Isobaric T-X phase
diagram at atmospheric
pressure After Bowen and
Shairer (1932), Amer. J. Sci.
5th Ser., 24, 177-213.
Stumpy prismatic olivine phenocryst in basalt
 Garnets: A2+3 B3+2
[SiO4]3
Pyralspite - B = Al
Pyrope: Mg3 Al2
[SiO4]3
Almandine: Fe3 Al2
[SiO4]3
Spessartite: Mn3 Al2
[SiO4]3
Ugrandite - A = Ca
Uvarovite: Ca3 Cr2
[SiO4]3
Grossularite: Ca3
Al2 [SiO4]3
Andradite: Ca3 Fe2
[SiO4]3

Garnet (001) view blue = Si

purple = A turquoise = B
 Inosilicates: single chains- pyroxenes

Diopside (001) view blue = Si

purple = M1 (Mg) yellow = M2 (Ca)
Inosilicates: simple chain - pyroxenes

(+) (+)
Pyroxene structure: I-
profile elements at
various positions

(+)

(+) (+)
 Inosilicates: double chains-
amphiboles
b

Hornblende:
(Ca, Na)2-3 (Mg,
Fe, Al)5
[(Si,Al)8O22] (OH)2
a sin

Hornblende (001) view

dark blue = Si, Al purple = M1 rose = M2
light blue = M3 (all Mg, Fe)
yellow ball = M4 (Ca) purple ball = A (Na)
little turquoise ball = H
 Hornblende:
(Ca, Na)2-3 (Mg, Fe,
Al)5 [(Si,Al)8O22]
(OH)2

The same I-profile

but due to double
chain, it is wider

Hornblende (001) view dark blue = Si, Al purple = M1 rose = M2

light blue = M3 (all Mg, Fe)
 pyroxene amphibole

Angle of cleavage is typical for the mineral group due to the

weaker bounded cations in the M2 position
Simple chain 90o pyroxenes, double chain 60-120o amphiboles
 Feldspars
- framework aluminosilicates which make up ~70% of the Earths
crust

Some Al3+ substitutes

for Si4+ in the
framework and charge
balance is achieved by
cations (most commonly sanidine KAlSi3O8
orthoclase
Na+, K+ and Ca2+) in the microcline
open spaces in the
framework
Simple chemistry
yet the most
complex structural
group because of
the many phase
transitions which
take place Plagioclase feldspars
NaAlSi3O8 CaAl2Si2O8
albite anorthite

Fields of composition of the common feldspar minerals

Na,K,Ca in these
large sites
In the third dimension these sheets are joined so that the downward pointing tetrahedra
in one sheet are connected to the upward pointing tetrahedra in the next sheet.

_
(201)

c
a

Double Crankshaft
Phase transitions in the feldspars
There are three types of behaviour which take
place in the feldspar structure on cooling:
At high temperatures:
(1) at high temperatures the feldspar structure
is expanded and can contain Na, K and Ca in the
large M-sites.

(2) at high temperatures the Al and Si are

randomly distributed in the T-sites

(3) at high temperatures there are extensive

solid solutions in the alkali feldspars and in
the plagioclase feldspars.
Phase transitions in the feldspars

(4) at lower temperatures there is a tendency

for the structure to distort by a displacive
transition. This tendency depends on the size
of the cation in the M-site. K is large and
prevents the distortion, Na and Ca are
smaller and so the structure distorts to
triclinic.
(5) there is also a strong tendency for Al
and Si to become ordered as the temperature
is reduced. This is to avoid Al in adjacent
tetrahedra (the aluminium avoidance rule or
Loewensteins Rule).
(6) at lower temperatures the extent of
solid solution decreases i.e. exsolution
processes
 4.35
SiO2 polymorphs

Low quartz is the

only
thermodynamically
stable phase of 3.01

silica at room
T,P 2.53

2.65
2.32

2.26