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phenacite Be2SiO4
willemite Zn2SiO4
zircon ZrSiO4
2+
garnet (M2+)3(M3+)2(SiO4)3 M3+ = Ca, Mg, Fe
M = Al, Cr, Fe
Oligomeric Polysilicates
Instead of forming long open chain structures, the ends of the chains
will link eliminating oxide ions.
Chain Polysilicates
Pyroxene Minerals
enstatite MgSiO3
diopsite CaMgSi2O6
spodimene LiAlSi2O6
pollucite CsAlSi2O6
Sheet Polysilicates
montmorillonite, kaolinite,
clay minerals
china clay and vermiculite
talc
soapstone
chrysotile asbestos
1. pyrophyllite, Al2Si4O10(OH)2
2. grunerite, Fe7Si8O22(OH)2
3. spessartite, Mn3Al2Si3O12
4. bustamite, CaMn(SiO3)2
Glass
Soil Chemistry
The more basic the polysilicate anion of a mineral, the more readily
it will react with weak acids and undergo weathering.
Over time rainwater will react with the less polymerixed silicate anions
to replace oxide ions with bridging oxygen yielding a more highly
polymerized silicate. The oxides are removed as water molecules.
Isomorphous Substitution
Since quite a few sets of ions exist that have the same charge and very
similar radii, there is little reason for one of these matched types of
ions to be preferred over another when a mineral is formed on the
cooling of molten magma.
For ions of the same size, the total charge of the replacing ions must
equal the total charge of the replaced ions. Each ion need not be of
identical charge.
K+can be replaced by the rare Rb+ and Tl+ ions as well as the
common Ba2+
Ca2+can be replaced by Sr2+(132 pm), Na+(116 pm), Y3+(104 pm),
La3+ (117 pm), and the sixth-period f-block ions (100-117 pm)
Si4+ can be replaced by the common Al3+ ion (67 pm)
PROBLEMS
1. K(YSi2O6)
2. Rb(AlSi2O6)
3. Ba(BeSi2O6)
4. Ba(AlSi2O6)