Chlorite

What is Chlorite?
Chlorite is the name of a group of
common sheet silicate minerals that form
during the early stages of metamorphism.
Most chlorite minerals are green in color,
have a foliated appearance, perfect
cleavage, and an oily to soapy feel. They
are found in igneous, metamorphic and
sedimentary rocks.

Chlorites characteristically occur as

alteration products of other minerals. They are common rock-forming
minerals in clastic sediments and in hydrothermally altered igneous
rocks; chlorites are widespread and important constituents of such
metamorphic rocks as greenschists or chlorite schists.

Chlorite minerals are found in rocks altered during deep burial, plate
collisions, hydrothermal activity, or contact metamorphism. They are
also found as retrograde minerals in igneous and metamorphic rocks
that have been weathered. Rocks that commonly contain abundant
chlorite include greenschist, phyllite, chlorite schist, and greenstone.
Chlorite Minerals
Chlorite minerals have a generalized chemical composition of (X,Y)4-
6(Si,Al)4O10(OH,O)8. The "X" and "Y" in the formula represent ions,
which might include: Fe+2, Fe+3, Mg+2, Mn+2, Ni+2, Zn+2, Al+3, Li+1,
or Ti+4. The composition and physical properties of chlorites vary as
these ions substitute for one another in solid solution.

The Most common chlorite minerals are clinochlore, pennantite, and

chamosite.
Where Does Chlorite Form?
Chlorite minerals most often form in rock environments where minerals
are altered by heat, pressure, and chemical
activity. These generally have a temperature
less than a few hundred degrees and are
within a few miles of Earth's surface.

Chlorite minerals often form in clay-rich

sedimentary rocks that are buried in deep
sedimentary basins or subjected to regional metamorphism at a
convergent plate boundary. Chlorite that forms here is usually
associated with biotite, muscovite, garnet, staurolite, andalusite, or
cordierite. Metamorphic rocks rich in chlorite might include phyllite and
chlorite schist.

Another environment of chlorite mineral formation is in oceanic crust

descending into subduction zones. Here, amphiboles, pyroxenes, and
micas are altered into chlorite.

Chlorite minerals also form during the hydrothermal, metasomatic, or

contact metamorphism. These chlorite minerals are often found in
fractures, solution cavities, or the vesicles of igneous rocks.
 Physical Properties of Chlorites
Members of the chlorite mineral group are typically green in color, have
a foliated appearance,
perfect cleavage, and an
oily or soapy feel. Their
variable chemical
composition gives them a
range of hardness and
specific gravity. This makes
them difficult to
differentiate in hand
specimen.

Recognizing a mineral as a
member of the chlorite
group is usually easy.
However, placing a specific
name on it can be difficult.
Detailed optical, chemical,
or x-ray analysis is usually
required for positive
identification. The name
"chlorite" is often used in classrooms and the field because the
minerals are difficult or impossible to identify. As a result, the individual
chlorite minerals are poorly known.
Uses of Chlorite

Chlorite is a mineral with a low potential for industrial use. It does not
have physical properties that make it suited for a particular use, and it
does not contain constituents that make it a target of mining. When
found, chlorite is usually intimately intermixed with other minerals, and
the cost of separation would be high. As a result, chlorite is not mined
and processed for any specific use. Its major use is as a coincidental
constituient in crushed stone