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9 Silicates (GL 204 My Lecture) - Handout

1) Silicates form the largest class of minerals and are important rock-forming minerals that make up most of the Earth. 2) Silicates are composed of silicon and oxygen tetrahedra that are linked together in different ways to form five main types of silicates: neso-, soroso-, cyclo-, ino-, and tectosilicates. 3) Common silicates discussed in the document include quartz, feldspars, olivine, and micas.

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31 views19 pages

9 Silicates (GL 204 My Lecture) - Handout

1) Silicates form the largest class of minerals and are important rock-forming minerals that make up most of the Earth. 2) Silicates are composed of silicon and oxygen tetrahedra that are linked together in different ways to form five main types of silicates: neso-, soroso-, cyclo-, ino-, and tectosilicates. 3) Common silicates discussed in the document include quartz, feldspars, olivine, and micas.

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Stanli
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GL - 204 Fundamentals of Geology

MINERALOGY
Silicates

Dr. Mulugheta Tewelde


University of Zimbabwe
Department of Geology
Silicates
- Form the largest class of minerals

- Important rock forming minerals and they make up the


bulk of the earth.

- In comparison to others, only few minerals are used as


ores

- Basic structural unit of all silicates is the SiO4 tetrahedra


(silicon atom surrounded by 4 oxygens).

- The linkage of the tetrahedra determines the chemical


formula of the silicates.

Accordingly, there are 5 types of silicates (next slide):


Silicates
Types of silicates:

- Isle (neso-) and sorosilicates (SiO4)4- and (Si2O7)6-

- Ring (cyclo) silicates (Si6O18)12-

- Chain (ino-) silicates (Si2O6)4- or (Si8O22)12-

- Sheet (phyllo-) silicates (Si4O10)4-

- Framework (tekto-) silicates (SiO2)


Silicates
- Nesosilicates: each oxygen is bonded to only one silicon,
olivine, garnet.
- sorosilicates (sister silicates): bonded to two silicon atoms
e.g. epidote.
- cyclosilicates (ring silicates): bonded to two silicon
atoms, to form rings e.g. beryl, tourmaline.
- inosilicates (chain silicates): bonded to two silicon atoms
to form chains e.g. pyroxene.
- phyllosilicates (sheet silicates): bonded to two silicon
atoms to form sheets e.g. micas.
- tectosilicates (network silicates): bonded to two silicon
atoms to form networks. e.g. quartz, feldspar.
Silicates
Silicates
Common silicates are:

- Quartz

- Feldspars

- Olivine

- Micas

- Amphibole and pyroxenes


Silicates
Quartz:
- hexagonal with horizontal stariations; hardness = 7
conchoidal fracture, vitreous luster,

- a lot of varities, such as:


Coarsely crystalline varieties:
rock crystal (clear), milky quartz (white), amethyst
(purple), rose quartz (pink), citrine (yellow), smokey
quartz (grey-brown), aventurine (green).

Fibrous cryptocrystalline varieties:


Chalcedony (reddish), chrysoprase (apple-
green), agate (banded), onyx (straight white and grey
or brown banding).
Silicates
Quartz (contd.):
- a lot of varities, such as:
Granular cryptocrystalline varieties:
flint (dull to dark in colour), chert (light in colour),
jasper (red).

Opal - SiO2.nH2O:
water-bearing submicroscopic silica spheroids
(globules).
Silicates
Quartz (contd.): Quartz
Smokey quartz

Amethyst

Agate
Silicates
Feldspar group:
- Most important group of silicates.

- Consists of the K-Feldspars (KAlSi3O8) and the


Plagioclase feldspars Na(AlSi3O8)-Ca(Al2Si2O8).
Silicates
Feldspar group (contd.):
K-Feldspars (KAlSi3O8)
- Luster is vitreous, hardness 6
- pink is the motto for potassium feldspar.
- orthoclase can be orange and microcline is
commonly always white.
Silicates
Feldspar group (contd.):
Plagioclase feldspars Na(AlSi3O8)-Ca(Al2Si2O8)
- most common mineral in igneous rocks
- white to gray-white mostly but can be dark gray
to blue-gray in gabbro.
Silicates
Olivine:
- Common in ultramafic igneous rocks
- Small crystals, light/ olivine green, glassy crystals,
- no cleavage, often sugary and feels like sandpaper.
- In Zimbabwe, it is found in the northern part of the
Great Dyke.
Silicates
Olivine:
Silicates
Mica Group:

Biotite and muscovite are the important ones.


- all micas have perfect cleavage (can be split into
leaves thinner than a paper); it is difficult to set a lower
limit to the thickness of the plate.
- Plate retains its original form after bending (elastic).

Biotite:
- black, shiny and often occurs in small hexagonal (6-
sided) books,
- good cleavage, hardness 3
- occurs in dark-colored rocks like gabbro and basalt.
Silicates
Mica Group:

Biotite
Silicates
Mica Group (contd.):

Muscovite:
- shiny and silvery, but oxidizes to look almost golden,
excellent cleavage and will scratch easily.

- Muscovite is an electrical and heat insulator.

- In Zimbabwe, in pegmatites (around Karoi).


Silicates
Mica Group (contd.):

Muscovite:

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