Pyrope

Lecture 16
Systematic Description of Minerals

Part 3:
Silicates I: Introduction to Silicates, Nesosilicates, and Sorosilicates

Predominance of Silicate Minerals in the Earths Crust

CRUST MOSTLY Oxygen O and SilicoN Si 27% of all known minerals are silicates 40% of common minerals are silicates >90% minerals in the earths crust are silicates

Silicon Tetrahedra the basic building block of silicate minerals

The Si-O bond 50% covalent, 50% ionic

Electrostatic Valence (e.v., measure of bond strength)=Z/CN=4/4 =1

Each tetrahedral oxygen shares a -1 charge with the tetrahedral silicon and has an extra -1 charge to share with another cation Four (4) oxygens in each tetrahedron, so total charge -4

Polymerization of Silicon Tetrahedra

Oxygens can share electrons with two silicons Adjacent silicon tetrahedra can share corners, but because of the high repulsive charge of Si+4 cations, they will not share edges or faces. These shared corners are called bridging oxygens.

Role of Al in Silicate Minerals

Al+3 may occur in tetrahedral [4] (substituting for Si+4) or octahedral [6] coordination
Ionic radius of Al+3 = 0.39 (4-fold) (Si+4=0.26) = 0.54 (6-fold) Ionic Al:O Radius Ratio (4-fold) =0.39/1.36=0.286
(Upper limit of tetrahedral coordination RR=0.225)

Ionic Al:O Radius Ratio (6-fold) = 0.388

(Upper limit of octahedral coordination RR=0.414)

Bond strength - e.v. = 3/4 in tetrahedral coord. = 3/6=1/2 in octahedral coord.

O-coordination and Bond Strength of Other Common Cations in Silicate Minerals

Electostatic Valence w/ O-2 big 1/8 - 1/12 Weak 1/6 - 1/8 1/3 1/4 2/6 = 1/3 2/6 = 1/3 2/6 = 1/3 3/6 = 1/2 4/6 = 2/3 3/6 = 1/2 3/4 4/4 = 1 Strong

medium

small

Silicate Mineral Classification

(based on arrangement of SiO4 tetrahedra)

Nesosilicates (independent tetrahedra)

X2(SiO4) Unit Composition X often +2 valence Isolated, but tightly packed (SiO4)4- tetrahedra Forms silicate minerals with: High density and hardness Equi-dimensional habits Poor cleavage Low degree of Al substitution with Si

Olivine X = Mg+2 or Fe+2

Common Nesosilicates: Olivine

(Mg,Fe)2SiO4
High-T igneous mineral, common in mafic and ultramafic rocks; commonly alters to serpentine

Vitreous olive green (Mg) to black (Fe)

Equigranular to prismatic habit; poor cleavage Optics: Colorless, biaxial (positive if Mg++, negative if Fe++), mod. high relief (n~1.7), high 2V, ~.05 (2nd order IF colors) Complete solid solution between Mg and Fe

Common Nesosilicates: Zircon

Zircon is ZrSiO4. Hafnium is almost always present in quantities ranging from 1 to 4%. The crystal structure of zircon is tetragonal. The natural color of zircon varies between colorless, yellow-golden, red, brown, and green.

Zircon usually contains radioactive Uranium and Thorium, and is frequently used to date plutonic rocks.

Common Nesosilicates: Garnet

(Mg,Fe,Mn,Ca)3(Fe3+,Cr,Al)2Si3O12
As mod-T metamorphic mineral formed from Al-rich source rocks and Grossular ultramafic mantle rocks (eclogites)

Equigranular, euhderal to subhedral habit; poor cleavage

Optics: Colorless, isotropic, high relief (n~1.7-1.9) Complex solid solution with the following end-member compositions and their characteristic colors: Pyrope Mg3Al2Si3O12 deep red to black Almandine Fe3Al2Si3O12 deep brownish red Spessartine Mn3Al2Si3O12 brownish red to black
Almandine

Grossular Ca3Al2Si3O12 yellow-green to brown

Andradite Ca3Fe2Si3O12 variable-yellow, green, brown, black Uvarovite Ca3Cr2Si3O12 emerald green
Andradite

B-site Aluminum octahedral

Garnet A3B2Si3O12

A-site Fe++, Mg++, Ca++, Mn++ in distorted octahedra

Usually B is Aluminum, A divalent Almandine Fe3Al2Si3O8

Common Nesosilicates: The Aluminosilicates Kyanite, Sillimanite, Andalusite

Al2SiO5
Moderate to high grade metamorphic minerals formed from Al-rich source rocks Al in octahedral or a mix of octahedral to tetrahedral sites.

Kyanite Vitreous bluish bladed tablets w/ single perfect cleavage; H: 5-7

Sillimanite Vitreous brown to green clustered prisms w/ single cleavage dir. Andalusite Vitreous flesh-red, reddish brown square prisms; H: 7.5

Common Nesosilicates: Staurolite

Fe2Al9O6(SiO4)4(O,OH)2
Moderate to high grade metamorphic mineral formed from Al-rich source rocks Resinous to vitreous (dull when altered) reddish-brown to brownish black 6sided prisms; commonly forms interpenetrating twins Optics: Biaxial(-), yellow pleochroic, high relief (n~1.75), 2V=82-88

Common Nesosilicates: Sphene (Titanite)

CaTiO(SiO4)
Common accessory mineral in felsic igneous rocks and in some metamorphic rocks Resinous to adamantine gray, brown, green, yellow or black lens crystals; distinct diamond-shaped cleavage; H: 5-5.5 Optics: Biaxial(+), yellow pleochroic, very high relief (n~2.0), 2V=27, = 0.13

Common Nesosilicates: Topaz

Topaz Al2SiO4(F,OH)2, Orthorhombic prismatic terminated by pyramidal and other faces, the basal pinacoid often being present. Perfect basal {001} cleavage The fracture conchoidal to uneven. Hardness 8, specific gravity 3.43.6, and a vitreous luster.

Color wine or straw-yellow. They may also be white, gray, green, blue, pink, or reddish-yellow and transparent or translucent.

Sorosilicates (double tetrahedra)

Double silicon tetrahedra linked by one bridging oxygen Commonly also contains island tetrahedra (SiO4) Typically monoclinic symmetry Si O
2 7

Epidote

Common Sorosilicates: Epidote Group

Zoisite/Clinozoisite CaAl3O(SiO4)(Si2O7)(OH) Epidote Ca2(Fe,Al)Al2O(SiO4)(Si2O7)(OH)
Common accessory and alteration mineral in igneous rocks and is a common phase in various grades of metamorphic rocks Zoisite Orthorhombic; Clinozoisite and Epidote Monoclinic Physical Properties: prismatic vitreous crystals to very fine resinous massive granules; H: 6-7 Zoisite Zoisite: Gray, greenish brown (pink-thulite) Clinozoisite: Gray, pale yellow, pale green, colorless Epidote: Pistachio green to yellow green, Optics: Zoisite: Biaxial(+), high relief (n~1.7), 2V=0-70, ~ 0.005 Clinozoisite: Biaxial(+), high relief (n~1.7), 2V=14-90, ~0.010 Epidote: Biaxial(-), high relief (n~1.75), 2V=74-90, ~0.015-.051, green-yellow pleochroic; Epidote

Common Sorosilicate: Vesuvianite (aka Idocrase) Ca10(Mg,Fe)2Al4(SiO4)5(Si2O7)2(OH)4

Common mineral found in thermally metamorphosed limestone with garnet, wollastonite (Ca-pyroxene), and diopside (Mg-Ca-pyroxene) Vitreous to resinous, green to brown, columnar to granular crystals, commonly striated parallel to columns; H: 6.5

Common Sorosilicates: Hemimorphite

Hemimorphite, is a sorosilicate, Zn4(Si2O7)(OH)2.H2O from the upper parts of zinc and lead ores, chiefly associated with Smithsonite.

Hemimorphite most frequently occurs as the product of the oxidation of the upper parts of Sphalerite (ZnS) bearing ore bodies, accompanied by other secondary minerals which form the so-called iron cap or gossan. Hemimorphite is an important ore of zinc and contains up to 54.2% of the metal.

Next Lecture
Systematic Description of Minerals
Part 4

Silicates II:Cyclo-, Ino-, Phyllo-, and Tecto-silicates