Mineralogy of Silicates: Nesosilicates and Sorosilicates

Introduction to Silicates

Silicates are the principal constituents of the Earth’s crust and mantle. The majority of minerals that make up rocks are silicates, like olivines, garnets, pyroxenes, amphiboles, micas, feldspars, clay minerals, and quartzes. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct extensive research to gain a better understanding of silicate minerals.

Silicate minerals are abundant in igneous rocks because silicon and oxygen are the most prevalent elements in the Earth’s crust. Additionally, these minerals often contain other elements such as Al, Fe, Mg, Ca, Na, and K. Therefore, we will definitely meet them in the mineral formulas of silicates.

There are many other reasons to study silicates except just their abundance. Silicates comprise a significant part of the soil; they are widely used to produce modern construction materials like bricks, cement, ceramic, and glass. Some silicates have properties that make them useful as thermal and electric insulators, complex nano filters, and absorbers for water treatment. Additionally, many silicates are found in gem quality and are used in the jewelry industry.

The silicate minerals can be divided into six groups based on crystal chemistry. Due to the enormous amount of material,