What is the main solid solution in olivine?

What is the main solid solution in olivine?

Olivine is a name for a series of minerals with the formula M2SiO4, where M is most commonly Fe or Mg. Fayalite (Fe2SiO4) and forsterite (Mg2SiO4) form a substitutional solid solution where the iron and magnesium atoms can be substituted for each other without significantly changing the crystal structure.

Is olivine a solid solution?

For example, iron and magnesium can readily replace one another in a mineral. One example is olivine , which can vary from Mg2SiO4 (forsterite) to Fe2SiO4 (fayalite). This is known as complete solid solution. Such a mineral can also consist of any intermediate percentage of either end-member.

What type of solid is olivine?

It is a type of nesosilicate or orthosilicate. The primary component of the Earth’s upper mantle, it is a common mineral in Earth’s subsurface, but weathers quickly on the surface….

Olivine
Formula (repeating unit) (Mg,Fe) 2SiO 4
Strunz classification 9.AC.05
Crystal system Orthorhombic
Space group Pbnm (no. 62)

What are the product of orthoclase?

Orthoclase has several commercial uses. It is a raw material used in the production of glass, ceramic tile, porcelain, dinnerware, bathroom fixtures, and other ceramics. It is used as an abrasive in scouring powders and polishing compounds. It is also cut as a gemstone.

What mineral group does orthoclase belong to?

feldspar group
Orthoclase is a member of the feldspar group (like plagioclase) and is a framework silicate. Orthoclase, also known as alkali feldspar or K-feldspar, is one end-member of a solid solution between orthoclase and albite.

What is a solid solution example?

A mixture of elements at the atomic level. Metals used in dentistry which readily form solid solutions with gold are copper, platinum, palladium, and silver. Steel is an example of a solid solution of a small amount of carbon in iron.

How is olivine different from amphibole?

The most common amphibole is hornblende. It has a transparent appearance and a glassy gloss. It has very long and thin crystals. Olivine is a silicate mineral with a general chemical composition of (Mg, Fe)2 SO4, however, magnesium and iron can be replaced with calcium, manganese, and nickel.

What is the chemical formula of olivine?

Olivine is a magnesium iron silicate with the formula (Mg2+, Fe2+)2SiO4. End members are forsterite (Mg2SiO4) and fayalite (Fe2+2SiO4). Olivine is an abundant mineral in most mafic igneous rocks and the most abundant mineral in the earth’s upper mantle.

What is the chemical formula of orthoclase?

KAlSi₃O₈
Orthoclase/Chemical formula

What does orthoclase used for?

Orthoclase is used in the manufacture of glass and ceramics; occasionally, transparent crystals are cut as gems. Orthoclase is primarily important as a rock-forming mineral, however, and is abundant in alkali and acidic igneous rocks, in pegmatites, and in gneisses.

Is orthoclase a silicate or non silicate?

There are two different feldspar structures. Orthoclase feldspar is a common member of a group of feldspar minerals containing potassium ions in its structure, often called potassium feldspar. Quartz is the only common silicate mineral consisting entirely of silicon and oxygen, and has the chemical formula SiO2.