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The silicate minerals make up the largest and most important class of rock-forming minerals. They are classified based on the structure of their silicate anion group.

Subclasses:

Nesosilicates

Nesosilicates (or orthosilicates) have SiO4 tetrahedra that are isolated and connected by interstitial cations.

Sorosilicates

Sorosilicates have isolated double tetrahedra groups with Si2O7 or a ratio of 2:7.

Cyclosilicates

Cyclosilicates, ring silicates, have linked tetrahedra with SixO3x or a ratio of 1:3.

Inosilicates

Inosilicates, chain silicates, have interlocking chains of silicate tetrahedra with either SiO3, 1:3 ratio, for single chains or Si4O11, 4:11 ratio, for double chains.

Single chain inosilicates:

Double chain inosilicates:

Phyllosilicates

Phyllosilicates, sheet silicates, form parallel sheets of silicate tetrahedra with Si2O5 or a 2:5 ratio.

Tectosilicates

Tectosilicates, or "framework silicates", have a three-dimensional framework of silicate tetrahedra with SiO2 or a 1:2 ratio. This is the largest group, comprising nearly 75% of the crust of the Earth.

References and external links

Minerals | Silicate minerals

Silikaadid | Pyroxénoïde | Silikatai | Silicato (minerais) | Silikaattimineraali | Silikatmineral

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Silicate minerals".

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