Silicates; Most Abundant Rock-Forming Mineral Used In a Range of Industrial Applications
Silicates Silicates are minerals containing silicon and oxygen. About 95% of the earth's crust is composed of silicate minerals, aluminosilicate clays or silica. The vast majority of the minerals that make up the rocks of Earth's crust are silicate minerals. These include minerals such as quartz, amphibole, feldspar, mica, olivine, pyroxene, and a great variety of clay minerals. Silicates occupy about 95% of the Earth's crust and upper mantle, as the major component of most igneous rocks and also in appreciable amounts in sedimentary and metamorphic types. Silicates is the most important mineral class because they are by far the most abundant rock-forming minerals. They are also an important chemical element because of their ability to form a variety of different compounds that are valuable in many industries, including cement, ceramics, and glass. Quartz is another example of silicates with an ideal capability to give a high rhythmic frequency vibration. Large amoun...