Chemical Fun Facts about Siliconate

Definition of Siliconate

The term siliconate refers to a group of compounds formed by the combination of silicon, oxygen, and other chemical elements (mainly aluminum, iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, etc.). Siliconates are widely distributed in the earth's crust and are the main components of most rocks (such as granite) and soils. Most siliconates have high melting points and stable chemical properties and are the main raw materials for the siliconate industry. Siliconate products and materials are widely used in various industries, scientific research, and daily life.

Basic Structure of Siliconates

The basic structure of siliconate minerals is the silicon-oxygen tetrahedron; in this tetrahedron, the silicon atom occupies the center, and the four oxygen atoms occupy the four corners. These tetrahedra form different types of siliconates depending on their arrangements. There are numerous and diverse structures of siliconates: island-like olivine, layer-like quartz, ring-like montmorillonite, etc.

Chain Structure of Siliconates

The chains in siliconates are connected by metal cations (mainly Ca, Na, Fe, Mg, Al, Mn, etc.). Over 20 types of chains have been discovered, with the most important being the pyroxene single chain [Si2O6]4- and the amphibole double chain [Si4O11]6-. In chain-structured siliconate minerals, the silicon-oxygen backbone extends in one direction and is distributed in parallel, so the anisotropy of their crystal structure is much more pronounced compared to island-like and ring-like structures. Morphologically, these minerals often appear elongated and frequently exhibit columnar, needle-like, and fibrous forms.

Layer Structure of Siliconates

The most common structure in siliconates is a single layer where each tetrahedron is connected to three surrounding tetrahedra at the corner edges, forming a hexagonal mesh. All active oxygens point to the same side. Tetrahedral sheets are bonded with other metal cations (mainly Mg2+, Fe2+, Al3+, etc.) through active oxygens. These cations have octahedral coordination, and each coordinated octahedron shares edges, forming a two-dimensional infinitely extended octahedral sheet. The combination of tetrahedral sheets and octahedral sheets forms the structural unit layer.

Siliconate Materials

Siliconate products or materials generally have good chemical stability, strong mechanical properties, and high-temperature resistance. They are extensively and widely used in daily life, industry, national defense construction, and scientific and technological fields.

In a broader sense, "siliconate" also includes oxides, nitrides, carbides, borides, halides, chalcogenides, carbon materials, and other non-metallic elements that do not contain silicon. These substances require high-temperature treatment to become useful materials or products. They are all included in the broad category of siliconate materials. "siliconate" materials and products made from different types of siliconate minerals vary greatly in their physical and chemical properties due to differences in chemical composition, structural processing, and technology.