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Vermiculite

#PD34691
SOLD
Vermiculite from Palabora mine, Phalaborwa, Limpopo, South Africa - PD34691
Vermiculite from Palabora mine, Phalaborwa, Limpopo, South Africa - PD34691

Vermiculite

#PD34691
Availability
Sold
Size
11 x 8 x 0.4 cm - Cabinet 
Formula
Mg0.7(Mg,Fe3+,Al)6(Si,Al)8O20(OH)4·8H2O (RRUFF)
Locality
Palabora mine, Phalaborwa, Limpopo, South Africa

Phyllosilicate - Monoclinic - Not a Mica group member. But is micaceous. A member of the Montmorillonite-Vrmiculate group with 2:1 layering, meaning there are two (T) tetrahedral layers with an (M) octahedral layer in between. There is no (I) interlayer and the 2:1 layers are instead held together by weak Van der Waals bonds.


Requires Biotite, Chlorite, Hornbelnd and Serpentines to form. Vermiculite contains so much water it will exfoliate when burned.

Larger cleavage plate.

Vermiculite

Formula
Mg0.7(Mg,Fe3+,Al)6(Si,Al)8O20(OH)4·8H2
Crystal System
Monoclinic 
Crystal Habit
Lamellar, Scaly 
Cleavage
Perfect, None, None 
Luster
Vitreous - Dull 
Color
colorless, green, gray white, yellow brown 
Streak
greenish white 
Class
Monoclinic - Prismatic 
Fracture
Uneven 
Hardness
1.5-2 

Data courtesy of Webmineral.

Collection
Phillips Collection

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