Constituent
- Name
- Kaolinite
- IMA name
- Kaolinite
- Class
- silicate mineral
- Compound type
- phyllosilicate
- Comments
- from Vogt et al. (2002)
- Relevance
- main - major
- Arrangement
- single phase
- Mass fraction
- 1.0 ± 0.001
- Formula
- Al2.(Si2O5)(OH)4
- Chemical formula
- Al2Si2O5(OH)4
- Elemental formula
- Al2 Si2 O9 H4
- Isotope mixture type
- terrestrial abundance
- Composition comments
- Common impurities: Fe, Mg, Na, K, Ti, Ca, H2O
- Oxides
-
Formula Al2O3 SiO2 H2O Mass fraction (%) 39.5 46.55 13.96
Strunz
- Class
- silicates (09)
- Division
- phyllosilicate (09.E)
- Family
- with kaolinite layers composed of tetrahedral and octahedral nets (09.ED)
- Code
- 09.ED.05
Dana
- Major class
- silicates (VIII)
- Class
- phyllosilicate sheets of six-membered rings (71)
- Type
- with 1:1 layers (71.01)
- Group
- Kaolinite group (71.01.01)
- Code
- 71.01.01.02
- Phase type
- crystalline
- Crystal system
- triclinic
- Crystal class
- pedial
- Crystal class symbol
- 1 (C1)
- Crystal spacegroup
- P1
- Texture
- unknown
- Molar mass
- 258.16 g/mol
- Density
- 2.6 g/cm3
- Refringence type
- biaxial
- Refringence sign
- negative
- Birefringence
- 0.007
- Refraction index nα
- 1.553 - 1.563
- Refraction index nβ
- 1.559 - 1.569
- Refraction index nγ
- 1.560 - 1.570
- Dispersion V
- r > v weak
- Color
- white, brownish white, grayish white, yellowish white, grayish green
- Diaphaneity
- transparent to translucent
- Luster
- earthy