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Sepiolite

From MedBib.com - Medicine & Nature

Sepiolite is a clay mineral, a complex magnesium silicate, a typical formula for which is Mg₄Si₆O₁₅(OH)₂ • 6H₂O, but the number of crystalwater molecules can vary from 2 to 12. It can be present in fibrous, fine-particulate, and solid forms.

Sepiolite is used in oil drilling and for cat litter. It is also used in a solid form for carving, where it is known as meerschaum.

The name comes from a perceived resemblance of the material to the porous bones of the cuttlefish or sepia. On account of its low specific gravity, one to two, and its porosity, it may float upon water, hence its German name Meerschaum ("sea foam").

Owing to its fibrous mineral nature, sepiolite veins may contain the hazardous material, asbestos; even where asbestos is not present, sepiolite is often mistaken for it. Careful analytical techniques may be required to distinguish the two.

References

• Webmineral data
• UK HSE
• International Programme on Chemical Safety

This article about a specific silicate mineral is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v • d • e

v • d • e Clay minerals Chlorite · Dickite · Halloysite · Hectorite · Illite · Ilmenite · Kaolinite · Montmorillonite · Nacrite · Nontronite · Palygorskite · Saponite · Sepiolite · Serpentine1 1. Serpentine is not always considered a clay mineral

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