Mg
Al
Si
O
H
H2O
Ball and Stick
Stick
Spacefill
Polyhedral
https://virtual-museum.soils.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2016/08/vermiculite_poly1.txt
https://virtual-museum.soils.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2016/08/vermiculite_poly2.txt
https://virtual-museum.soils.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2016/08/vermiculite_poly3.txt
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Vermiculite
Vermiculite, Mg3(Al,Si)4O10(OH)2 ยท 4H2O, has a monoclinic crystal system with a platy habit. It is an expanding clay.
Highlighting Features
Tetrahedrally-coordinated silicon (Si) atoms Tetrahedrally-coordinated aluminum (Al) atoms Octahedrally-coordinated magnesium (Mg) atoms Oxygen (O) atoms Sites of charge in the mineral structure Charge-balancing (exchangeable) cations Tetrahedral sheets Octahedral sheets Single unit cell All atomsShirozu, H., and S.W. Bailey. 1966. Crystal structure of a two-layer Mg-vermiculite. American Mineralogist. 51:1124-1143.