Spodumene
Chemistry
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Volatiles
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Significant Temperatures
- 1080C: Converts to its beta phase undergoing a volume expansion of ~30% and a decrease in specific gravity from 3.2 to 2.4.
- 1420C: After conversion to its beta form at 1080C spodumene enters a stage of great thermal stability.
Links to Other Materials
- Petalite - Related
- Montebrasite Concentrate - Related
- Spodumene Concentrate - Related
- Amblygonite - Related
- Lepidolite - Related
- Cache
Miscellaneous
- Family: Feldspar
- Region: North America
- Mined At: Unspecified
- Raw Mineral: No
- Generic: Yes
Notes
Mineral, of the ideal form Li2O . Al2O3 . 4SiO2 or LiAl(Si2O6)
The name is from the Greek spodos, meaning burnt to ash.
Spodumene is a silicate mineral often referred to as lithium feldspar. Its mineral form is characterized by hard needle-like grains of brilliant white color. It is used in ceramics as a source of lithia.
Lithia is a very powerful flux, especially when used in conjunction with potash and soda feldspars. As one of only a few natural lithium source materials, spodumene is a valuable component in glass and ceramic/enamel glazes (Li2O reduces thermal expansion, melting temperature and viscosity of the glaze melt).
Spodumene is only slightly soluble in contrast to lithium carbonate. Because spodumene is a natural combination of silica, alumina and lithia it melts better than a chemically equivalent mixture of lithium carbonate, kaolin and silica. Since almost all raw glazes contain kaolin and silica it is normally fairly easy to juggle recipe ingredients in a ceramic chemistry calculation program to introduce spodumene to replace lithium carbonate.
Some types of spodumene do contribute to the formation of bubbles in the glaze slurry. Spodumene is a little more readily fusible than petalite since it is higher in lithium.
The lowering of the thermal expansion coefficient to an almost negligible level by development of the beta spodumene phase is the basis for pyroceramic, oven-to-table ware (e.g. Corning ware).
Data
- Specific Gravity: 2.60
- Melting Point (MP): 1421C M
URLs
- Technical Information - http://www.geology.neab.net/minerals/spodumen.htm
- Technical and worldwide deposit info PDF - http://www.minsocam.org/msa/Handbook/Spodumene.PDF
- Technical and worldwide deposit info PDF - http://www.minsocam.org/msa/Handbook/Spodumene.PDF
- Widipedia definition - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spodumene
Authors
- Tony Hansen (Owner)
Pictures
-
Spodumene Kunsite
-
Spodumene Rock
XML
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<material name="Spodumene" descrip="" generic="1" rawmineral="0" searchkey="Lithium Feldspar" loi="0.00">
<families>
<family name="Feldspar"/>
</families>
<regions>
<region name="North America"/>
</regions>
<oxides>
<oxide symbol="Li2O" name="Lithium Oxide, Lithia" status="U" percent="8.010" tolerance=""/>
<oxide symbol="Al2O3" name="Aluminum Oxide, Alumina" status="" percent="27.410" tolerance=""/>
<oxide symbol="SiO2" name="Silicon Dioxide, Silica" status="" percent="64.590" tolerance=""/>
</oxides>
<volatiles>
<volatile symbol="" name="" percent="1.500" tolerance=""/>
</volatiles>
<references>
<reference name="seealso" reason=""/>
<reference name="seealso" reason=""/>
<reference name="seealso" reason=""/>
<reference name="seealso" reason=""/>
<reference name="seealso" reason=""/>
</references>
<temperatures>
<temperature temperature="1080C" notes="Converts to its beta phase undergoing a volume expansion of ~30% and a decrease in specific gravity from 3.2 to 2.4.
"/>
<temperature temperature="1420C" notes="After conversion to its beta form at 1080C spodumene enters a stage of great thermal stability."/>
</temperatures>
<notes>
<note>Mineral, of the ideal form Li2O . Al2O3 . 4SiO2 or LiAl(Si2O6)
The name is from the Greek spodos, meaning burnt to ash.
Spodumene is a silicate mineral often referred to as lithium feldspar. Its mineral form is characterized by hard needle-like grains of brilliant white color. It is used in ceramics as a source of lithia.
Lithia is a very powerful flux, especially when used in conjunction with potash and soda feldspars. As one of only a few natural lithium source materials, spodumene is a valuable component in glass and ceramic/enamel glazes (Li2O reduces thermal expansion, melting temperature and viscosity of the glaze melt).
Spodumene is only slightly soluble in contrast to lithium carbonate. Because spodumene is a natural combination of silica, alumina and lithia it melts better than a chemically equivalent mixture of lithium carbonate, kaolin and silica. Since almost all raw glazes contain kaolin and silica it is normally fairly easy to juggle recipe ingredients in a ceramic chemistry calculation program to introduce spodumene to replace lithium carbonate.
Some types of spodumene do contribute to the formation of bubbles in the glaze slurry. Spodumene is a little more readily fusible than petalite since it is higher in lithium.
The lowering of the thermal expansion coefficient to an almost negligible level by development of the beta spodumene phase is the basis for pyroceramic, oven-to-table ware (e.g. Corning ware).
</note>
</notes>
<testdata>
<testitem testname="5" value="2.60"/>
<testitem testname="5" value="1421C M"/>
</testdata>
<pictures>
<picture description="Spodumene Kunsite" filename="spodumene_kunsite_.jpg"/>
<picture description="Spodumene Rock" filename="spodumene_rock.jpg"/>
</pictures>
</material>
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