Material groups/chemical-mineralogical

Table 8 Matrix material groups/chemical-mineralogical classification... 

Most minerals occur in a variety of morphologies. Although it is not exhaustive, the list we recorded as occurring in fibrous form (Appendix 1) contains more than 350 entries, each with a reference. The format follows that proposed in Dana s System of Mineralogy, (Palache, et al., 1944), one of the standard references in the field. The names of fibrous minerals are alphabetically arranged within each chemical group that is, elements, oxides, hydroxides, carbonates, sulfates, phosphates, and so on. A similar, parallel system has been adopted for the list of synthetic fibers (Appendix 2). The list of synthetics includes glassy fibers produced from natural materials, as well as whiskers. 

The following pages give a review of the chemistry of natural minerals, their typical occurrence in nature and their common mineral associations. This review is used to establish the major groupings of the common clay mineral species as a function of the chemical systems to which they can be related. Because various forms of silica as well as zeolites and organic materials are commonly associated with clays, these materials have been considered in the same manner as the phyllosilicates. It is evident that they have an influence on the clay mineralogy and that they form an integral part of clays in the broad sense of the term. However, they are not normally considered to be clay minerals. 

About a century ago, it became more evident that meteorites may contain chemical and mineralogical information about the earliest solid objects that existed in the solar system, and that they may carry resemblance to the materials that accreted to planets like the Earth. Several different meteorite groups are recognized. With respect to abundances, the chondritic meteorites are the most important ones. Meteorites that contain small silicate spheres are called chondrites (after Greek chondros for sphere). In addition to silicate minerals,... 

In 1985, K.H. Schuller and H.W. Hennicke published a classification that combined the craft-oriented material names derived from traditional ceramics with those of modem ceramics on the basis of synthetic raw materials, with rational chemical and mineralogical names [8]. This was necessary because global economic development called for clear terms to resolve translation and definition problems, but also for correct standard descriptions. They established the main groups ... 

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