#silicates

• Amphibole — A generic name for an extensive group of inosilicate minerals with a monoclinic or orthorhombic crystalline structure, composed of double chains of silicon dioxide tetrahedra. This structural group, which includes hornblende, actinolite, and tremolite, typically contains iron, magnesium, calcium, and sodium ions, being an essential constituent of many dark-colored igneous and metamorphic rocks.
• Clay — An unconsolidated sedimentary rock with an extremely fine grain size (particles below 0.002 mm), primarily composed of hydrated aluminum silicates (clay minerals such as kaolinite, montmorillonite, or illite). It exhibits high plasticity when mixed with water, the property of hardening upon drying or firing at high temperatures, and is widely used in the ceramic industry, construction materials (bricks, cement), cosmetics, and medicine.