quartz

Also known as SiO2, α-Quarz

Quartz is a hard mineral composed of silica (silicon dioxide). Its atoms are linked in a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon–oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen atom being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall chemical formula of SiO2. Therefore, quartz is classified structurally as a framework silicate mineral and compositionally as an oxide mineral. Quartz is the second most common mineral or mineral group in Earth's lithosphere, comprising about 12% by mass.

AI overview

Quartz is a hard mineral made of silicon and oxygen (silicon dioxide) that forms when silicon-oxygen units link together in a continuous framework structure. It's the second most abundant mineral in Earth's crust, making up about 12% of the planet's rocky material by mass.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Key facts

Mineral.name: Quartz
Mineral.category: Tectosilicate minerals
Mineral.group: Quartz group
Mineral.image: Quartz Brésil.jpg
Mineral.caption: Quartz crystal cluster from Brazil
Mineral.formula: SiO2
Mineral.IMAsymbol: Qz
Mineral.strunz: 4.DA.05 (oxides)
Mineral.dana: 75.01.03.01 (tectosilicates)
Mineral.system: α-quartz: trigonal β-quartz: hexagonal
Mineral.class: α-quartz: trapezohedral (class 3 2) β-quartz: trapezohedral (class 6 2 2)
Mineral.symmetry: α-quartz: P3221 (no. 154)β-quartz: P6222 (no. 180) or P6422 (no. 181)
Mineral.unit cell: a = 4.9133 Å, c = 5.4053 Å; Z = 3
Mineral.color: Colorless, pink, orange, white, green, yellow, blue, purple, dark brown, or black
Mineral.habit: 6-sided prism ending in 6-sided pyramid (typical), drusy, fine-grained to microcrystalline, massive
Mineral.twinning: Common Dauphine law, Brazil law, and Japan law
Mineral.cleavage: none
Mineral.fracture: Conchoidal

via Wikipedia infobox

Research

22,004 papers

Quartz exposure in agriculture: literature review and South African survey.ReviewThe Annals of occupational hygiene · 2010Swanepoel AJ, Rees D, Renton K et al.DOI: 10.1093/annhyg/meq003
The quartz hazard: a variable entity.ReviewThe Annals of occupational hygiene · 1998Donaldson K, Borm PJDOI: 10.1016/s0003-4878(98)00044-1
A review of the fate of inhaled α-quartz in the lungs of rats.ReviewInhalation toxicology · 2019Kawasaki HDOI: 10.1080/08958378.2019.1597218
From quartz hazard to quartz risk: the coal mines revisited.ReviewThe Annals of occupational hygiene · 2002Borm PJ, Tran LDOI: 10.1093/annhyg/mef021
Determinants of Respirable Quartz Exposure Concentrations Across Occupations in Denmark, 2018.Annals of work exposures and health · 2022Boudigaard SH, Hansen KK, Kolstad H et al.DOI: 10.1093/annweh/wxab116
The quartz hazard: effects of surface and matrix on inflammogenic activity.ReviewJournal of environmental pathology, toxicology and oncology : official organ of the International Society for Environmental Toxicology and Cancer · 2001Donaldson K, Stone V, Duffin R et al.
On the assignment of quartz-like LiAlSi(2)O(6) - SiO(2) solid solutions in dental lithium silicate glass-ceramics: Virgilite, high quartz, low quartz or stuffed quartz derivatives?ReviewDental materials : official publication of the Academy of Dental Materials · 2022Hurle K, Lubauer J, Belli R et al.DOI: 10.1016/j.dental.2022.07.009
Single Intratracheal Quartz Instillation Induced Chronic Inflammation and Tumourigenesis in Rat Lungs.Scientific reports · 2020Nakano-Narusawa Y, Yokohira M, Yamakawa K et al.DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-63667-4

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Wikidata facts

Image: Quartz Brésil.jpg

Show 10 more facts

Commons gallery: Quartz
Mohs' hardness: 7
Commons category: Quartz
chemical formula: SiO₂
Nickel-Strunz 9th edition (updated 2009): 4.DA.05
Nickel-Strunz '10th ed', review of (9th ed/ 2009 update): 4.DA.05
MCN code: 7104.10.00
density: 2.65
IMA Mineral Symbol: Qz
Strunz 8th edition (series ID, updated): IV/D.01a

Sources (5)

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~23 min read

Article

14 sections

Contents

Etymology
Early studies
Crystal habit and structure
Varieties
Piezoelectricity
Occurrence
Mining
Related silica minerals
Safety
Synthetic and artificial treatments
Uses
See also
References
External links

Quartz exists in two forms, the normal α-quartz and the high-temperature β-quartz, both of which are chiral. The transformation from α-quartz to β-quartz takes place abruptly at . Since the transformation is accompanied by a significant change in volume, it can easily induce microfracturing of ceramics or rocks passing through this temperature threshold.