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Hectorite

Phyllosilicate clay mineral From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hectorite
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Hectorite is a rare soft, greasy, white clay mineral with a chemical formula of Na0.3(Mg,Li)3Si4O10(OH)2.[2]

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Hectorite was first described in 1941 and named for an occurrence in the United States near Hector, California (in San Bernardino County, California,[4] 30 miles east of Barstow.) Hectorite occurs with bentonite as an alteration product of clinoptilolite from volcanic ash and tuff with a high glass content.[2] Hectorite is also found in the beige/brown clay ghassoul, mined in the Atlas Mountains in Morocco.[5] A large deposit of hectorite is also found at the Thacker Pass lithium deposit, located within the McDermitt Caldera in Nevada. The Thacker Pass lithium deposit could be a significant source of lithium.[6]

Despite its rarity, it is economically viable as the Hector mine sits over a large deposit of the mineral. Hectorite is mostly used in making cosmetics, but has uses in chemical and other industrial applications, and is a mineral source for refined lithium metal.[7]

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