CaAlSiO

CaAlSiO is a chemical shorthand used to denote calcium aluminum silicate, a class of compounds that contain calcium (Ca), aluminum (Al), silicon (Si), and oxygen (O) in a silicate framework. It is not a single fixed mineral but a generic formula representing various calcium‑containing aluminosilicate phases that can form in natural or synthetic systems.

In silicate structures, silicon typically resides in fourfold coordination (SiO4) to build a network of tetrahedra. Aluminum can substitute for silicon in these tetrahedra, introducing a negative framework charge that must be balanced by extra cations such as Ca2+. Because of this charge balance, the exact CaAlSiO stoichiometry varies across different minerals and synthetic grades, yielding broad compositional ranges rather than a single compound.

Natural occurrences of calcium aluminum silicate relate to the broader Ca–Al–Si–O mineral system and include minerals in feldspathic and aluminosilicate groups formed in igneous and metamorphic environments. Specific, well-characterized members of this family include gehlenite (Ca2Al2SiO7) and anorthite (CaAl2Si2O8), which illustrate how Ca, Al, and Si can combine with oxygen in distinct frameworks. In industrial contexts, calcium aluminosilicate phases appear in ceramics, glass-ceramics, and cement-related materials, where their thermal stability and integration into silicate networks influence material properties such as strength and durability.

See also: aluminosilicate, feldspar, zeolite, gehlenite, anorthite.