KAlSiO

KAlSiO is a chemical formula that denotes a potassium aluminum silicate composition comprising potassium (K), aluminum (Al), silicon (Si), and oxygen (O). It is not the name of a widely recognized mineral species, but rather a shorthand representation that could describe a hypothetical or synthetic aluminosilicate framework where aluminum and silicon occupy tetrahedral sites balanced by potassium.

In silicate chemistry, aluminum substitution for silicon in the framework requires charge balancing, typically by interstitial cations such as K+. A simple neutral end-member that fits the basic charge balance is KAlSiO4, which would correspond to a tetrahedral network containing one AlO4 and one SiO4 unit per formula unit. In natural systems, potassium occurs in well-known framework silicates such as feldspars and feldspathoids (for example orthoclase with the formula KAlSi3O8), illustrating how K can reside in tectosilicate structures alongside Al and Si.

KAlSiO, as a standalone mineral name, does not correspond to a widely established species in current mineralogical catalogues. If encountered, it would more likely reference a hypothetical end-member, a broad class of aluminosilicates, or a synthetic compound rather than a confirmed natural mineral with a stable, distinct identity. Real-world examples of related compositions include potassium feldspars and other alkali aluminosilicates, which show how potassium, aluminum, silicon, and oxygen can combine in three-dimensional silicate networks.

See also: feldspar, orthoclase, sanidine, albite, aluminosilicates, silicate minerals.