aluminosilicateoxide

Aluminosilicate oxide is a broad class of compounds and materials that contain aluminum, silicon, and oxygen in a bonded network. In many examples, aluminum and silicon occupy tetrahedral coordination (AlO4 and SiO4), linked through shared oxygen atoms to form extended three-dimensional frameworks. The framework charge, arising from substitution of Al3+ for Si4+, is balanced by extra-framework cations such as Na+, K+, Ca2+, or by framework substitutions, giving a rich diversity of minerals and synthetic materials.

Natural examples include feldspars (such as orthoclase, albite, and anorthite), and clays and zeolites—each with distinctive structures but built on Al–O–Si networks. A well-known aluminosilicate oxide is mullite (3Al2O3·2SiO2), a high-temperature ceramic phase used in refractories, which illustrates the potential combination of high aluminum and silicon content with oxide bonding.

Synthetically produced aluminosilicate oxides arise from high-temperature solid-state reactions, hydrothermal synthesis, or sol-gel methods, yielding materials such as zeolites (aluminosilicate microporous minerals used as catalysts and adsorbents) and aluminosilicate glasses and ceramics. These materials span a range from porous, catalytically active frameworks to dense, high-temperature ceramics.

Key properties depend on composition and structure but commonly include chemical stability, thermal resistance, and tunable mechanical behavior. Porous aluminosilicate frameworks are valued for catalysis, ion exchange, gas separation, and molecular sieving, while dense forms serve as refractories and structural ceramics. The field encompasses both natural mineralogy and a variety of engineered materials.

See also: aluminosilicate minerals, zeolites, feldspars, mullite.