wollastoniitissa

Wollastonite is a naturally occurring calcium silicate mineral with the chemical formula CaSiO3. It is an inosilicate, meaning its silicate tetrahedra are arranged in single chains. The mineral is named after the English chemist and physicist William Hyde Wollaston. Wollastonite typically occurs as prismatic or acicular crystals, often found in metamorphic rocks that have undergone contact metamorphism. These rocks include marbles, skarns, and certain types of gneisses. It can also be found in some igneous rocks. The color of wollastonite is usually white, but it can sometimes be gray or pale brown, depending on impurities. Its hardness is between 4.5 and 5 on the Mohs scale, and it has a relatively low refractive index. Wollastonite is valued for its high brightness, low moisture absorption, and excellent reinforcing properties. These characteristics make it a useful industrial mineral, employed in various applications such as ceramics, plastics, paints, coatings, and metallurgy. In ceramics, it acts as a flux and reduces firing shrinkage. In plastics and paints, it serves as a filler and reinforcing agent, improving strength and durability. Its use in metallurgy is primarily as a fluxing agent.