Petalite
A standard material in Glazecalc's library: its oxide analysis, unity contribution and hazards.
What it is
- Kind
- Feldspars and stones
- Formula
- Li₂O•Al₂O₃•8SiO₂ (ideal petalite LiAlSi₄O₁₀: Li₂O 4.87, Al₂O₃ 16.65, SiO₂ 78.49)
- Also called
- Petalite 200, Lithium feldspar (petalite), Petalite #200
- Made by
- Mined in Zimbabwe (Bikita, now owned by Sinomine); analysis published by the supplier Nitto Sangyo Co., Ltd. (Japan)
- Sold in
- US, AU
- Replaces
- Lepidolite
- Source
- Nitto Sangyo: Petalite product page, grade #200 typical values (2022-09)
Lithium aluminosilicate with very low thermal expansion, used to fight crazing and thermal shock. It does not cause the slurry frothing that some spodumene does.
Oxide analysis and unity formula
Glazecalc has the analysis of Petalite as weight percent of the raw material. The unity contribution is the moles of each oxide in the amount of Petalite that holds 1.0 mole of flux, which is how Glazecalc adds it into a recipe's unity formula.
| Oxide | Weight % | Unity contribution |
|---|---|---|
| Li₂O | 4.29 | 1.000 |
| SiO₂ | 76.88 | 8.912 |
| Al₂O₃ | 16.87 | 1.152 |
| Fe₂O₃ | 0.05 | 0.002 |
- Equivalent weight
- 696.48
- Fired weight
- 696.48
- Loss on ignition
- 0%
The equivalent weight is the grams of Petalite that hold 1.0 mole of flux. The fired weight is what is left of that after firing.
Hazards and safety
Hazards: Mineral dust; avoid breathing it.
Use it in a recipe
Add Petalite to a recipe in the Glazecalc calculator to see what it does to a glaze's unity formula.