Spodumene (Laguna)
A standard material in Glazecalc's library: its oxide analysis, unity contribution and hazards.
What it is
- Kind
- Feldspars and stones
- Formula
- Li₂O•Al₂O₃•4SiO₂ (ideal spodumene LiAlSi₂O₆: Li₂O 8.03, Al₂O₃ 27.40, SiO₂ 64.58)
- Also called
- Spodumene, Spodumene Substitute, Spodumene Concentrate Substitute, Laguna Spodumene Substitute, Laguna S3820D, MSPOD
- Made by
- Laguna Clay Co. (sold as 'Spodumene Substitute', item S3820D/MSPOD); original mineral producer not stated
- Sold in
- US
- Replaces
- Lepidolite
- Source
- Digitalfire: Laguna Spodumene Substitute
Spodumene concentrate sold by Laguna, the spodumene most US pottery retailers stock (Clay-Planet and Marjon list the Laguna product). It is a lithium source that melts more readily than lithium carbonate and lowers glaze expansion.
Oxide analysis and unity formula
Glazecalc has the analysis of Spodumene (Laguna) as weight percent of the raw material. The unity contribution is the moles of each oxide in the amount of Spodumene (Laguna) that holds 1.0 mole of flux, which is how Glazecalc adds it into a recipe's unity formula.
| Oxide | Weight % | Unity contribution |
|---|---|---|
| Li₂O | 7.1 | 0.955 |
| K₂O | 0.6 | 0.026 |
| Na₂O | 0.3 | 0.019 |
| P₂O₅ | 0.4 | 0.011 |
| Al₂O₃ | 25 | 0.985 |
| Fe₂O₃ | 0.15 | 0.004 |
| SiO₂ | 66.2 | 4.428 |
- Equivalent weight
- 401.87
- Fired weight
- 400.83
- Loss on ignition
- 0.26%
The equivalent weight is the grams of Spodumene (Laguna) that hold 1.0 mole of flux. The fired weight is what is left of that after firing.
Hazards and safety
Hazards: Contains crystalline silica (5-40% quartz per Laguna's SDS); avoid breathing the dust. Some spodumene causes bubbles in the glaze slurry.
Use it in a recipe
Add Spodumene (Laguna) to a recipe in the Glazecalc calculator to see what it does to a glaze's unity formula.