intermediate to mafic

igneous rocks

Plagioclase Feldspar

US

GS

pegmatites

by-nc-sa: Ron S

chott by-n

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mili

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metamorphic rocks

by-nc-nd: Orbital Joe

NA

SA

Over half the Earth’s crust is composed of a single group of minerals known as the feldspars.

public domain

This piece of plagioclase feldspar was retrieved from the moon by the Apollo 16 mission. It is 4.5 billion years old.

Plagioclase is in igneous and metamorphic building stones.

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Feldspars are processed to create a wide variety of ceramics, ranging from pottery to industrial uses

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Ground into powder, plagioclases are also used in the manufacture of paints, rubber, plastics.

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Feldspars are used in the manufacture of glass and scouring powder.

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Feldspars are in tarred roofing materials, as well as in glass wool insulation materials.

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Feldspars are used as sizing or filler in textiles and paper.

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Feldspars are used in the manufacture of enamel.

As feldspar minerals weather into smaller pieces, they form sand, clay, and mud. Once those sediments harden, they become sandstones and shales.

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Water will react with feldspars to produce a host of clay minerals.

In dry climates mud is used to form the walls of houses

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Feldspars weather to clays that are used to

make ceramics.

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Feldspar minerals are

also important in glazes

As feldspars breakdown under the intense weathering conditions of tropical climates, almost all of the feldspar is dissolved away except for some hydrous aluminum oxide minerals that are left behind. These concentrated deposits of aluminum ores are collectively called bauxite and are our major source of aluminum.

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As feldspars weather they produce

aluminum ores

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Feldspars are often in concrete and asphalt as aggregate.

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intermediate to mafic

igneous rocks

Plagioclase Feldspar

US

GS

pegmatites

by-nc-sa: Ron S

chott by-n

c: s

mili

ng_d

a_vi

nci

metamorphic rocks

by-nc-nd: Orbital Joe