| Keatite | |
|---|---|
 Crystal structure | |
| General | |
| Category | Tectosilicate minerals |
| Group | Quartz group |
| Formula | SiO2 |
| Strunz classification | 4.DA.45 |
| Crystal system | Tetragonal |
| Identification | |
| Crystal habit | Microscopic inclusions |
Keatite is a silicate mineral with the chemical formula Si O 2 (silicon dioxide) that was discovered in nature in 2013. It is a tetragonal polymorph of silica first known as a synthetic phase. [1] It was reported as minute inclusions within clinopyroxene (diopside) crystals in an ultra high pressure garnet pyroxenite body. The host rock is part of the Kokchetav Massif in Kazakhstan. [2]
Keatite was synthesized in 1954 and named for Paul P. Keat who discovered it while studying the role of soda in the crystallization of amorphous silica. [3] Keatite was well known before 1970 as evidenced in few studies from that era. [4] [5]
