Mg2Al4Si5O18
Cordierite · Magnesium aluminosilicate
Mg2Al4Si5O18 is a stable, insulating magnesium aluminosilicate ceramic valued for its excellent thermal properties and structural durability.
About Cordierite
Mg2Al4Si5O18 is a robust aluminosilicate that exists as a thermodynamically stable phase within its chemical system. As a wide-band-gap insulator, it possesses inherent structural stability that makes it highly resilient under demanding environmental conditions.
This material is widely recognized for its exceptional thermal characteristics, which allow it to maintain structural integrity during rapid temperature fluctuations. Its unique framework architecture makes it a critical component in advanced ceramic engineering and industrial catalyst supports.
Key Properties
Cross-validated computational properties for Cordierite, aggregated across 2 databases.
Band GapEnergy needed to move an electron from the valence band to the conduction band. Lower or zero values tend to behave more metallic; larger gaps are more insulating or semiconducting.
Energy Above HullThermodynamic distance from the most stable set of competing phases. 0 eV/atom is on the convex hull; small positive values may still be experimentally accessible.
StabilityA plain-language summary of the best reported energy-above-hull result. It reflects whether the lowest-energy structure is on, near, or far from the stability hull.
StructuresCount of reported calculated crystal structures for this formula, including alternate polymorphs, source databases, and observed space groups.
Cross-Source DFT Agreement
How well independent DFT databases agree on the thermodynamics of Mg2Al4Si5O18. Tight agreement means computed properties can be trusted without re-running calculations.
Agreement ScoreA normalized confidence score summarizing how closely independent DFT databases agree. Higher scores mean tighter cross-source agreement.
Hull SpreadDifference between the highest and lowest energy-above-hull values reported by comparable sources. Smaller spread means less thermodynamic disagreement.
Sources ComparedNumber and names of computational sources with comparable entries for this formula.
Space Group ConsensusWhether independent sources predict the same crystal symmetry for the lowest-energy structure.
Reported Structures
Lowest-energy structures reported for Mg2Al4Si5O18, ranked by energy above hull.
| Space GroupSymmetry classification of the crystal arrangement. The number is the international space-group index. | Crystal SystemBroad lattice family, such as cubic, tetragonal, monoclinic, or triclinic, derived from unit-cell symmetry. | Band Gap (eV)Electronic gap calculated for this specific reported structure, measured in electronvolts. | E above hull (eV/atom)Thermodynamic distance from the convex hull for this structure, normalized per atom. Lower is generally more stable. | E/atom (eV)Computed total energy normalized per atom. Use energy above hull, not this value alone, when comparing stability. | Density (g/cm³)Mass per relaxed crystal volume, reported in grams per cubic centimeter. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | 5.08 | 0.0000 | -3.166 | — |
| Cccm (No. 66) | orthorhombic | 4.82 | 0.0000 | -7.967 | 2.42 |
| Cccm (No. 66) | orthorhombic | 4.77 | 0.0106 | -3.083 | — |
| P1 (No. 1) | triclinic | 4.35 | 0.0238 | -7.943 | 2.42 |
| Cccm (No. 66) | orthorhombic | — | — | — | 2.54 |
| Cccm (No. 66) | orthorhombic | — | — | — | 2.54 |
| Cccm (No. 66) | orthorhombic | — | — | — | 2.56 |
| Cccm (No. 66) | orthorhombic | — | — | — | 2.51 |
| Cccm (No. 66) | orthorhombic | — | — | — | 2.52 |
| Cccm (No. 66) | orthorhombic | — | — | — | 2.51 |
| Cccm (No. 66) | orthorhombic | — | — | — | 2.51 |
| P6/mcc (No. 192) | hexagonal | — | — | — | 2.51 |
Synthesis Routes
Literature-extracted synthesis procedures targeting Mg2Al4Si5O18.
Applications
Where Cordierite is used.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Cordierite, answered from cross-validated data.
What is Mg2Al4Si5O18?
Mg2Al4Si5O18 is a stable, insulating magnesium aluminosilicate ceramic valued for its excellent thermal properties and structural durability.
What is Mg2Al4Si5O18 used for?
What is the band gap of Mg2Al4Si5O18?
Is Mg2Al4Si5O18 a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
Is Mg2Al4Si5O18 thermodynamically stable?
What is the crystal structure of Mg2Al4Si5O18?
What is the density of Mg2Al4Si5O18?
How many polymorphs of Mg2Al4Si5O18 are known?
How is Mg2Al4Si5O18 synthesized?
What elements does Mg2Al4Si5O18 contain?
Where does the data for Mg2Al4Si5O18 come from?
How It Compares
Within the aluminosilicates and zeolite frameworks class.
Within the diverse family of aluminosilicates, Mg2Al4Si5O18 distinguishes itself through its high thermodynamic stability compared to more reactive or hydrated phases like Al2H4O9Si2. While compounds such as NaAlSi3O8 serve as essential framework silicates in geological and glass-making contexts, this magnesium-rich variant is specifically valued for its superior thermal shock resistance, setting it apart from the more common feldspar-group minerals.
Related Compounds
Other Aluminosilicates and Zeolite Frameworks in the database.
Data sources & attribution
- oqmd — Data from the OQMD (oqmd.org). Cite: Saal et al., JOM 65, 1501 (2013); Kirklin et al., npj Comp. Mater. 1, 15010 (2015). (CC-BY-4.0)
- materials_project — Data from the Materials Project (materialsproject.org). Cite: Jain et al., APL Materials 1, 011002 (2013). (CC-BY-4.0)
- jarvis — Data from JARVIS (jarvis.nist.gov), NIST. Cite: Choudhary et al., npj Comp. Mater. 6, 173 (2020). (LicenseRef-US-Gov-PD)
- cod — Data from the Crystallography Open Database (crystallography.net/cod/). Cite: Grazulis et al., J. Appl. Cryst. 42, 726 (2009). (CC0-1.0)
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