NaAlSi3O8
Albite · Plagioclase feldspar
Albite is a common, stable aluminosilicate mineral that functions as a wide-gap insulator and is a key constituent of many igneous rocks.
About Albite
NaAlSi3O8 is a thermodynamically stable aluminosilicate that serves as a fundamental building block in the Earth's crust. Characterized by its wide-band-gap insulating nature, this framework structure is highly resistant to chemical and thermal degradation under typical geological conditions.
Its structural integrity and abundance make it a critical subject of study within mineralogy and materials science. It is widely utilized in the ceramics and glass industries, where its chemical composition contributes to the durability and thermal properties of finished products.
Key Properties
Cross-validated computational properties for Albite, aggregated across 4 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.
Reported Structures
Lowest-energy structures reported for NaAlSi3O8, 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P-1 (No. 2) | triclinic | 4.89 | 0.0000 | -7.900 | 2.64 |
| Pc (No. 7) | monoclinic | 5.00 | 0.0037 | -7.897 | 2.48 |
| P-1 (No. 2) | triclinic | 5.06 | 0.0063 | -7.894 | 2.49 |
| P-1 (No. 2) | triclinic | 0.40 | 4.2055 | -3.695 | 2.50 |
| P-1 (No. 2) | triclinic | 0.00 | 7.2231 | -0.677 | 2.50 |
| Pc (No. 7) | Monoclinic | — | — | — | 2.48 |
| P-1 (No. 2) | Triclinic | — | — | — | 2.57 |
| No. 0 | unknown | — | — | — | 0.65 |
| P-1 (No. 2) | Triclinic | — | — | — | 2.66 |
| No. 0 | unknown | — | — | — | 0.65 |
| P-1 (No. 2) | Triclinic | — | — | — | 2.50 |
| Pc (No. 7) | Monoclinic | — | — | — | 2.54 |
Applications
Where Albite is used.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Albite, answered from cross-validated data.
What is NaAlSi3O8?
Albite is a common, stable aluminosilicate mineral that functions as a wide-gap insulator and is a key constituent of many igneous rocks.
What is NaAlSi3O8 used for?
What is the band gap of NaAlSi3O8?
Is NaAlSi3O8 a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
Is NaAlSi3O8 thermodynamically stable?
What is the crystal structure of NaAlSi3O8?
What is the density of NaAlSi3O8?
How many polymorphs of NaAlSi3O8 are known?
What elements does NaAlSi3O8 contain?
Where does the data for NaAlSi3O8 come from?
How It Compares
Within the aluminosilicates and zeolite frameworks class.
Within the diverse family of aluminosilicates, NaAlSi3O8 stands out as a highly stable framework member compared to more complex or dense structures like CaAl2SiO6 or the polymorphic Al2SiO5. While siblings like KAlSiO4 share similar framework characteristics, albite is distinguished by its specific sodium-based stoichiometry, which dictates its unique role in petrological classification and industrial fluxing applications.
Related Compounds
Other Aluminosilicates and Zeolite Frameworks in the database.
Data sources & attribution
- materials_project — Data from the Materials Project. Cite: Jain et al., APL Materials 1, 011002 (2013).
- mpaloe — Data from mpaloe.
- cod — Data from the Crystallography Open Database. Cite: Grazulis et al., Nucleic Acids Res. 40, D420 (2012).
- jarvis — Data from JARVIS (NIST). Cite: Choudhary et al., npj Comp. Mater. 6, 173 (2020).
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