a class of polymeric silicates in which the silicon-oxygen tetrahedral groups share

half of their oxygen atoms so as to form straight chains of indefinite length; also : a
member of this class called also metasilicate
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inosilicate

The Inosilicates include two distinct groups: the single chain

and double chain silicates. In the single chain group the
tetrahedrons share two oxygens with two other tetrahedrons and
form a seemingly endless chain. The ratio of silicon to oxygen is
thus 1:3. The tetrahedrons alternate to the left and then to the
right along the line formed by the linked oxygens although more
complex chains seem to spiral. In cross section the chain forms a
trapezium and this shape produces the angles between the
crystal faces and cleavage directions.

In the double chain group, two single chains lie side by side so
that all the right sided tetrahedrons of the left chain are linked by
an oxygen to the left sided tetrahedrons of the right chain. The
extra shared oxygen for every four silicons reduces the ratio of
silicons to oxygen to 4:11. The double chain looks like a chain of
six sided rings that might remind someone of a child's clover
chain. The cross section is similar in the double chains to that of
the single chains except the trapezium is longer in the double
chains. This difference produces a difference in angles. The
cleavage of the two groups results between chains and does not
break the chains thus producing prismatic cleavage. In the single
chained silicates the two directions of cleavage are at nearly right
angles (close to 90 degrees) forming nearly square cross
sections. In the double chain silicates the cleavage angle is close
to 120 and 60 degrees forming rhombic cross sections making a
convenient way to distinguish double chain silicates from single
chain silicates.

Below are some of the members of the inosilicates:

Single Chain Inosilicates:

Alamosite (Lead Silicate)

Batisite (Barium Potassium Sodium Titanium Silicate)
Bustamite (Manganese Calcium Silicate)
Gageite (Manganese Magnesium Zinc Silicate Hydroxide)
 Hillebrandite (Calcium Silicate Hydroxide)
Lorenzenite (Sodium Titanium Silicate)
Neptunite (Potassium Sodium Lithium Iron Manganese
Titanium Silicate)
Okenite (Hydrated Calcium Silicate)
Pectolite (Sodium Calcium Silicate Hydroxide)
The Pyroxene Group:

Clinopyroxenes (monoclinic)

Aegirine (Sodium Iron Silicate)

Augite (Calcium Sodium Magnesium Iron
Aluminum Silicate)
Clinoenstatite (Magnesium Silicate)
Diopside (Calcium Magnesium Silicate)
Esseneite (Calcium Iron Aluminum Silicate)
Hedenbergite (Calcium Iron Silicate)
Hypersthene (Magnesium Iron Silicate)
Jadeite (Sodium Aluminum Silicate)
Jervisite (Sodium Calcium Iron Scandium
Magnesium Silicate)
Johannsenite(Calcium Manganese Silicate)
Kanoite (Manganese Magnesium Silicate)
Kosmochlor (Sodium Chromium Silicate)
Namansilite (Sodium Manganese Silicate)
Natalyite (Sodium Vanadium Chromium Silicate)
Omphacite (Calcium Sodium Magnesium Iron
Aluminum Silicate)
Petedunnite (Calcium Zinc Manganese Iron
Magnesium Silicate)
Pigeonite (Calcium Magnesium Iron Silicate)
Spodumene (Lithium Aluminum Silicate)

Orthopyroxenes (Orthorhombic)

Donpeacorite (Manganese Magnesium Silicate)

Enstatite (Magnesium Silicate)
Ferrosilite (Iron Magnesium Silicate)
Nchwaningite (Hydrated Manganese Silicate)
Pyroxferroite (Iron Manganese Calcium Silicate)
Pyroxmangite (Manganese Silicate)
Rhodonite (Manganese Iron Magnesium Calcium Silicate)
 Serandite (Sodium Manganese Calcium Silicate Hydroxide)
Shattuckite (Copper Silicate Hydroxide)
Wollastonite (Calcium Silicate)

Double Chain Inosilicates:

The Amphibole Group:

Cummingtonite Subgroup (Fe-Mg-Li

Clinoamphiboles):

Clinoferroholmquistite (Lithium Iron Aluminum

Silicate Hydroxide)
Clinoholmquistite (Lithium Magnesium
Aluminum Silicate Hydroxide)
Cummingtonite (Iron Magnesium Silicate
Hydroxide)
Dannemorite (Sodium Magnesium Aluminum
Silicate Hydroxide)
Grunerite (Iron Silicate Hydroxide)
Holmquistite (Lithium Magnesium Aluminum
Silicate Hydroxide)
Magnesiocummingtonite (Magnesium Iron
Silicate Hydroxide)
Sodic-ferri-clinoferroholmquistite (Lithium
Iron Magnesium Silicate Hydroxide)
Tirodite (Manganese Magnesium Silicate
Hydroxide)

Anthophyllite Subgroup (Fe-Mg-Li

Orthoamphiboles):

Anthophyllite (Magnesium Iron Silicate

Hydroxide)
Ferro-anthophyllite (Iron Silicate Hydroxide)
Ferrogedrite (Iron Aluminum Silicate Hydroxide)
Ferroholmquistite (Lithium Iron Aluminum
Silicate Hydroxide)
Gedrite (Magnesium Aluminum Silicate
Hydroxide)
Protoferro-anthophyllite (Iron Manganese
Magnesium Silicate Hydroxide)
 Protomangano-ferro-
anthophyllite (Manganese Iron Magnesium
Silicate Hydroxide)
Sodicanthophyllite (Sodium Magnesium Silicate
Hydroxide)
Sodic-ferro-anthophyllite (Sodium Iron Silicate
Hydroxide)
Sodic-ferrogedrite (Sodium Iron Aluminum
Silicate Hydroxide)
Sodicgedrite (Sodium Magnesium Aluminum
Silicate Hydroxide)

Tremolite Subgroup (Ca Amphiboles):

Actinolite (Calcium Magnesium Iron Silicate

Hydroxide)
Edenite (Sodium Calcium Magnesium Iron
Aluminum Silicate Hydroxide)
Ferro-actinolite (Calcium Iron Silicate
Hydroxide)
Ferro-edenite (Sodium Calcium Iron Aluminum
Silicate Hydroxide)
Ferrohornblende (Calcium Iron Aluminum
Silicate Hydroxide)
Ferrokaersutite (Sodium Calcium Iron Titanium
Aluminum Silicate Hydroxide)
Ferropargasite (Sodium Calcium Iron Aluminum
Silicate Hydroxide)
Ferrotschermakite (Calcium Iron Aluminum
Silicate Hydroxide)
Fluorocannilloite (Calcium Magnesium
Aluminum Silicate Fluoride)
Hastingsite (Sodium Calcium Iron Aluminum
Silicate Hydroxide)
Hornblende (Calcium Sodium Magnesium Iron
Aluminum Silicate Hydroxide)
Kaersutite (Sodium Calcium Magnesium
Titanium Aluminum Silicate Hydroxide)
Magnesiohastingsite (Sodium Calcium
Magnesium Iron Aluminum Silicate Hydroxide)
Magnesiohornblende (Calcium Magnesium
Aluminum Iron Silicate Hydroxide)
 Magnesiosadanagaite (Sodium Calcium
Magnesium Aluminum Iron Silicate Hydroxide)
Pargasite (Sodium Calcium Magnesium
Aluminum Silicate Hydroxide)
Potassic-magnesiosadanagaite (Potassium
Sodium Calcium Magnesium Aluminum Iron
Silicate Hydroxide)
Potassicpargasite (Potassium Sodium Calcium
Magnesium Iron Aluminum Silicate Hydroxide
Fluoride)
Potassicsadanagaite (Potassium Sodium
Calcium Iron Aluminum Silicate Hydroxide)
Tremolite (Calcium Magnesium Iron Silicate
Hydroxide)
Tschermakite (Calcium Magnesium Aluminum
Iron Silicate Hydroxide)

Richterite Subgroup (Ca-Na Clinoamphiboles):

Barroisite (Calcium Sodium Magnesium

Aluminum Iron Silicate Hydroxide)
Ferrobarroisite (Calcium Sodium Iron Aluminum
Silicate Hydroxide)
Ferrorichterite (Sodium Calcium Iron Aluminum
Silicate Hydroxide)
Ferrowinchite (Calcium Sodium Iron Aluminum
Silicate Hydroxide)
Fluorrichterite (Sodium Calcium Magnesium
Silicate Fluoride)
Katophorite (Sodium Calcium Iron Aluminum
Silicate Hydroxide)
Magnesiokatophorite (Sodium Calcium
Magnesium Aluminum Iron Silicate Hydroxide)
Magnesiotaramite (Sodium Calcium Magnesium
Aluminum Iron Silicate Hydroxide)
Potassic-fluorrichterite (Potassium Sodium
Calcium Magnesium Silicate Fluoride)
Richterite (Sodium Calcium Magnesium Silicate
Hydroxide)
Taramite (Sodium Calcium Iron Aluminum
Silicate Hydroxide)
 Winchite (Calcium Sodium Magnesium Aluminum
Iron Silicate Hydroxide)

Glaucophane Subgroup (Alkali Amphiboles):

Arfvedsonite (Sodium Iron Magnesium Silicate

Hydroxide)
Eckermannite (Sodium Magnesium Aluminum
Silicate Hydroxide)
Ferro-eckermannite (Sodium Iron Aluminum
Silicate Hydroxide)
Ferroglaucophane (Sodium Iron Aluminum
Silicate Hydroxide)
Fluoro-ferroleakeite (Sodium Iron Lithium
Silicate Fluoride)
Glaucophane (Sodium Magnesium Aluminum
Silicate Hydroxide)
Kornite (Sodium Potassium Magnesium
Manganese Lithium Silicate Hydroxide)
Kozulite (Sodium Manganese Iron Aluminum
Silicate Hydroxide)
Leakeite (Sodium Magnesium Iron Lithium
Silicate Hydroxide)
Magnesio-arfvedsonite (Sodium Magnesium
Iron Silicate Hydroxide)
Magnesioriebeckite (Sodium Magnesium Iron
Silicate Hydroxide)
Nyboite (Sodium Magnesium Aluminum Silicate
Hydroxide)
Riebeckite (Sodium Iron Silicate Hydroxide)
Ungarettiite (Sodium Manganese Silicate Oxide)
Astrophyllite (Potassium Iron Titanium Silicate Hydroxide)
Babingtonite (Calcium Iron Manganese Silicate Hydroxide)
Charoite (Hydrated Sodium Calcium Barium Strontium
Silicate Hydroxide Fluoride)
Epididymite (Sodium Beryllium Silicate Hydroxide)
Eudidymite (Sodium Beryllium Silicate Hydroxide)
Inesite (Hydrated Calcium Manganese Silicate Hydroxide)
Kupletskite (Potassium Sodium Manganese Iron Titanium
Niobium Silicate Hydroxide)
Plancheite (Hydrated Copper Silicate Hydroxide)
 Yuksporite (Hydrated Potassium Barium Sodium Calcium
Titanium Silicate Fluoride Hydroxide)

http://www.galleries.com/minerals/silicate/inosilic.htm

Inosilicates

Inosilicates (inos, Greek for "chain"), formely known as Chain Silicates, resemble sorosilicates in
that they are formed by each silica tetrahedron sharing two O2- ions. However in this case the
tetrahedra form infinite chains rather than pairs. The p:q ratio is 1 to 3 making the base subunits
(SiO3)2- or (Si2O6)4-. The chains can be single such as in the Pyroxene family or more complex
whereby different O2- sharing positions give rise to linear chains that lack symmetry. In both cases
the long chains are aligned and held together by metal ions. In a simple chain structure the
tetrahedrons alternate to the left and then to the right along the line formed by the linked oxygen
ions. More complex chains may appear to spiral. In a cross section view the chain forms a trapezium
and this shape produces the angles between the crystal faces and cleavage directions. Therefore
inosilicates usually have a prismatic, radiating or fibrous habit along the direction of the chains. The
Inosilicates are a major group of rock-forming minerals and are therefore greatly studied.

Double Chain Inoslilicates are a special subclass of the inosilicates. They differ from the single chain
family by the fact that exactly half the tetrahedra in one chain are cross-linked with half of those
those in the other by sharing O atoms. The two single chains lie side by side so that all the right
sided tetrahedrons of the left chain are linked by an O to the left sided tetrahedrons of the right
chain. The double chain looks like a chain of six sided rings. The cross section is similar in the double
chains to that of the single chains except the trapezium is longer in the double chains. This difference
produces different cleavage which makes this feature a useful way of distinguhing between single
and double chain silicates. In single chain silicates the cleavage directions lie at nearly 90 degress
whereas in double chain silicates the cleavage angles are close to 120 and 60 degrees.

The Double Chain group is frequently referred to as the Amphiboles and includes a series of
important minerals that occur in igneous and metamorphic rocks. Because of the additional
O2- sharing the p:q ratio is 4 to 11 and the general chemical formula for the basic unit is (Si4O11) 6- or
(Si8O22)12-. As with single chain minerals the structural alignment crystal tends to favour prismatic,
radiating or fibrous habits along the direction of the chains.

The main mineral groups of the inosilicates are:

Pyroxene group - is a group of important rock-forming minerals with the general formula
XYSi2O6 where X and Y are two divalent cations or a monovalent and a trivalent cation. If X and
Y are the same small divalent cations like Fe or Mg the resulting structure is commonly
orthorhombic, giving rise to the Orthopyroxene subgroup. If X is a large cation like Ca or Na
the structure expands to accomodate the cation and becomes monoclinic, giving rise to the
Clinopyroxene subgroup. Overall, the single-chain structure of pyroxenes offers much
opportunity for the incorporation of various cations and the names of minerals in the group are
mainly defined by their chemical composition. Around 20 minerals in the group are now
recognised after about 100 previously listed have been discredited. Instead the nomenclature
now recognises a smaller number of solid solution end-members with the former species laying
at various compositions in between. In terms of chemical content the Pyroxenes are now
classified into two main families depending on the presence of calcium-iron-magnesium on the
one hand and sodium on the other. The series relationships between the various members is
shown in the diagrams below:
http://www.theassayhouse.com/index.php/mineral-information/79-inosilicates