Question

Palygorskite and sepiolite clay minerals generally have similar fibrous structures.

(a) True

(b) False

I got this question during an interview.

The above asked question is from Fire Clays, Illite and Kaolinite in chapter Molding and Core Sands of Casting-Forming-Welding I

Answer 1

Right option is (a) True

For explanation I would say: Palygorskite and sepiolite clay minerals have similar fibrous structures or morphologies, but palygorskite shows more structural variety. Both the clay minerals are magnesium silicates, but palygorskite has less magnesium and more aluminium than sepiolite. Structurally, both the clay minerals include blocks and ribbon like sheets extending in a specific direction.