sillimanite
/ˈsɪlɪmənʌɪt
/noun [mass noun]
An aluminosilicate mineral typically occurring as fibrous masses, commonly in schist or gneiss.Muscovite and aluminosilicates are almost entirely absent although, where present, the aluminosilicate is sillimanite....
- The aluminium silicate minerals andalusite, kyanite, and sillimanite are good examples of this phenomenon of polymorphism.
- Growth of titanite took place during the metamorphic climax in rocks from the kyanite and sillimanite zones.
Origin
Mid 19th century: from the name of Benjamin Silliman (1779–1864), American chemist + -ite1.