Egyptian blue CaCuSi4O10 is an example of Sheet silicate.

Sheet silicates

Sheet silicates are minerals that have a layered structure with each layer consisting of two-dimensional sheets of tetrahedra. The tetrahedra share three of their four oxygen atoms, creating a hexagonal array. The fourth oxygen atom is usually shared with another cation, such as aluminum, magnesium or iron. Sheet silicates have a formula of (Si2O5)2- and are also known as phyllosilicates.

Egyptian blue CaCuSi4O10

Egyptian blue CaCuSi4O10 is a synthetic blue pigment that was used extensively in ancient Egypt. It was made by heating a mixture of calcium carbonate, copper oxide, and silica. The resulting pigment has a bright blue color and is very stable.

CaCuSi4O10 belongs to the sheet silicate group because it has a layered structure with two-dimensional sheets of tetrahedra. The sheets are held together by calcium and copper cations. The formula for Egyptian blue is CaCuSi4O10, which indicates that each copper atom is surrounded by four silicon atoms and each calcium atom is surrounded by two silicon atoms.

Conclusion

Egyptian blue CaCuSi4O10 is an example of sheet silicate because it has a layered structure with two-dimensional sheets of tetrahedra held together by calcium and copper cations.