Tags: Chemical Substance, Mineral.
Saponite is a trioctahedral mineral of the smectite group. Its chemical formula is Ca0.25(MgFe)3((SiAl)4O10)(OH)2·n(H2O). It is soluble in sulfuric acid. It was first described in 1840 by von Svanberg. Varieties of saponite are griffithite bowlingite and sobotkite.It is soft massive and plastic and exists in veins and cavities in serpentinite and basalt. The name is derived from the Greek sapo soap. Other names include bowlingite; mountain soap; piotine; soapstone.
