Silicate
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Silicates are generally inert chemically. Hence they are common minerals. Their resiliency also recommends their use as building materials.

When treated with calcium oxides and water, silicate minerals form Portland cement.

Equilibria involving hydrolysis of silicate minerals are difficult to study. The chief challenge is the very low solubility of SiO and its various protonated forms. Such equilibria are relevant to the processes occurring on geological time scales. Some plants excrete ligands that dissolve silicates, a step in biomineralization.
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