Abstract:The sepiolite studied occurs in the altered marble in a skarn—type iron mine near Jinan. The mineral is white in colour with a silky and earthy luster and occurs as fibrous aggregate in general. The microhardness(HV) of the mineral is 27.09 kg/mm~2 ( Mohs hardness =2.1); its specific gravity=2.03; Ng=1.5253, Np=1.5170, (一)2V=52°. The sepiolite is usually associated with dolomite.The chemical composition of the sepiolite is given as follows: SiO_2= 53.67%, MgO=23.66%, H_2O=18.55%, Fe_2O_3=1.68%, CaO=0.51%, A...