Sepiolite

Sepiolite is a clay mineral, a complex magnesium silicate, a typical formula for which is Mg₄Si₆O₁₅(OH)₂ • 6H₂O, but the number of crystalwater molecules can vary from 2 to 12. It can be present in fibrous, fine-particulate, and solid forms.
It is used in oil drilling

Oil well

An oil well is a general term for any boring through the earth's surface that is designed to find and produce petroleum oil hydrocarbons. Usually some natural gas is produced along with the oil. A well designed to produce mainly or only gas may be termed a gas well.-History:The earliest known oil...

, for cat litter and also in a solid form known as Meerschaum

Meerschaum

is a soft white mineral sometimes found floating on the Black Sea, and rather suggestive of sea-foam , whence also the French name for the same substance, écume de mer.
...

 for carving.

The name comes from a perceived resemblance of the material to the porous bones of the cuttlefish

Cuttlefish

Cuttlefish are marine animals of the order Sepiida belonging to the Cephalopoda class . Despite their common name, cuttlefish are not fish but mollusks...

 or sepia

Sepia

-Marine life:* Sepia , a genus of cuttlefish* Sepia , a subgenus of cuttlefish* The ink of a cuttlefish-Media and entertainment:* Sepia * "Sepia" , a song by the Manic Street Preachers...

.

Sepiolite is a clay mineral, a complex magnesium silicate, a typical formula for which is Mg₄Si₆O₁₅(OH)₂ • 6H₂O, but the number of crystalwater molecules can vary from 2 to 12. It can be present in fibrous, fine-particulate, and solid forms.
It is used in oil drilling

Oil well

An oil well is a general term for any boring through the earth's surface that is designed to find and produce petroleum oil hydrocarbons. Usually some natural gas is produced along with the oil. A well designed to produce mainly or only gas may be termed a gas well.-History:The earliest known oil...

, for cat litter and also in a solid form known as Meerschaum

Meerschaum

is a soft white mineral sometimes found floating on the Black Sea, and rather suggestive of sea-foam , whence also the French name for the same substance, écume de mer.
...

 for carving.

The name comes from a perceived resemblance of the material to the porous bones of the cuttlefish

Cuttlefish

Cuttlefish are marine animals of the order Sepiida belonging to the Cephalopoda class . Despite their common name, cuttlefish are not fish but mollusks...

 or sepia

Sepia

-Marine life:* Sepia , a genus of cuttlefish* Sepia , a subgenus of cuttlefish* The ink of a cuttlefish-Media and entertainment:* Sepia * "Sepia" , a song by the Manic Street Preachers...

. On account of its low specific gravity

Relative density

Relative density, sometimes called specific mass or specific gravity, is the ratio of the density of a substance to the density of a given reference material. Specific gravity usually means relative density with respect to water...

, one to two, and its porosity, it may float upon water, hence its German name Meerschaum ("sea foam").

Owing to its fibrous mineral nature, sepiolite veins may contain the hazardous material, asbestos

Asbestos

Asbestos is a naturally occurring silicate mineral with long, thin fibrous crystals. The word asbestos is a borrowed Greek adjective meaning inextinguishable. The Greeks termed asbestos the miracle mineral because of its soft and pliant properties, as well as its ability to withstand...

; even where asbestos is not present, sepiolite is often mistaken for it. Careful analytical techniques may be required to distinguish the two.