Kaolinite is a clay mineral belonging to the kaolinite-serpentine group. It is a hydrated aluminium silicate.
The structure of kaolinite consists of layers of silicon tetrahedra (T) and aluminium octahedra (O). Specifically, it has a 1:1 layer structure, meaning each structural unit contains one tetrahedral sheet and one octahedral sheet.
The ratio of silicon (Si) to aluminium (Al) in the fundamental building blocks of kaolinite layers is 1:1.
This 1:1 ratio is characteristic of the T-O layer structure found in kaolinite minerals.