skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Illite equilibria in solutions: III. A re-interpretation of the data of Sass et al. (1987)

Journal Article · · Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta; (United States)
 [1]
  1. McGill Univ., Montreal, Quebec (Canada)

In a recent solubility study of Goose Lake and Beavers Bend illite, SASS et al. (1987) inferred the existence of three components of natural illites (K{sub 0.24}/O{sub 10}(OH){sub 2}), (K{sub 0.67}/O{sub 10}(OH){sub 2}), and (K{sub 0.90}/O{sub 10}(OH){sub 2}) which were interpreted to be smectite, illite, and K-mica, respectively. They also speculated that illite-smectite equilibrium is metastable under diagenetic conditions except between 90 and 110C where it is stabilized by an ordering transition. A re-interpretation of the data of SASS et al. (1987) indicates that the solubility-controlling phases have the following K atoms per half cell: 0.29, 0.52, 0.69, 0.084, and 1.0. Furthermore, solution equilibration investigations of kaolinite-microcline mixtures have shown that these two minerals do not coexist stably. Thus, the question of an ordering transition whose main effect is to stabilize illite-smectite equilibria relative to kaolinite-microcline assemblage does not arise.

OSTI ID:
5142484
Journal Information:
Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta; (United States), Vol. 55:11; ISSN 0016-7037
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English