Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gxg78 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-18T09:57:54.410Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Transmission Electron Microscopic Study of the Kaolinitization of Muscovite

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 April 2024

Wei-Teh Jiang  and
Donald R. Peacor
Wei-Teh Jiang
Affiliation:
Department of Geological Sciences, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
Donald R. Peacor
Affiliation:
Department of Geological Sciences, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Hydrothermally kaolinitized muscovite from the Otago schist of Brighton, New Zealand, has been studied by transmission and analytical electron microscopy (TEM and AEM) to determine the mechanism of alteration and to compare reactant-product relations for di- and trioctahedral micas. The muscovite is a primary metamorphic phase having a phengitic composition. It occurs as well-ordered, two- and three-layer polytypes, in grains as thick as 30 μm. Kaolinite occurs as packets of layers, each about 100–600 Å thick, which alternate with packets of muscovite or smectite-like layers. Most of the kaolinite is highly disordered in stacking sequence, although a one-layer polytype is also present, occurring as relatively thick sequences of layers. Phase boundaries between kaolinite and muscovite are invariably parallel to the 001 lattice fringes with no strain contrast; i.e., no transitions exist along layers. Parallelism of 00l and 11l reflection rows of both kaolinite and muscovite implies a topotaxial intergrowth. A smectitelike phase is also present, occurring as packets of wavy layers, which locally have periodic contrast that may reflect R1 ordering of illite/smectite. This material appears to be a direct, “along-layer” alteration product of muscovite. Electron diffraction data and lattice-fringe images imply that kaolinite alternates with micaceous phase(s) with some regularity; i.e., micaceous layers are separated by approximately equal numbers of kaolinite layers. Similar long-range periodicity occurs in contrast variations within packets of kaolinite layers.

The data collectively suggest that the alteration interface was self-perpetuating and that alteration proceeded rapidly along layers once it initiated in 2:1 layers at crystal edges or strained areas, with no observable component normal to the layers. They also suggest that smectite may have formed as an intermediate phase during the hydrothermal kaolinitization of muscovite. In the previous study of alteration of biotite in the same sample, “along-layer” transition boundaries were commonly observed, and a second, intermediate product phase was not detected, implying a relation between the alteration mechanisms and the chemical differences between reactants and products.

Keywords

Analytical electron microscopyHydrothermal alterationKaoliniteMuscoviteTransmission electron microscopy
Type
Research Article
Information
Clays and Clay Minerals , Volume 39 , Issue 1 , February 1991 , pp. 1 - 13
Copyright
Copyright © 1991, The Clay Minerals Society

Footnotes

1

Contribution No. 475 from the Mineralogical Laboratory, Department of Geological Sciences, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109.

References

Ahn, J. H. and Peacor, D. R., 1986 Transmission and analytical electron microscopy of the smectite-to-illite transition Clays & Clay Minerals 34 165 – 179.Google Scholar
Ahn, J. H. and Peacor, D. R., 1987 Kaolinitization of biotite: TEM data and implications for an alteration mechanism Amer. Mineral. 72 353 – 356.Google Scholar
Bailey, S. W., 1980 Summary of recommendations of AIPEA Nomenclature Committee Clay Minerals 28 73 – 78.Google Scholar
Bailey, S. W., Brindley, G. W., Johns, W. D., Martin, R. T. and Ross, M., 1971 Summary of national and international recommendations on clay mineral nomenclature 1969–70 CMS Nomenclature Committee Clays & Clay Minerals 19 129 – 132.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Banfield, J. F. and Eggleton, R. A., 1988 Transmission electron microscope study of biotite weathering Clays & Clay Minerals 36 47 – 60.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Banfield, J. F. and Eggleton, R. A., 1990 Analytical transmission electron microscope studies of plagioclase, muscovite, and K-feldspar weathering Clays & Clay Minerals 38 77 – 89.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Beaufort, D. and Meunier, A., 1983 Petrographic characterization of an argillic hydrothermal alteration containing illite, K-rectorite, K-beidellite, kaolinite and carbonates in a cupromolybdenic porphyry at Sibert (Rhone, France) Bull. Mineral. 106 535 – 551.Google Scholar
Bell, T. E., 1986 Microstructure in mixed-layer illite/smectite and its relationship to the reaction of smectite to illite Clays & Clay Minerals 34 146 – 154.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brindley, G. W. and Pedro, G., 1972 Report of the AIPEA Nomenclature Committee AIPEA Newsletter No. 7 8 – 13.Google Scholar
Craw, D., Coombs, D. S. and Kawachi, Y., 1982 Inter-layered biotite-kaolin and other altered biotites, and their relevance to the biotite isograd in eastern Otago, New Zealand Mineral. Mag. 45 79 – 85.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dudoignon, P., Beaufort, D. and Meunier, A., 1988 Hydrothermal and supergene alterations in the granitic cupola of Montebras, Creuse, France Clays & Clay Minerals 36 505 – 520.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eggleton, R. A., 1984 Formation of iddingsite rims on olivine: a transmission electron microscope study Clays & Clay Minerals 32 1 – 11.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eggleton, R. A. and Buseck, P. R., 1980 High-resolution electron microscopy of feldspar weathering Clays & Clay Minerals 28 173 – 178.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eggleton, R. A. and Boland, J. N., 1982 Weathering of enstatite to talc through a sequence of transitional phases Clays & Clay Minerals 30 11 – 20.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Garrels, R. M. and Christ, C. L., 1965 Solutions, Minerals and Equilibria .Google Scholar
Guthrie, G. D. Jr. and Veblen, D. R., 1989 High-resolution electron microscopy of mixed-layer illite/smectite: Computer simulations Clays & Clay Minerals 37 1 – 11.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Helgeson, H. C., Brown, T. H. and Leeper, R. H., 1969 Handbook of Theoretical Activity Diagrams Depicting Chemical Equilibria in Geologic Systems Involving an Aqueous Phase at One Atm and 0° to 300°C San Francisco Freeman, Cooper.Google Scholar
Hemley, J. J. and Jones, W. R., 1964 Chemical aspects of hydrothermal alteration with emphasis on hydrogen metasomatism Econ. Geol. 59 538 – 569.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hutton, C. O. and Turner, F. J., 1936 Metamorphic zones in northwest Otago Royal Soc. New Zealand Trans. 65 405 – 406.Google Scholar
Jiang, W.-T. Peacor, D. R., Merriman, R. J. and Roberts, B., 1990 Transmision and analytical electron microscopic study of mixed-layer illite/smectite formed as an apparent replacement product of diagenetic illite Clays & Clay Minerals 38 449 – 468.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Klimentidis, R. E. and Mackinnon, D. R., 1986 High-resolution imaging of ordered mixed-layer clays Clays & Clay Minerals 34 155 – 164.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lee, S. Y., Jackson, M. L. and Brown, J. L., 1975 Micaceous occlusions in kaolinite observed by ultramicrotomy and high resolution electron microscopy Clays & Clay Minerals 23 125 – 129.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lin, F.-C. and Clemency, C. V., 1981 The kinetics of dissolution of muscovites at 25°C and 1 atm CO2 partial pressure Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 45 571 – 576.Google Scholar
Lorimer, G. W., Cliff, G. and Wenk, H.-R., 1976 Analytical electron microscopy of minerals Electron Microscopy in Mineralogy New York Springer-Verlag 506 – 519.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Meunier, A. and Velde, B., 1979 Weathering mineral facies in altered granites: The importance of local small-scale equilibria Mineral. Mag. 43 261 – 268.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Murray, H. H., 1988 Kaolin minerals: Their genesis and occurrences Hydrous Phyllosilicates (Exclusive of Micas) 19 67 – 89.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nagasawa, K., Sudo, T. and Shimoda, S., 1978 Kaolin minerals Clays & Clay Minerals of Japan New York Elsevier 189 – 219.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Olives, J. O. and Amouric, M., 1984 Biotite chloritization by interlayer brucitization as seen by HRTEM Amer. Mineral. 69 869 – 871.Google Scholar
Sharp, T. G., Otten, M. T. and Buseck, P. R., 1990 Serpentinization of phlogopite phenocrysts from a micaceous kimberlite Contrib. Mineral. Petrol. 104 530 – 539.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stoch, L. and Sikora, W., 1976 Transformation of micas in the process of kaolinitization of granites and gneisses Clays & Clay Minerals 24 156 – 162.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Turner, F. J., 1935 Metamorphism of the Te Anau Series in the region north-west of Lake Wakatipu Royal Soc. New Zealand Trans. 65 329 – 349.Google Scholar
Veblen, D. R. and Ferry, J. M., 1983 A TEM study of the biotite-chlorite reaction and comparison with petrologic observations Amer. Mineral. 68 1160 – 1168.Google Scholar
Veblen, D. R., Guthrie, G. D. Jr. Livi, K. J. T. and Reynolds, R. C. Jr., 1990 High-resolution transmission electron microscopy and electron diffraction of mixed-layer illite/smectite: Experimental results Clays & Clay Minerals 38 1 – 13.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yau, Y.-C. Anovitz, L. M., Essene, E. J. and Peacor, D. R., 1984 Phlogopite-chlorite reaction mechanisms and physical conditions during retrograde reactions in the Marble Formation, Franklin, New Jersey Contrib. Mineral. Petrol. 88 299 – 306.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yau, Y.-C. Peacor, D. R. and McDowell, S. D., 1987 Smectite-to-illite reactions in Salton Sea shales: A transmission and analytical electron microscopy study J. Sediment. Petrol. 57 335 – 342.Google Scholar