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Sepiolite-palygorskite polysomatic series: Oriented aggregation as a crystal growth mechanism in natural environments

  • Emilia García-Romero EMAIL logo and Mercedes Suárez
Published/Copyright: August 12, 2014
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American Mineralogist
From the journal American Mineralogist Volume 99 Issue 8-9

Abstract

A detailed microscopic study of sepiolite and palygorskite natural samples reveals that independently of the fiber length they all are composed of other minor width fibers until the minor units or the true crystals. They are prismatic crystals elongated along [001] with rhombus-like morphology in cross section, designated laths. Although their length can vary greatly, their width is always nanometric (~10-30 nm). The laths are grouped in a crystallographic arrangement, sharing edges or faces forming rods. Several rods, parallel to the c-axis of the fiber, form bundles. The laths are the smallest stable nucleated crystals. After the nucleation, the process of growth continues via a nonclassic crystal growth mechanism (aggregation of the nanolaths). Subsequently, the aggregated sepiolite and palygorskite natural crystals can continue growing, along the c-axis at the expense of the diffusion of molecular scale species throughout the solution. The morphology of the faces is controlled by the highly different attachment energy of the faces.

Keywords: Sepiolite; palygorskite; polysomatic series; nonclassic nucleation; oriented aggregation; mesocrystals; electron microscopy; crystal growth
Published Online: 2014-8-12
Published in Print: 2014-8-1

© 2014 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin/Boston

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  2. Chemistry and Mineralogy of Earth’s Mantle. Evidence for multiple diamondite-forming events in the mantle
  3. Chemistry and Mineralogy of Earth’s Mantle. Experimental determination of melting in the systems enstatite-magnesite and magnesite-calcite from 15 to 80 GPa
  4. Chemistry and Mineralogy of Earth’s Mantle. The spin state of iron in Fe3+-bearing Mg-perovskite and its crystal chemistry at high pressure
  5. Chemistry and Mineralogy of Earth’s Mantle. Hexagonal Na0.41[Na0.125Mg0.79Al0.085]2[Al0.79Si0.21]6O12 (NAL phase): Crystal structure refinement and elasticity
  6. What Lurks in the Martian Rocks and Soil? Investigations of Sulfates, Phosphates, and Perchlorates. Multivariate Analysis of Raman Spectra for the Identification of Sulfates: Implications for ExoMars
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https://doi.org/10.2138/am.2014.4751
Keywords for this article
Sepiolite; palygorskite; polysomatic series; nonclassic nucleation; oriented aggregation; mesocrystals; electron microscopy; crystal growth

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Chemistry and Mineralogy of Earth’s Mantle. Evidence for multiple diamondite-forming events in the mantle
  2. Chemistry and Mineralogy of Earth’s Mantle. Evidence for multiple diamondite-forming events in the mantle
  3. Chemistry and Mineralogy of Earth’s Mantle. Experimental determination of melting in the systems enstatite-magnesite and magnesite-calcite from 15 to 80 GPa
  4. Chemistry and Mineralogy of Earth’s Mantle. The spin state of iron in Fe3+-bearing Mg-perovskite and its crystal chemistry at high pressure
  5. Chemistry and Mineralogy of Earth’s Mantle. Hexagonal Na0.41[Na0.125Mg0.79Al0.085]2[Al0.79Si0.21]6O12 (NAL phase): Crystal structure refinement and elasticity
  6. What Lurks in the Martian Rocks and Soil? Investigations of Sulfates, Phosphates, and Perchlorates. Multivariate Analysis of Raman Spectra for the Identification of Sulfates: Implications for ExoMars
  7. What Lurks in the Martian Rocks and Soil? Investigations of Sulfates, Phosphates, and Perchlorates. Spectral and thermal properties of perchlorate salts and implications for Mars
  8. What Lurks in the Martian Rocks and Soil? Investigations of Sulfates, Phosphates, and Perchlorates. Reflectance spectroscopy and optical functions for hydrated Fe-sulfates
  9. Fluids in the Crust. Redox effects on calcite-portlandite-fluid equilibria at for earc conditions: Carbon mobility, methanogenesis, and reduction melting of calcite
  10. Fluids in the Crust. Constraints on the mobilization of Zr in magmatic-hydrothermal processes in subduction zones from in situ fluid-melt partitioning experiments
  11. The Second Conference on the Lunar Highlands Crust and New Directions. The petrogenesis of impact basin melt rocks in lunar meteorite Shişr 161
  12. Amorphous Materials: Properties, structure, and durability. The nearly complete dissociation of water in glasses with strong aluminum avoidance
  13. Sepiolite-palygorskite polysomatic series: Oriented aggregation as a crystal growth mechanism in natural environments
  14. Bentonite evolution at elevated pressures and temperatures: An experimental study for generic nuclear repository designs
  15. Rates of Li diffusion in garnet: Coupled transport of Li and Y+REEs
  16. Characteristics of djerfisherite from fluid-rich, metasomatized alkaline intrusive environments and anhydrous enstatite chondrites and achondrites
  17. Ferroan geikielite and coupled spinel-rutile exsolution from titanohematite: Interface characterization and magnetic properties
  18. Constraints on the incorporation mechanism of chlorine in peralkaline and peraluminous Na2O-CaO-Al2O3-SiO2 glasses
  19. Interlayer structure model of tri-hydrated low-charge smectite by X-ray diffraction and Monte Carlo modeling in the Grand Canonical ensemble
  20. Tetrahedrally coordinated Co2+ in oxides and silicates: Effect of local environment on optical properties
  21. A variable-temperature neutron diffraction study of serandite: A Mn-silicate framework with a very strong, two-proton site, hydrogen bond
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  23. Chromo-alumino-povondraite, NaCr3(Al4Mg2)(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)3O, a new mineral species of the tourmaline supergroup
  24. The occurrence of platinum-group element and gold minerals in the Bon Accord Ni-oxide body, South Africa
  25. Beshtauite, (NH4)2(UO2)(SO4)2·2H2O, a new mineral from Mount Beshtau, Northern Caucasus, Russia
  26. High-pressure phase transitions in FeCr2O4 and structure analysis of new post-spinel FeCr2O4 and Fe2Cr2O5 phases with meteoritical and petrological implications
  27. Letter. Kumdykolite from the ultrahigh-pressure granulite of the Bohemian Massif
  28. Letter. Crystal chemistry of dense hydrous magnesium silicates: The structure of phase H, MgSiH2O4, synthesized at 45 GPa and 1000 °C
  29. New Mineral Names
  30. Book Review
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