Direct evidence of transformation from smectite to palygorskite: TEM investigation

摘要

Palygorskite clays sampled from palygorskite clay deposits in Jiangsu and Anhui provinces were investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Many intergrowth phenomena of special ultra-microstructure between smectite and palygorskite were found. The ultra-microstructure indicates that palygorsite fiberrous crystals grow along (001) of primary smectite through structural transformation and decomposition of the primary smectite. According to field investigation and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses, the transformation mechanism and process can be described as: formation of smectite from basalt weathering deposited in localization basin; evaporation of lake water in aridity environment causing pH increase and concentration of magnesium ion in interstice water of sediment smectite in the lake basin. Under alkaline conditions, magnesium ion occupied interlayer positions of the smectite. Because of the misfit between magnesium octahedral sheet and smectite layer, magnesium ion interaction with smectite layers caused the smectite to transform into palygorskite, and resulted in the formation of smectite and palygorskite complex particulates, and even smaller secondary smectite crystal plates. The transformation of smectite structure resulted in the formation of nanometer minerals with large specific surface area and excellent property of physics and chemistry in smec-tite-palygorskite mixing clay. The results from TEM investigation are important for understanding properties of palygorskite clay and application.