The smectitic minerals in a bentonite deposit from Melo (Uruguay).

L. Calarge (1, 2) , Bruno Lanson (3) , A. Meunier (1) , M.L. Formoso (2)

1 HydrASA - Hydrogéologie, argiles, sols et altérations - FRE3114
2 Instituto de Geociencias
3 LGIT - Laboratoire de Géophysique Interne et Tectonophysique

A nearly monomineralic 1.5 m thick bentonite bed sampled in Melo (Uruguay) appears to be a pure high-charge montmorillonite: [Si3.94Al0.06](Al1.40Fe3+0.11Ti0.02Mg0.49Mn0.01)O10 (OH)2Na0.01K0.08Ca0.18. However, contrasting swelling behaviours have been demonstrated by fitting the experimental X-ray diffraction patterns which were recorded on oriented preparations of the same sample in different saturation states. According to the expandability of the layers in the Ca-, K- and K-Ca-saturated (i.e. saturated first with K+ and subsequently with Ca2+) states, three ‘layer types' were defined. Low-, intermediate-, and high-charge layers are fully, partly, and not expandable, respectively, after K-saturation. Collapse of high-charge layers is not reversible after subsequent Ca-saturation, probably because of tetrahedral substitutions. These three different layer types are segregated in two distinct randomly interstratified mixed-layer phases. Total surface area and cation exchange capacity are shown to depend on the interlayer cation composition.

Mots clés: Clay minerals, Bentonite, Montmorillonite, Mixed-layered minerals, Interstratification, Layer charge, Simulation, XRD; Clay minerals, Bentonite, Montmorillonite, Mixed-layered minerals, Interstratification, Layer charge, Simulation, XRD

Domaines: Pétrographie

L. Calarge, Bruno Lanson, A. Meunier, M.L. Formoso. The smectitic minerals in a bentonite deposit from Melo (Uruguay).. Clay Minerals, 2003, 38 (1), pp.25-34. ⟨10.1180/0009855033810075⟩. ⟨hal-00107023⟩