Structure and Growth Mechanism of Glauconite as Seen by High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy

The internal fabric of glauconite pellets has been studied by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) for a better understanding of the glauconitization process. Typical “lamellae” which make up the glauconite pellets showed a spindle-like arrangement of layered crystallite packets. Three main mineral phases were detected: (1) well-ordered glauconite sensu stricto (d(001) = 10 Å) generally in the middle of the spindles; (2) a poorly ordered and undetermined layered-phase “X” with d(001) ~ 12.5 Å, usually sandwiching glauconite such that the interface between the two materials is very sharp; and (3) a noncrystalline or gel-like phase located between the lamellae. A 14-Å smectite-like phase was rarely observed at the periphery of some grains. The glauconite crystallites clearly showed characteristic growth features (e.g., growth steps), whereas the unknown phase X exhibited destabilization characteristics. A structural analysis of the pure glauconite indicates that this dioctahedral mica was present in the I Md (disordered), 1 M , and, to a much lesser extent, 2 M 1 polytypic forms. HRTEM revealed no interlayering of glauconite with the other layered phases. Rather, it appeared to have formed by a layer-growth mechanism at the expense of the unknown phase X which apparently converted into non-crystalline matter before converting to glauconite. The precursor function of the interlamellae “gel” phase during the evolutive process of glauconitization is not understood.