Clay Mineral Identification Flow Diagram

X-rays of Oriented Aggregates

Air Dried

~29

~14

Randomly-oriented
aggregate mount of clay
fraction (<2 m)

Treated with ethylene glycol

Heated to 400oC
at least hour

Heated to 550oC
at least hour

Expands to 31-32 with

rational sequence of
higher orders

May disappear or
give 24 spacing

Increases in intensity
of 24 spacing

Regularly interstratified chloritemontmorillonite or chloritevermiculite (corrensite)

Expands
but gives irrational sequence
Peaks may be broad

May give irrational

sequence

May give irrational sequences

-- may show increase in intensity
of 12-14 peak

Randomly interstratified chloritemontmorillonite

No change

No change

Increases in intensity

Electron micrograph
if r e q u i r e d

060 near 1.54

060 near 1.50

No change or
slight increase

Expands to 17

No change Rational sequence of

higher orders.

060 near 1.54

Slight collapse to ~12

Additional collapses
to ~11

060 near 1.50

Collapses to ~10

No change or slight
additional collapse

060 near 1.50

Montmorillonite

No change or slight
additional collapse

060 near 1.52

Nontronite

060 near 1.54

Trioctahedral montmorillonite
or vermiculite

Collapses to ~10

Collapses to ~10

No change

Expands to
higher spacing

Collapses to ~10

10.5

~10

Dioctahedral vermiculite

060 near 1.54

Regularly interstratified
illite-vermiculite

No change or slight
increase in intensity

060 near 1.54

Regularly interstratified
illite-chlorite

Collapses to 10

060 near 1.54

Randomly interstratified
illite-vermiculite

No change or slight
increase in intensity

060 near 1.54

Randomly interstratified
illite-chlorite

Collapses to 10

060 near 1.50

Interstratified
illite-montmorillonite
Interstratified trioctahedral
illite-montmorillonite

Interstratified dioctahedral
illite-vermiculite

No change

Slight collapse

Further collapse

No change

Destroyed or reduced
in intensity

Destroyed

Fibrous morphology

Check hkls
against standard

Sepiolite

No change

Destroyed - - may
survive slightly at
lower temperature

Destroyed

Fibrous morphology

Check hkls
against standard

Palygorskite

060 between
1.51 - 1.52
5 peak very

Illite (and/or mica),

muscovitic,
various polymorphs

060 between
1.51 - 1.52
5 peak very

Glauconite or
Celadonite
(Roscoelite if V bearing)

Symmetrical
No change

No change

060 near 1.50

No change

060 near 1.54

Vermiculite

Collapses to 10

060 near 1.54

12-12.5

Dioctahedral chlorite

No change or slight
additional collapse

No change

No change Irrational sequence

Chlorite

Collapses to ~10

Collapses to ~10
with very weak 5 peak

>10-14

Results

Biotite
various polymorphs
Interstratified
illite-montmorillonite or
illite-vermiculite
(Illite)

Unsymmetrical or
slight shift either way

No change or
slight sharpening

Expands to ~11

Collapses to ~7

Destroyed

Tubular morphology

060 near 1.49

No change

No change

No change

Fibrous morphology

Check hkls
against standard

Chrysotile

Platy morphology

Check hkls
against standard

Antigorite

Platy morphology

060 near 1.49

hk bands present
moderately broad 001s

060 variable

Destroyed

Hexagonal morphology

Endellite

Disordered kaolinite
(Fireclay)

060 near 1.54

Chlorite

060 near 1.50

Dioctahedral
Chlorite

hkls resolved

Kaolinite
Dickite
Nacrite

Increase in spacing
or no change

Collapses to 7

Destroyed

Tubular morphology

060 near 1.49

hk bands present

Halloysite