• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.28 no.4
• /
• pp.327-335
• /
• 1995

Illite/smectite (I/S) in the Beaufort-Mackenzie Basin, Arctic Canada has been scrutinized on the basis of mineralogical analysis of 215 core and drill-cutting samples from 22 exploratory wells onshore and offshore. I/S in the Beaufort-Mackenzie Basin includes the following four types: random, a mixture of random and ordered, R1-ordered, and R>1-ordered I/S. A mixture of random and ordered I/S occurs in the transitional interval between random and R>1-ordered I/S, and may represent a metastable state in the ordering reaction. A widespread occurrence of the mixture in natural environments suggests that the ordering reaction may be a slow process that results in co-existence of reactants and products. K-saturation experiments show that layer charges of expandable layers in I/S are variable. High-charge expandable layers transform into illite-like layers upon simple K-saturation. K-saturation alters the composition and/or the degree of ordering in I/S, suggesting that illitization in nature can be transformational.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.42 no.5
• /
• pp.395-401
• /
• 2009

The smectite-illite (SI) reaction is a ubiquitous process in siliciclastic sedimentary environments. For the last 4 decades the importance of smectite to illite (S-I) reaction was described in research papers and reports, as the degree of the (S-I) reaction, termed "smectite illitization", is linked to the exploration of hydrocarbons, and geochemical/petrophysical indicators. The S-I transformation has been thought that the reaction, explained either by layer-by-layer mechanism in the solid state or dissolution/reprecipitation process, was entirely abiotic and to require burial, heat, and time to proceed, however few studies have taken into account the bacterial activity. Recent laboratory studies showed evidence suggesting that the structural ferric iron (Fe(III)) in clay minerals can be reduced by microbial activity and the role of microorganisms is to link organic matter oxidation to metal reduction, resulting in the S-I transformation. In abiotic systems, elevated temperatures are typically used in laboratory experiments to accelerate the smectite to illite reaction in order to compensate for a long geological time in nature. However, in biotic systems, bacteria may catalyze the reaction and elevated temperature or prolonged time may not be necessary. Despite the important role of microbe in S-I reaction, factors that control the reaction mechanism are not clearly addressed yet. This paper, therefore, overviews the current status of microbially mediated smectite-to-illite reaction studies and characterization techniques.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
• /
• v.19 no.4 s.50
• /
• pp.221-229
• /
• 2006

Mineralogical and chemical examinations were performed on interstratified illite-smectite (I-S) minerals that occur in the mudstones from a petroleum exploration well in the Tertiary marine basin, Japan. X-ray diffraction analysis shows that component layers of illite in the interstratified I-S increase with increasing burial depth while those of smectie decrease. In addition, the randomly (R=0) interstratified illite-smectite is changed into Rp1 ordered I-S at a depth of about 4,000 m, which corresponds to the result of organic analysis and indicates a burial temperature of about $100^{\circ}C$. However, the present geothermal gradient shows that the conversion of the random I-S to R=0 ordered I-S is likely to occur at 3,000 m. This discrepancy may be interpreted by the reverse fault at 2,500 m which resulted in a deeper burial of sediments up to 1,000 m. Chemical analysis also shows the compositional variation in I-S with increasing depth: a decrease in Si and an increases in Al and K, indicating that the substitution of Al for Si in tetrahedral sheets is compensated by the addition of K to interlayers. K may be derived from K-feldspar and micas, which is present in the mudstones.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.28 no.4
• /
• pp.351-367
• /
• 1995

The elemental geochemistry and oxygen isotopes of illite/smectite (I/S) have been studied in relationship to the mineralogical trend in the Reindeer D-27 well, Beaufort-Mackenzie Basin. The increase in concentrations of $K_2O$, Rb and rare earth elements (REE), the decrease in concentrations of tetrahedral elements such as Mg, Ti, Sc, Zn and Zr, and the increase in concentrations of tetrahedral elements such as Be and V can be related to I/S compositions that vary systematically with depth. Layer formulae of S- and I-layers are estimated as $[Al_{1.57}Fe_{.19}Mg_{.31}Ti_{.07}][Si_{3.84}Al_{.16}]O_{10}(OH)_2$ and $[Al_{1.84}Mg_{.16}][Si_{3.33}Al_{.67}]O_{10}(OH)_2$, respectively. The mobilization of REE appears to occur during illitization. The increase in concentrations of REE, especially La and Ce, with depth is probably linked to incorporation of ions with high valency (e.g. $V^{5+}$) in tetrahedral sites. The excess valency due to V is partly counter-balanced by ions with low valency (e.g. $Be^{2+}$) and, in turn, the local valency deficiency caused by $Be^{2+}$ could be compensated by high-charge interlayer cations such as REE (＋3). ${\delta}^{18}O$ values of I/S range from 2.91 to 15.72‰ (SMOW), and increase with depth, contrasting to trends observed in the Gulf Coast and elsewhere. The increase in ${\delta}^{18}O$ of I/S results from the rapid increase in ${\delta}^{18}O$ of pore water that overcomes the decrease in temperature-dependent fractionation values with increasing burial depth (${\delta}^{18}O_{pore\;water}>-d{\Delta}/_{I/S-water};\;d{\delta}^{18}O_{I/S}>0$). Calculated ${\delta}^{18}O$ values of pore water in equilibrium with I/S suggest that the original water was probably meteoric water. The stratification of pore water is postulated from the presence of an isotopically light interval, about 450m thick. The depth range of the isotopically light zone overlaps, but does not coincide with the interval of lowered I-content and $K_2O$ concentrations, suggesting that oxygens may have been exchanged independently of mineralogical and geochemical reactions.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.48 no.2
• /
• pp.131-145
• /
• 2015

Thermodynamic prediction of weathering products from primary aquifer minerals around underground disposal sites was investigated. The distribution of solubility quotients for kaolinite-smectite reactions showed the trend of reaching at equilibrium with Ca-, Mg-, and Na-smectite for deep groundwaters in granitic aquifers. The values of $10^{-14.56}$, $10^{-15.73}$, and $10^{-7.76}$ were proposed as equilibrium constants between kaolinite and Ca-, Mg-, and Na-smectite end members, respectively. On stability diagrams, most of deep groundwaters were located at equilibrium boundaries between stability fields of kaolinite and smectites or on stability fields of smectites and illite. Shallow groundwaters in basic rock aquifer were plotted at the same stability areas of deep granitic groundwaters on stability diagrams. The results indicated that the primiary mineralogical composition may be important to predict weathering products in deep aquifers.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
• /
• v.5 no.2
• /
• pp.145-154
• /
• 2007

In hydrothermal reaction tests, smectite-to-illite conversion was identified using a domestic bentonite which is favorably considered as a buffer material, and its dependency on various hydrothermal conditions was investigated. The analysis results of the XRD and Si concentration indicated that the smectite-to-illite conversion was a major process of bentonite alteration under the hydrothermal conditions. The temperature, potassium concentration in solution, and pH were observed to significantly affect the smectite-to illite conversion. A model of conversion reaction rate was suggested to evaluate the long-term stability of smectite composing a major constituent of bentonitic buffer. It was expected from the evaluation results that the smectite would keep its integrity for very long disposal time under a normal condition, whitens it might be converted to illite by 50 percent after over $5{\times}10^4$ year of disposal time under a conservative condition and consequently lose its swelling capacity as a buffer material of a repository.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
• /
• v.7 no.1
• /
• pp.49-61
• /
• 1994

As the groundwater flows along the fractures of crystalline rocks, it will be in contact with the fracture walls mostly coated by secondary minerals which are quite different form those of host rocks. The presence of fracture-filling minerals in crystalline rocks is important on the view point of radioactive waste disposal because of their great surface reactivity. The Surichi drill hole of 200 m in depth in the Yugu area composed mainly of Precambrian gneiss was selected to study the formation process of clay minerals on the fracture wall of gneiss, and their relation with present groundwater. The water-rock interaction in fractures resulted in the formation of gibbsite and clay minerals. They are formed by two different processes : (1) Incongruent dissolution of feldspar by groundwater diffused from a fracture path into rock matrix produced smectite and illite in situ, (2) on the wall of fracture, gibbsite, kaolinite, smectite and illite are formed by precipitation of dissolved species in groundwater. They show the paragenetic sequence such as gibbsite${\leftrightarrow}$kaolinite${\leftrightarrow}$smectite or illite. The paragenetic sequence of fracture-filling minerals was controlled by increase of pH of groundwater, decrease of fracture permeability by precipitation of fillings, and immobility of alkali or alkaline earths in groundwater. The groundwater from the Surichi borehole is a $Na-HCO_{3}$ type with pH range of 8.6-9.2. The sodium and bicarbonate in groundwater would be supplied by the dissolution of albite and calcite, respectively. The saturation index of groundwater and surface water calculated by WATEQ4F indicates that gibbsite and kaolinite are under precipitation to equilibrium state, and that smectite and illite are under equilibrium to redissolution environment. The stability relation of clay minerals in the $Na_{2}O-Al_{2}O_{3}-SiO_{2}-H_{2}O$ system shows that kaolinite is stable for all waters.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
• /
• v.21 no.3
• /
• pp.297-305
• /
• 2008

Tailings piled up at Okdong mine in Euiseong consists of fine powder, and are mainly composed of pyrite, sphalerite, chlorite, illite, plagioclase, smectite, gypsum, etc. Smectite is concentrated in the upper part of tailings and chlorite is downwardly increased. Gypsum is generally observed on the surface of the mine tailings, suggesting that it was formed by the reaction of Ca and $SO_4$ in leachate after evaporation. Through the electron microscope study of sphalerite within the tailings, it was observed that there is significant weathering both on surface and in the inner part of the sphalerite, suggesting that the reaction of the failings with groundwater for long period of time contributed a significant addition of Zn and $SO_4$ into the leachate.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
• /
• v.29 no.2
• /
• pp.79-87
• /
• 2016

Asian dust (Hwangsa) interacts with light, atmospheric gas, aerosol, and marine ecosystem, affecting Earth climate. Mineralogical properties are essential to understand the interaction between the dust and environments. In this study, we examined the mineralogical properties of Asian dust collected at Deokjeok Island, Incheon, Korea in February 22, 2015. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses showed that phyllosilicate minerals (62 wt%) dominate the Asian dust. Illite-smectite series clay minerals (55%) were common with minor chlorite (5%) and kaolinite (2%). Non-phyllosilicate minerals were quartz (18%), plagioclase (10%), K-feldspar (4%), calcite (4%), and gypsum (1%). Similar results were obtained by mineral quantification using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS). Transmission electron microscopy combined with EDS confirmed illite-smectite series clay minerals as the dominant phyllosilicate type. Morphological analyses using SEM showed clay agglomerates, clay-coated quartz, feldspars, and micas. Gypsum grains were common on the particle surface, while calcite nanofibers, previously reported as common on the surface, were rare, indicating the reaction of calcite and acidic atmospheric pollutants to form gypsum. The analytical result of 2015 Asian dust would contribute to the establishment of mineralogical base for the modeling of the interaction between Asian dust and environments.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.46 no.3
• /
• pp.221-234
• /
• 2013

Laboratory experiments for the reaction with supercritical $CO_2$ under the $CO_2$ sequestration condition were performed to investigate the mineralogical and geochemical weathering process of the sandstones and mudstones in the Pohang basin. To simulate the supercritical $CO_2$-rock-groundwater reaction, rock samples used in the experiment were pulverized and the high pressurized cell (200 ml of capacity) was filled with 100 ml of groundwater and 30 g of powdered rock samples. The void space of the high pressurized cell was saturated with the supercritical $CO_2$ and maintained at 100 bar and $50^{\circ}C$ for 60 days. The changes of mineralogical and geochemical properties of rocks were measured by using XRD (X-Ray Diffractometer) and BET (Brunauer-Emmett-Teller). Concentrations of dissolved cations in groundwater were also measured for 60 days of the supercritical $CO_2$-rock-groundwater reaction. Results of XRD analyses indicated that the proportion of plagioclase and K-feldspar in the sandstone decreased and the proportion of illite, pyrite and smectite increased during the reaction. In the case of mudstone, the proportion of illite and kaolinite and cabonate-fluorapatite increased during the reaction. Concentration of $Ca^{2+}$ and $Na^+$ dissolved in groundwater increased during the reaction, suggesting that calcite and feldspars of the sandstone and mudstone would be significantly dissolved when it contacts with supercritical $CO_2$ and groundwater at $CO_2$ sequestration sites in Pohang basin. The average specific surface area of sandstone and mudstone using BET analysis increased from $27.3m^2/g$ and $19.6m^2/g$ to $28.6m^2/g$ and $26.6m^2/g$, respectively, and the average size of micro scale void spaces for the sandstone and mudstone decreased over 60 days reaction, resulting in the increase of micro pore spaces of rocks by the dissolution. Results suggested that the injection of supercritical $CO_2$ in Pohang basin would affect the physical property change of rocks and also $CO_2$ storage capacity in Pohang basin.