• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.115-121
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• 2004

The surface microtopography of pyrophyllite collected from the Gussi deposit, Korea was observed by mean of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) with the gold decoration technique. As results, closed step patterns with malformed circular islands were characteristically observed on the (001) surface of pyrophyllite, contrasting with spiral step patterns common in illite and kaolinite. Gussi pyrophyllite was likely crystallized from hydrothermal solution of higher temperature and/or higher supersaturation than those of other clay minerals. Comparing with micro-topographies of pyrophyllite from the Shokozan and the Uku deposits, southwest Japan, growth mechanism of Gussi pyrophyllite is almost equivalent to those from the Shokozan and the Uku deposits.