Smectite Illitization
A special issue of Minerals (ISSN 2075-163X). This special issue belongs to the section "Clays and Engineered Mineral Materials".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 June 2021) | Viewed by 4849
Special Issue Editor
Interests: clay minerals; X-ray diffraction; electron microscopy; diagenesis; paleoenvironments; paleoclimate
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Smectite illitization has been a widely researched process in different geological contexts: burial diagenesis, low-grade and contact metamorphism, hydrothermal and pedogenic alteration, etc. This process has been used as a prograde and retrograde marker in siliciclastic rocks and as a paleoenvironment and paleoclimatic proxy in various geological contexts. It has also been useful in soil fertility management research, in hydrocarbon exploration or in research on the long-term performance of bentonite barriers in radioactive waste deposits.
The illitization reaction produces, in general terms, an increase in the TOT layer charge and the subsequent K fixation in the interlayer space. Therefore, structural adjustments are needed which affect not only the magnitude of the charge of the 2:1 expandable layers, but also their localization in the octahedral or tetrahedral layers. The process comprises a series of chemical reactions and structural changes that give rise to coherent domains intermediate between smectite and illite. These are the so-called I/S mixed-layer minerals, which consist of different stacking sequences of the 2:1 layers of illite and smectite.
This process leads to a greater structural order and compositional homogeneity of the phases involved, such as the reaction progresses. The nature, structure, composition, and textural relationships of the different phases involved in the process can be revealed using XRD and TEM techniques in various forms, among others.
The mechanism advocated to explain smectite illitization more frequently, are solid state transformation, dissolution–recrystalization, and grain coarsening by Ostwald’s step rule.
Although contributions from several of these is possible in different environments, solid state transformation seems to predominate in close-systems, while dissolution–recrystallization and grain coarsening seem more efficient in fluid-dominated open systems. Microbially-promoted smectite illitization represents a relevant mechanism and should be considered in more detail.
We encourage you to submit original papers on identification, description, modeling, applications, and any other subject related to smectite illitization.
Dr. Javier Arostegi García
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Minerals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- Clay minerals
- Mixed layers
- Geological environments
- Reaction mechanisms
- Proxy
- Applications
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.
