X-ray diffraction studies of the thermal behaviour of commercial vermiculites

For the purpose of knowing the vermiculites which would have larger capability to retain contaminating substances heating commercial samples from different places have been identified and their thermal behaviour at several temperatures has been investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), electron microprobe, thermal analysis (TG and DTA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).The commercial vermiculites can be divided into two types: type 1 (Sta. Olalla, Piauí and Goiás) with Mg2+ and K+ (< 1) as the principal cations in the interlayer space, and type 2 (China E, China W, China G and Palabora) with K+ (approximately = or > 1) and/or Na+ and/or Ca2+ with or without Mg2+ as the principal interlayer cations.The process of dehydration in situ with the temperature seems restricted to interlamellar water monolayers of 1-WLHS type-1 of vermiculites, without dehydration to a zero-water-layer-hydration state (0-WLHS) and the dehydroxylation starts at lower temperatures than in vermiculites of type 2. The maximum hydration state exhibited by the type-2 samples at ambient temperature was equal or lower than the monolayer hydrate, the dehydration process in situ with the temperature was slower and the dehydrated vermiculite coexists with a mica-like structure.The behaviour of vermiculites at elevated temperature examined in situ can be understood considering that the vermiculites constitute a complex system not necessarily in equilibrium and where kinetics plays an important role.Commercial vermiculites heated abruptly at 1000 °C during 1 min transform to mica-like or mica-like coexisting with enstatite, in contrast to the purest Sta. Olalla vermiculite, with only magnesium interlayer cations, which changes to enstatite.