Synthesis and characterization of low-charge sodium fluorophlogopite mica-type clay minerals

This work reports a solid-state synthesis of low-charge mica-type clay minerals using a fluoride flux method. Synthesized mica-type clay samples yielded hydrated phases with d-spacings in the range of 12.1–12.5 Å as revealed by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD). 29Si and 27Al magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MASNMR) spectroscopy revealed the Si and Al nearest neighbor environments as well as the presence of impurities such as amorphous silica and forsterite in these samples.