Molecular modeling of the effects of 40Ar recoil in illite particles on their K-Ar isotope dating

Based on the results of MD simulations, the estimates of the potential effect of 40Ar recoil on the K-Ar dating of illite show that some of 40Ar is lost and the loss is substantially dependent on the crystallite dimensions. The 40Ar loss can vary from 10% for the finest crystallites (two 2:1 layers thickness and <0.02 μm in diameter) to close to zero for the thickest and largest (in the ab plane) ones. Because the decrease of the K-Ar estimated age is approximately proportional to the 40Ar loss, the finer crystallites show lower apparent age than the coarser ones, although the age of crystallization is assumed equal for all the crystallites. From the model it is also clear that the lack of K removal from illite fringes (potentially Ar-free) strongly increases the apparent age differences among crystallites of different size.