Transformation of Magnesite to Sepiolite and Stevensite: Characteristics and Genesis (Çayirbaği, Konya, Turkey)

Abstract

AbstractÇayırbağı magnesite is one of numerous magnesite deposits occurring throughout Turkey. In this deposit, sepiolite and newly found stevensite occur locally as two daughter minerals formed from magnesite. The sepiolite and stevensite show distinctive compositions and modes of formation compared to those described in the literature. The objective of the current study was to characterize these minerals by means of mineralogic, thermal, structural, geochemical, and textural analyses and to describe their mechanisms of formation. The geology, mineralogy, and geochemistry were examined by field work followed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential thermal (DTA), and thermogravimetric (TG) analyses. Chemical analyses were performed by means of electron microprobe (EMPA), inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). The XRD analyses showed that the d110 of the sepiolite was at 12.64 Å and at 13 Å after air-drying and ethylene-glycol solvation, respectively. Identification of the sepiolite as sepiolite-13 Å was supported by FTIR and TG-DTA data. Chemical analyses showed an ideal composition with a structural formula of (Ca0.05K0.02)(Mg7.79Al0.10□0.11)Si12O30(OH)4. Stevensite displayed distinctive results for XRD, FTIR, and thermal characteristics. The structural formula of stevensite was: (Ca0.01Na0.20K0.04)(Mg1.90Al0.30Fe3+0.37Ti0.01□0.43)(Si3.93Al0.07)O10(OH)2, indicating a layer charge arising mainly from octahedral sheets. Field and SEM observations demonstrated that sepiolite was formed from magnesite by transformation via a dissolution–precipitation mechanism. Descending surface waters were responsible for this transformation. Thick magnesite veins were partly replaced whereas in thin veins sepiolite replaced the overall mass. Both surface waters with high Si, low Al and Fe activities, and pH values of 8–9.5 were responsible for sepiolite formation. Stevensite was formed similarly to sepiolite with respect to the mechanism and parent mineral under permanent groundwater; where both Si, Fe, Al activities and pH (>9.5) were high.