Identification Of Clay Minerals Research Articles

Clay Mineral Identification for the Utilization of the Brick Industry in Samarinda using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) Analysis

The clay minerals occurrences can be utilized into various products, including bricks. Brick industry often used the materials taken from the local area. The objective of the research is to identify the lithology of the brick material as well as the mineral consist in the soil or material, including clay mineral. The analysis is carried out in field observation and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis. The analysis resulting the lithology of the research area is predominantly sandstone and the bricks material is taken from the clayey soil part of from the quartz sandstone lithology. The quartz sandstone predominantly composed by quartz (97%) and plagioclase as minor mineral (3%). The analysis of the clay soil sample in quartz sandstone layer which used as the main component of the brick showing that the minerals composition are mainly quartz (95%) and plagioclase as minor mineral (3%), while the clay mineral that detected is kaolinite (2%). The formation of the kaolinite is interpreted as the result of the weathering of plagioclase trough hydrolysis process. From those data, it is identified that the brick in the research area mainly composed by quartz and clay mineral as kaolinite is formed in just minor abundance.

Soil development and ancient Maya land use in the tropical karst landscape: Case of Busiljá, Chiapas, México

AbstractThe soil mantle of the tropical karstic landscapes of Southern Mexico was shaped by specific processes of pedogenesis and long‐term human impacts of ancient Maya agriculture. To understand the interaction between natural and human‐induced soil‐forming processes in the calcareous mountains of Chiapas state, we studied soil toposequences around the Classic Maya site of Budsilhá and related them to the archaeological evidence of settlement and land‐use distribution. Soil chemical analysis, micromorphological observations, and clay mineral identification were carried out in key soil profiles at the main geoforms. Limestone hills are occupied by shallow Rendolls which are usually perceived as incipient soils. However, high content of silicate clay composed of kaolinite and vermiculite and ferruginous clayey soil material observed at macro‐ and microscale backed the hypothesis that these soils were formed from the residues of thick Terra Rossa after their erosion. Swampy lowlands are occupied by thick clayey gleyic soils with clay mineral assemblages similar to those in the upland Rendolls. We suppose that the mineral matrix of the lowland soils is largely derived from the pedosediments of eroded upland Terra Rossa, which lost original ferruginous pigmentation and aggregation due to redoximorphic processes. Some wetland soils contain neoformed gypsum that is atypical for humid tropics; sulfide‐sulfate transformation under fluctuating redox conditions could promote gypsum synthesis. Ancient Maya land use was closely related to soil‐geomorphic conditions: settlements with homegardens occupied calcareous hills, whereas the primary agricultural domain was developed on lowland soils after their drainage by artificial canals.

Development of sustainable hydromorphic Technosols within artificial wetlands in mining landscapes: the effects of wastewater and hydrothermal geological materials

PurposeThe Buenavista del Cobre mine is in a semiarid environment in NW Mexico. A part of the mine tailings dam has been flooded with wastewater from Cananea, generating an artificial wetland. The main objectives of this work were to evaluate the effect of wastewater on the pedogenesis of wetland Technosols developed on mine tailings and to compare them with the soil of non-irrigated tailings and with a natural soil profile.Materials and methodsThree profiles were studied inside the dam as follows: a profile under waterlogging conditions, a profile under conditions of periodic sewage saturation, and a profile with no waterlogging conditions. Laboratory methods included the micromorphological analysis of the soil structure and pedo-features, fertility properties, identification of clay minerals, and analysis of bulk chemical composition.Results and discussionIt was found that the biogenic structure and voids associated with organic materials were the main micromorphological features of the studied wetland Technosols. Primary sulfides remained unaltered in the Technosols irrigated with wastewater, whereas incipient sulfide oxidation was observed in the non-irrigated tailings. Chlorite and smectite were detected in the Technosols. Such mineral assemblage was found to be mostly generated by hydrothermal processes.ConclusionIrrigation of tailings with wastewater supported the biological aggregation and porosity formation within the soil matrix, supplied plant nutrients, and enhanced the ecological soil quality of the studied hydromorphic Technosols. Saturation with wastewater hampered the oxidation of primary sulfides in the hydromorphic Technosols, preventing soil acidification and the mobilization of heavy metal contaminants.

Identification of the clay minerals of some chosen soils in Aljabal Alakhdar district, Libya by Ethylene Glycol and Heat: X-ray Diffraction studies

Due to the widespread use of clay minerals and their importance in various industries and agricultural projects, sufficient knowledge of clay minerals as well as how to identify them is so important. Therefore, understanding these minerals can optimize the use and application of them. Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar, as it represents the only green spot in northeastern of Libya, the identification of clay minerals in this region is very important for its relationship to the management of the chemical and physical properties of its soil. Four samples were selected from the Al-Haniya area, and due to the shallow depths of its soil, these samples were taken from the last depth (35-60 cm). X-ray diffraction device used to obtain clear X-ray diffraction (XRD) curves for identification of clay minerals in selected samples from the study area. The results of the qualitative analysis of the minerals showed that there was a similarity in the types of pyrophyllite silicates and the illite is the most crystalline mineral indicated by the relative strength in these soils. The results also showed the presence of kaolinite minerals and the chlorite-vermiculite complex. The results did not show the presence of expansion minerals such as montomorollonite.

Identification of the clay minerals of some chosen soils in Aljabal Alakhdar district, Libya by Ethylene Glycol and Heat: X-ray Diffraction studies

Due to the widespread use of clay minerals and their importance in various industries and agricultural projects, sufficient knowledge of clay minerals as well as how to identify them is so important. Therefore, understanding these minerals can optimize the use and application of them. Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar, as it represents the only green spot in northeastern of Libya, the identification of clay minerals in this region is very important for its relationship to the management of the chemical and physical properties of its soil. Four samples were selected from the Al-Haniya area, and due to the shallow depths of its soil, these samples were taken from the last depth (35-60 cm). X-ray diffraction device used to obtain clear X-ray diffraction (XRD) curves for identification of clay minerals in selected samples from the study area. The results of the qualitative analysis of the minerals showed that there was a similarity in the types of pyrophyllite silicates and the illite is the most crystalline mineral indicated by the relative strength in these soils. The results also showed the presence of kaolinite minerals and the chlorite-vermiculite complex. The results did not show the presence of expansion minerals such as montomorollonite.

Sedimentological and Geochemical Study of Foundation Zone Sediment at Baiji City, North Iraq

The study includes grain size analysis, clay minerals, selected heavy metals, total dissolved solids and chemical properties. The grain size analyses of (78) samples indicate that the upper layers of the floodplain are fine where the lower layers are coarser. The identification of abundance clay minerals are; Kaolinite, Montmorilonite, Illite, Chlorite and Palygorskite. The (pH) of the sediments ranged (7.07–7.33) with average (7.22), the values of (EC) ranged (1.71-6.42) with average (3.45) and the variation may be due to the variation of climate conditions, while the sulfates SO3 between (0.256% –8.985%) with average (1.70), and that may due to presence of primary or secondary gypsum. The (T.S.S) ranged between (0.490%–12.550%) with average (3.42) and organic content range between (0.342%–3.272%) with average (1.55).
 The concentrations of Co, Zn, Sr, Ni, Pb, and Cd in (ppm), indicate that Co, Zn, and Ni elements are higher than the standards in the earth crust while the others within the limits of the earth crust or less than that.

Separation of solid and liquid components in organic-rich chalks using NMR relaxation

Currently there is great interest in interpreting the 1H NMR T2 relaxation (i.e., transverse relaxation) of porous geological media containing both liquid-like and solid-like signals. This has an impact on the interpretation of commercial NMR core and log analysis of organic-rich shales, such as shale oil and shale gas, where T1-T2 relaxation maps are routinely used to identify sweet spots and producibility of the hydrocarbon reservoir. We report a novel method to separate liquid-like components with an exponential decay (T2e) in transverse magnetization from solid-like components with a Gaussian decay (T2G). The method uses novel pulse sequences together with a 20 MHz 1H NMR relaxometer optimized for reservoir core plugs. The method is applied to obtain 2D T1-T2 maps in organic-rich chalks saturated with water or heptane, as well as bitumen-extracted samples. The T1-T2 maps clearly distinguish liquid-like signals (including micro/meso-macro pore fluids, heptane dissolved in bitumen, and clay-bound water) from solid-like signals (including kerogen, bitumen, and clay hydroxyls) in the organic-rich chalks. The liquid-like (T2e) components in the T1-T2 maps show a clear contrast between water and heptane in the micro/meso-macro pores, which shows potential for improved fluid typing and saturation in organic-rich chalks and gives insights into diffusive coupling and bitumen blockage of the pore network. The solid-like (T2G) components in the T1-T2 maps are used for clay mineral identification, determination of kerogen content, and quantification of solvent-extracted bitumen versus bitumen expelled from kerogen due to swelling from dissolved heptane.

Evidence of phyllosilicate alteration processes and clay mineral neoformation promoted by hydrothermal fluids in the Padul Fault area (Betic Cordillera, SE Spain)

Geochemical changes and authigenic clays were detected in the fault rocks of the Padul Fault. An enrichment from the protolith to the ultracataclasites in Si, Al, Fe, Ca, Ti and also Zn but an impoverishment in Mg was detected. Although the protolith (dolostones) and fault rocks are mostly composed of carbonates, the fault rocks are also characterized by the presence of fine-grained clays in the matrix (mainly chlorite and Mg-rich biotite, but also smectite and punctually talc). Neither chlorite nor talc were detected in the protolith. The application of chlorite thermometry gives temperatures around 140–220 °C for chlorites lamellae located on the fault plane. These chlorites are compositionally homogeneous, whereas the chlorites detected in the cataclasites are more variable, although both of them are Mg-rich and have almost no Fe. As well, chlorites from the cataclasites usually include Zn in their composition and, as observed at nanoscale, they are genetically related to biotites, which come from the protolith. Talc grains (< 1 μm) are always found between dolomite and calcite. These observations point to clay mineral reactions in the fault rocks as the chlorite and talc precipitation promoted by circulation of fault-controlled hydrothermal fluids close to 200 °C. Other clays such as smectite are the result of the final step of the hydrothermal activity in the fault. The identification of authigenic clay minerals, which cause weakening mechanisms, is consistent with the geodetic characterization of the Padul Fault, which plays an important role in aseismic deformation.

High-Resolution Topographic and Chemical Surface Imaging of Chalk for Oil Recovery Improvement Applications

Chalk is a very fine-grained carbonate and can accommodate high porosity which is a key characteristic for high-quality hydrocarbon reservoirs. A standard procedure within Improved Oil Recovery (IOR) is seawater-injection which repressurizes the reservoir pore pressure. Long-term seawater-injection will influence mineralogical processes as dissolution and precipitation of secondary minerals. These secondary minerals (&lt;1 micrometer) precipitate during flooding experiments mimicking reservoir conditions. Due to their small sizes, analysis from traditional scanning electron microscopy combined with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy is not conclusive because of insufficient spatial resolution and detection limit. Therefore, chalk was analyzed with high-resolution imaging by helium ion microscopy (HIM) combined with secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) for the first time. Our aim was to identify mineral phases at sub-micrometer scale and identify locations of brine–rock interactions. In addition, we wanted to test if current understanding of these alteration processes can be improved with the combination of complementary imaging techniques and give new insights to IOR. The HIM-SIMS imaging revealed well-defined crystal boundaries and provided images of excellent lateral resolution, allowing for identification of specific mineral phases. Using this new methodology, we developed chemical identification of clay minerals and could define their exact location on micron-sized coccolith grains. This shows that it is essential to study mineralogical processes at nanometer scale in general, specifically in the research field of applied petroleum geology within IOR.

Effect of Chemical Pre-treatment for Identification of Clay Minerals in Four Soil Orders by X-ray Diffraction Technique

Effect of Chemical Pre-treatment for Identification of Clay Minerals in Four Soil Orders by X-ray Diffraction Technique

Measurement of Fall Rate and Analysis of Atmospheric Falling Dust in Duhok Governorate of Iraq by Using Atomic Absorption Spectrometry and X-ray Diffraction

This study was conducted in Duhok Governorate (DG) to study the mineralogical and chemical properties of atmospheric falling dust (AFD) and to measure the fall rate of AFD. AFD samples were collected at different locations and times by a funnel on the nozzle of a plastic bucket (pail) of dimensions (1 m2) on the veranda of the building, ∼3-4 m high the ground level. To compare between chemical properties of AFD and street dust that people are exposed to, the dust accumulated on car engine air-filters (CAFs) have been examined. Atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) was used to study the chemical composition of the particles. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to investigate mineralogical characterization. The result shows that the traffic emissions and increasing population density as anthropogenic sources, in addition to natural dust particles in Duhok governorate have been the main role in the dust fall rate. The results show that the monthly dust fall rate was recorded in Duhok (3.35 gm/m2.month). The higher average concentration value for heavy metal was (Cu=11.5 ppm). The study includes qualitative identification of clay minerals by X-ray diffraction data. Peak height was used as a rough indicator of the relative abundance of minerals. The major minerals observed in the AFD sample are Calcite (CaCO3), Quartz low, Silicon Oxide (SiO2), and Dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2).

Evaluation of combined effects of real-fire and natural environment in a building granite

Different decay factors influence the minero-chemical characteristics and the physico- mechanical properties of building stones. Weathering and exposure to high temperatures (such as those achieved during a fire) can contribute to their deterioration. The aim of this work was to identify and describe changes induced by weathering and fire exposure of a granite applied in a traditional Galician country property. In this real-case it was possible to collect granite blocks from fire affected and non-affected areas. Surface properties (color and gloss) and petrographic, mineralogical, physical (open porosity and capillary water absorption) and ultrasonic (VP, VS, VP/VS, E, K, µ and σ) parameters have been evaluated in both sets. The results shows that the granite used in this property has inherited alteration features (presence of kaolinite, chlorite and goethite associated to high values of porosity, capillary water uptake and moderate values of ultrasound velocities and elastic parameters). Identification of clay minerals and iron oxides in fire affected samples allowed to estimate that the temperature reached by this inherited altered granite was lower than 490 °C. Those intrinsic characteristics associated to a relatively low fire temperature justify the physical–mechanical modifications observed.

Clay minerals identification in rock varnish by XRD: A one-step reduction approach

Rock varnishes are known to be fine, dark, glossy submicron films found in deserts bare rock surfaces. The oxides and hydroxides of manganese and iron bind together the clay minerals present in the varnish layer. The processes of oxide-hydroxide accumulation at varnish sites are due to iron and manganese oxidizing bacteria which may require clay minerals for additional nutrition. Quantification and identification of clay minerals in this biofilm is needed to understand its formation. Past attempts to analyze the mineralogical composition of rock varnish have led to inconclusive results as varnish is a submicron thin layer composed of a complex mineral matrix. The elimination of non-crystalline cementing groups comprising of free iron oxides is a key step in the identification of many types of clay minerals, particularly in soil/sediment mineral studies.•The Fe-Mn oxide-hydroxide coatings, acting as cementing materials, can be easily removed using a one-step reduction method employing Na2S2O4 at 70 °C, leading to separation of clay minerals.•We have taken the lead from earlier reported Jackson (1958) method, wherein a combination of reagents was used such as sodium acetate, sodium citrate, hydrogen peroxide, sodium bicarbonate, and sodium dithionite for removing carbonate, organic carbon and Fe-Mn oxy-hydroxide coatings respectively from sediment grains to segregate individual grains from each other.•Our modification helps in the unveiling of clay minerals from a solid substrate and reports the X-ray diffraction peaks, which are elsewise hard to detect and therefore earlier studies are inconclusive.

Data fusion of laser-induced breakdown and Raman spectroscopies: Enhancing clay mineral identification

A straight-forward, data-driven approach for the reliable identification of clay minerals based on spectroscopy and multivariate analyses is presented here. No other group of inorganic materials have so many species, exhibit such a range of physicochemical properties, or enjoy a greater diversity of practical applications as the clay minerals. The emerging role of clays in a variety of pioneering disciplines, such as the pharmaceutical and astrobiological sciences, highlights their broad-ranging significance in natural science and engineering efforts. However, the highly variable chemical compositions and defect-rich structures of the clay minerals pose difficulties in their classification and identification. We introduce a new methodological approach which uses Raman and laser-induced breakdown spectroscopies (LIBS) to discriminate geological specimens based on their dominant clay mineralogy. Raman and LIBS provide complementary information about the molecular structure and elemental composition of an interrogated target, and, when considered simultaneously, contribute to a more comprehensive characterization of the system under study. What distinguishes this work from previous spectral investigations of clay mineralogy is the way in which the spectra are pre-processed and combined before analysis. Raman and LIBS data were collected from various clay-rich specimens and subsequently concatenated into a single data matrix to serve as a unique identifier of specimen composition – an approach known as low-level data fusion. Multivariate statistical analyses were used to identify mineralogical groups and to discriminate specimens based on their compositional similarities and differences. We evaluated the discrimination achieved by the fused data sets compared to that obtained by standalone use of Raman and LIBS data. Our results show that the use of data fusion strategies improved the discrimination model and allowed correct classification of all the samples based on their dominant clay mineralogy.

Does the Methylene Blue Test Give Equally Satisfactory Results in All Studied Igneous Rocks Relative to the Identification of Swelling Clay Minerals?

The presence or the absence of swelling clay minerals in rocks, which are used in various construction applications, constitutes a determinant factor for their strength, and consequently, in their general behavior in various construction applications, as they have the ability to swell up to 400 times of their usual volume, causing failures to any application in which they participate. The aim of this study is to respond to the question of whether the empirical method of methylene blue yields equally safe and correct results in different types of igneous rocks and if not, which is the determining factor affecting the results. The answer to this complex question is feasible by investigating the microscopic structure and the mineralogy of the studied rocks, and particularly, using the content of specific phyllosilicate minerals which may be related or not with the methylene blue values. According to the results, the methylene blue test seems to work correctly for the intermediate (Group I) and mafic (Group II) examined rocks, but it seems to be wrong for the highly serpentinized ultramafic rocks (up to 70% of serpentine) (Group III).

Thermal analysis and FT-IR spectroscopy of synthetic clay mineral mixtures

Common clays and especially mixed-layered or interstratified clay minerals are generally mixtures of predominantly clay mineral along with minor quantity of another clay mineral, wherein the ratio of the components will determine the resulting properties of these clay materials. This study focuses on IR spectroscopy and TG/DTA analysis and their contribution to the identification of clay minerals in two-component mixtures. Identifying clay minerals in such mixtures by means of thermal analysis is often complicated by the similarity of the thermal effects of the individual clay components. Similarity in thermal behavior is mainly connected with the origin, chemical variability and crystal structure of phyllosilicates. The main problem is overlapping thermal effects of clay minerals or thermal effects related to accessory minerals (calcite, quartz, etc.) on DTA curve. A similar problem also appears in the identification of mixed clay mineral structures by infrared spectroscopy. There are also more or less overlapping absorption bands in the infrared spectra for the mixtures of clay minerals. In this paper, the prepared clay mixtures were supposed to partially simulate the natural mixed clay structures and a minimum content of detectable minerals in clay mixtures were determined according to characteristic peaks on the DTA curves and absorption bands in FT-IR spectra. The results of both methods showed that kaolinite is the most reliable detectable mineral. The detection limit for thermal analysis corresponds to 3% mass kaolinite in admixture with chlorite or montmorillonite, and 1% mass kaolinite for both of these mixtures is based on IR spectroscopy. In case of montmorillonite and chlorite, the identification by FT-IR spectroscopy shows detection limit only 30% mass in contrast to TG/DTA with the detection limit of 5% mass for montmorillonite and 5% mass or 10% mass for chlorite. The obtained results can be effectively used to solve problems in identification of clay minerals in sedimentary rocks, which is very important for subsequent applications in geotechnical, geothermal, and mining activities.

COMPARISON BETWEEN CHEMICAL AND MINERALOGICAL PROPERTIES OF OAK FOREST AND BARE CULTIVATED SOILS IN IRAQI KURDISTAN REGION

This study was conducted during 1/7/2016 to 20/12/2018, which aimed to determine chemical and mineralogical properties of oak forest and bare cultivated soils at 6 locations in Iraqi Kurdistan region, the samples were collected from two depths (0 – 30) and (30 – 60) cm. The study included some chemical and physical properties and identification of clay minerals from X-ray diffraction data. Peak height is used as a rough indicator of relative abundance of minerals. In general, the expansion of 14°A to ≈ 17°A in ethylene glycol treatment was not detected because measuring started from 5θ so that’s why we cannot differentiated between Chlorite and Semectite in that treatment. The main results indicated that the organic matter, clay content and CEC values in forest soils were higher than their values in bare cultivated soils, swelling chlorite being the dominant mineral in these soils. While the miner clay mineral at that locations were Kaolinite. Mica was identified at all location, while the dominant type of Mica at forest soils was Muscovite which was obtained from 4 Locations, while Mica Biotite was dominant in bare cultivated soils which was obtained from 4 sites.

MINERALOGICAL PROPERTIES OF OAK FOREST SOILS IN IRAQI KURDISTAN REGION

This experiment was conducted from 1/7/2016 to 20/12/2018 to study the mineralogical properties of oak forest at 12 locations (Gara, Matin and Brifca) from Dohuk governorate, (Bilah, Malakan and Awagrd) from Hawler Governorate, (Bardanga, Badawan and Chwarta) from Sulaimani Governorate, and (Bakhakon, Hawar and Sartak) from Halabja governorate in Iraqi Kurdistan region. The samples collected from a depth of (0 – 60) cm for laboratory analysis. The study includes qualitative identification of clay minerals by X- ray diffraction data. Peak height was used as a rough indicator of relative abundance of minerals. In general, the expansion of 14°A to ≈ 17°A in ethylene glycol treatment was not detected because the measuring was started from 5θ (degree 5 theta) so the differentiation between Chlorite and Semectite was not done in this treatment. The main results indicated that the swelling chlorite being the dominant mineral in these soils. While the miner clay mineral in that locations were Kaolinite. Mica was identified in all location except of Bilah site, the dominant type of Mica was Muscovite which was obtained from 6 Locations, while Biotite obtained from 5 sites. It appears that Muscovite was recorded from 50% of Forest sites while Biotite recorded at 41.7% of Forest sites and Both Mica mineral type was not recorded from 8.3% of studied Forest soils.

Geochemical characterization and quantitative evaluation of shale oil reservoir by two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance and quantitative grain fluorescence on extract: A case study from the Qingshankou Formation in Southern Songliao Basin, northeast China

Abstract Understanding the content and geochemical characteristics of shale oil are two significant aspects of shale oil exploration and evaluation. This paper details the analysis of 32 shale samples extracted by sealed coring from the first member of the Upper Cretaceous Qingshankou Formation (K2qn1) in the Southern Songliao Basin, northeast China. Geochemical techniques including Rock-Eval pyrolysis, contents of total organic carbon (TOC) and clay mineral identification by X-ray diffraction (XRD) were performed on the samples. A total of 13 samples were further analyzed using two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (2D NMR) and the quantitative grain fluorescence on extract (QGF-E) technique to determine the content and properties of different types of organic matter (OM) in the shale reservoir. The OM content and spectral intensity obtained from the NMR and QGF results were positively correlated with TOC content and pyrolysis S1 of the samples, respectively. In addition, the characteristic fluorescence parameters (R1, R2) of the shale extract and crude oil obtained by total scanning fluorescence (TSF) indicated that the crude oil in the studied shale reservoir was a thick-medium oil in the medium mature stage. The comprehensive experiment with the combined use of high-frequency 2D NMR and QGF technologies realized the quantitative characterization of shale oil composition and maturity, and demonstrated advantages of nondestructive, rapid and quantitative detection of OM, especially oil content in shale. New shale oil evaluation parameters obtained from these experiments, therefore, are more significant than traditional measurements such as Soxhlet extraction and pyrolysis.

Use of TEM-EDX for structural formula identification of clay minerals: a case study of Di Linh bentonite, Vietnam

Transmission electron microscopy linked with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (TEM-EDX) was applied to characterize mineralogical signals of weathering processes in the Di Linh bentonite deposit (Vietnam) and to visualize the effects of Na activation on the smectitic phases. Modelling of X-ray diffraction patterns (oriented mount) was applied in order to refine the computed structural formula. X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) methods were also applied to verify the TEM-EDX results. AnExcel-based routine has been developed in this research to allow fast computation of structural formulae and classification of the investigated clay particles. This routine supports the acquirement of 100–300 TEM-EDX analyses as a representative set of individual particles for each sample. TheExcel-based routine involves end members of different clay-mineral groups and interstratifications with two or three members (e.g.illite–smectite interstratifications – IS-ml; dioctahedral vermiculite–smectite interstratifications – diVS-ml; and kaolinite–montmorillonite–dioctahedral vermiculite interstratifications – KSV-ml). The routine is now freely available. According to the identification procedure, the &lt;2 µm fraction of the Di Linh bentonite (Vietnam) is composed mainly of K- and charge-deficient illite–smectite interstratifications (or diVS-ml): montmorillonite-rich randomly ordered (R0) type and illite-rich regularly ordered (R1) type. Additionally, Fe-poor KSV-ml was identified. Industrial Na activation of the Di Linh bentonite resulted in an increase of the R1 diVS-ml portion and dissolution of a large part of the smectite-rich phases. The TEM-EDX approach also gave analytical proof of a sedimentary process for Di Linh smectite. The parent muscovite was altered in two different environments: (i) K-leaching and layer-wise alteration into kaolinite (weathering), and (ii) further edge-controlled alteration of mica into lath-like montmorillonite particles associated with a dissolution of kaolinite layers from the former kaolinite–mica intergrowths by heat impact (basalt flow).