Abstract
WHEN micas weather in the soil, their interlayer potassium is replaced by a hydrated cation, and a swelling mineral resembling vermiculite is formed1. Although this natural process may be simulated in the laboratory2,3,9, we have found evidence to suggest that micas may alter less rapidly in natural conditions than laboratory investigations of ground or cut material suggest. Our results show that the nature of the crystal edge affects the rate of alteration of micas.
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NEWMAN, A., BROWN, G. Delayed Exchange of Potassium from some Edges of Mica Flakes. Nature 223, 175–176 (1969). https://doi.org/10.1038/223175a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/223175a0
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