Interpretation of the Composition of Lithium Micas

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Interpretation of the Composition of Lithium Micas Interpretation of the Composition of Lithium Micas GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 354-E Interpretation of the Composition of Lithium Micas By MARGARET D. FOSTER SHORTER CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 354-E Relations of lithian muscovites ana lepidolites, and of siderophyllites, protolithioniteS) zinnwaldites, and lepidolitesy based on published analyses UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING QFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1960 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR FRED A. SEATON, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Thomas B. Nolan, Director For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington 25, D.C. CONTENTS Page Page Abstract_ ________________________________________ 115 Ferrous lithium micas Continued Introduction- ______----____-_-_-____-______________ 115 Relation between ferrous lithium micas, sidero- Calculation of formulas__-____---_____________-__..___ 115 phyllites, and aluminian lepidomelanes._________ 120 Aluminum lithium micas__________________________ 116 Compositional relations in siderophyllites and ferrous Interpretation of composition of lepidolites based on lithium micas-_______________________________ 130 end members_-_-__-_____-________-____-__._ 116 Relation between Li and trivalent octahedral Compositional changes shown by the analyses.-____ 117 cations-_________________________________ 130 Hypothetical Li-(octahedral Al) replacement ratios. _ 117 Relation between Li and Fe+2________________ 130 Relation of Li to other constituents in calculated Relation between Li and Si-_____-__--_--_-__ 131 formulas__-__________________________________ 119 Hypothetical Fe+2-Li replacement ratios-__________ 131 Relation between Li and octahedral AL _______ 119 Siderophyllite-lepidolite isomorphous series_-__-___- 132 Relation between (Li R+2) and Si____._-__- 121 Siderophyllites and lepidomelanes_____________ 134 Relation between Li and total Al_____________ 121 Protolithionites- ____________________________ 135 Relation between Li and occupied octahedral Zinnwaldites_ ______________________________ 136 sites in excess of 2.00___-___-_________-____ 122 Ferroan lepidolite (cryophyllite)______________ 136 Relation between Li.O and F_______________ 122 Relation between aluminum lithium micas and ferrous Relation between LijO content, octahedral occu­ lithium micas--__--__--_-_--------------_-..--_-_- 137 pancy, and structure-_________________________ 122 Unusual lithium micas______-__--_-________- ______ 139 Discussion.____________________________________ 126 Ferrous lithium micas_______________________________ 127 Summary. __________________________________________ 140 Previous interpretations of composition.___________ 127 References cited-_______-______-_-___-_-__.__..______ 141 Compositional changes shown by analyses--------- 129 Index-_---__-__-_--_-_---__---__--_-____-_--.______ 147 ILLUSTRATIONS Page FIGURE 25. Relation between octahedral sites occupied by Li and vacated by Al in aluminum lithium micas.__.__..______ 120 26. Relation between (Li R+2) and Si in aluminum lithium micas__-__--___-__-_--_------_-____--____-.--_-__ 121 27. Relation between the number of formula sites occupied by Li and R+3 in aluminum lithium micas. ____..____ 122 28. Relation between Li and octahedral occupancy in excess of 2.00 in aluminum lithium micas___-_-____-._______ 123 29. Relation between Li20 and F in aluminum lithium micas----__---_--_-_---__-_-__---___--_ ____.._ 123 30. Relation between F and H.O+ in aluminum lithium micas.__________-_-__________--__-_-__---___..__---_ 123 31. Relation between Li occupancy, octahedral occupancy, and structural type in Stevens' and Berggren's samples, 125 32. Histograms of selected formulas showing the relation of lithian muscovites and lepidolites-__________________ 127 33. Relation between Li, R+2(Fe+2, Mn+2, Mg), and octahedral R+3 (Al, Fe+3) + Ti+4 in aluminum lithium micas__ 128 34. Relation between Li and octahedral R+3 cations in siderophyllites and ferrous lithium micas_________.. 130 35. Relation between Li and Fe+2 in siderophyllites and ferrous lithium micas_________________________________ 130 36. Relation between Li and Si in siderophyllites and ferrous lithium micas__________________________________ 131 37. Relation between Li, R+2(Fe+2, Mn+2, Mg), and octahedral R+3 (A1, Fe+3) + Ti+4 in siderophyllites and ferrous lithium micas.-_-___-__-______-____-_-_--_____-___--____-_______-____-_-----_-_-_-___--__---___-, 131 38. Histograms of selected formulas representing steps in the siderophyllite-lepidolite series____________________ 134 39. Relation between Li, R+2(Fe+2, Mn+2, Mg), and octahedral R+3 (A1, Fe+3) + Ti+* in lithium micas...-.-____-_ 138 ra IV CONTENTS TABLES Page TABLE 1. Relation between Li2O content, octahedral occupancy, and structure of lithium micas analyzed by Stevens 124 2. Comparison of Li occupancy, Li-(octahedral Al) replacement ratio, and structure--------------------------- 126 3. Selected formulas illustrating relation between lithian muscovites and lepidolites_.__-_-_-_---___--_ .__ 126 4. Selected formulas representing steps in the siderophyllite-lepidolite series ------ _____-._-__-______ .___ 133 5. Analyses of lithian micas that do not fit in the aluminum lithium or ferrous lithium series._._-____-____-__-. 139 6. Analyses, with data for writing formulas, of aluminum lithium micas used in interpretation of composition (in order of increasing Li2O content)-__-----_-___---_----_------_-------------------------------------- 142 7. Analyses, with data for writing formulas, of siderophyllites and ferrous lithium micas used in interpretation of composition (in order of increasing Li2O content)__-_____--_--_--------------------------------------- 144 8. Analyses, with data for writing formulas, of siderophyllites and ferrous lithium micas not used in interpretation of composition (in order of increasing Li2O content)-.-------------------------------------------------- 146 SHORTER CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY INTERPRETATION OF THE COMPOSITION OF LITHIUM MICAS By MARGARET D. FOSTER ABSTRACT layer-charge relations of the dioctahedral potassium A study of more than 100 analyses of lithium micas reported in micas (Foster, 1956) and of the trioctahedral micas the literature indicates that, compositionally, most of the lithium micas may be interpreted as if derived by isomorphous replace­ (Foster, 1960). In the study of the dioctahedral potas­ ment from muscovite or siderophyllite. sium micas, the effect of octahedral replacement of tri- Starting with muscovite, analyses and formulas of aluminum valent by bivalent cations on the charge relation and lithium micas, arranged in order of increasing Li content, are composition of the constituent layers was studied in characterized by decrease in octahedral Al and in tetrahedral Al detail, and it was shown that these micas can be classi­ and by increase in Si and in octahedral occupancy. These changes can be interpreted as the result of progressive replace­ fied and correlated on the basis of the relation between ment of octahedral Al by Li, in ratios varying between 2 and 3 the charges on their tetrahedral and octahedral layers, Li for 1 octahedral Al. The aluminum lithium micas are not, and that these micas are members of, and form, a trisi- however, members of a continuous isomorphous series. The licictetrasilicic series. In the study of the trioctahedral series is interrupted about halfway between an octahedral occu­ micas, the effect of octahedral replacement of bivalent pancy of 2.00 and 3.00 by a change in structure from muscovite to lepidolite. The term "lithian" muscovite is given to aluminum by trivalent cations on the charge relations and composi­ lithium micas having a muscovite structure. tion of the constituent layers was studied in detail and Starting with siderophyllite, or other trioctahedral micas it was shown that the trioctahedral micas accommo­ having high Fe+2 and very low Mg content, analyses and formulas date the additional number of positive charges carried of ferrous lithium micas, arranged in order of increasing Li by trivalent cations, compared with bivalent cations, content, are characterized by decrease in Fe+2, decrease in tetrahedral Al, increase in Si, and increase in octahedral occu­ in two quite different ways, and that the phlogopites, pancy. These changes can be interpreted as the result of pro­ biotites, siderophyllites, and lepidomelanes form a gressive replacement by Li+I of Fe+2, at an average replacement complete magnesium-replacement system, in which ratio of 2.0 Li+l for 1.5 Fe+2. As there is less difference be­ Mg+2 is gradually and completely replaced by bivalent tween the number of positive charges carried by the replac­ and trivalent cations. ing cations and the replaced cations than in the aluminum lithium micas, the change in composition and the increase in It is the purpose of the present paper to present a octahedral occupancy is less in the ferrous lithium micas. The similar study of the composition and layer-charge prototype, siderophyllite, is structurally trioctahedral, and, as relations of the lithium micas. replacement tends to increase octahedral occupancy, the ferrous lithium micas are also trioctahedral and no structural adjust­ CALCULATION OF FORMULAS ments are necessary. The ferrous lithium mica series is, there­ For the present study about 80 analyses of aluminum fore, not broken as is the aluminum lithium mica series. Varietal definitions based on octahedral sites occupied by Li+l in the
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