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Clay Minerals: From Paleoclimatic and Paleoenvironmental Indicators to Industrial Raw...
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Clay Minerals: From Paleoclimatic and Paleoenvironmental Indicators to Industrial Raw Materials

A special issue of Minerals (ISSN 2075-163X). This special issue belongs to the section "Clays and Engineered Mineral Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2025 | Viewed by 4702

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Elisa Laita

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Guest Editor
Departamento de Geología, Universidad de Jaén, Campus Las Lagunillas, 23071 Jaén, Spain
Interests: clay minerals from a geological and industrial point of view; clay minerals and their isotopic composition as palaeolcimatic indicators; clay minerals as raw materials in the refractory industry
Dr. Javier García-Rivas

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Mineralogy and Petrology, Faculty of Geosciences, Complutense University of Madrid, C/Jose António Novais 12, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Interests: clay minerals from a geological point of view; crystal-chemistry of clay minerals; VNIR- SWIR spectroscopy of clay minerals; physical-chemical properties of clay minerals
Dr. Isabel Abad

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Departamento de Geología, Universidad de Jaén, Campus Las Lagunillas, 23071 Jaén, Spain
Interests: low-grade metamorphism in clastic materials, crystalchemical and textural characterization of shales by high resolution techniques (HRTEM, SEM); phyllosilicate changes in low-T environments; mineralogical and geochemical characterization of ferruginous materials

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Clays and clay minerals constitute important mineral resources from both scientific and industrial perspectives. The genesis of clay minerals take place when low-temperature aqueous solutions interact with rocks on the Earth’s surface. Certain factors such as the environment, the temperature, the amount of water available, or the type of weathered rock determine the clay minerals formed. Therefore, clay minerals can provide information about the paleoclimate or paleoenvironment under which they were formed. On the other hand, clays are also materials of great industrial and economic interest. Currently, clays are used in many types of industries since they constitute important components used in the manufacturing of many products, such as plastics, paper, cement, absorbent materials, ceramic and refractory materials, among others. The physical and chemical characterization of different clays (e.g., kaolin, smectites, fibrous clays) is of great interest since their industrial applications are closely related to their structure and composition. We invite you to contribute to this Special Issue of Minerals entitled “Clay Minerals: From Paleoclimatic and Paleoenvironmental Indicators to Industrial Raw Materials”.

Dr. Elisa Laita
Dr. Javier García-Rivas
Dr. Isabel Abad
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Minerals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • paleoclimate
  • paleoenvironment
  • weathering
  • industrial clays
  • kaolin
  • fibrous clays

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 4682 KiB  
Article
The Burela Kaolin Deposit (NW Spain): Genesis, Composition and Micro- and Nanotexture
by Blanca Bauluz, Alfonso Yuste, Sergio Alvira and Andrea García-Vicente
Minerals 2025, 15(4), 416; https://doi.org/10.3390/min15040416 - 17 Apr 2025
Viewed by 314
Abstract
A set of samples from the Monte Castelo kaolin deposits (Burela, NW Spain), corresponding to igneous acidic rocks affected by chemical weathering with variable intensity have been investigated in order to establish the mineralogical and chemical changes with weathering, and the micro- and [...] Read more.
A set of samples from the Monte Castelo kaolin deposits (Burela, NW Spain), corresponding to igneous acidic rocks affected by chemical weathering with variable intensity have been investigated in order to establish the mineralogical and chemical changes with weathering, and the micro- and nano-scale textures developed. For the study, XRD, FESEM, HRTEM and chemical analyses have been used. The more intense the weathering, the more the dissolution of aluminosilicates (albite, K feldspars and K micas) and the crystallization of kaolinite is favored. Kaolinite grows, forming booklets and generating a fine-grained matrix and, along the cleavages of muscovite, forming mica–kaolinite intergrowths. Bidimensional crystallographic continuity between mica and kaolinite has been observed and no intermediate phases have been identified as a consequence of the high W/R ratio. Kaolin mainly contains kaolinite with high crystallinity; however, when there are quartz impurities, they interfere with the ‘optimal’ reflections for the calculation of the Hinckley index. In this case, the use of the AGFI index almost eliminates the effect that the relative intensities of the quartz and feldspar impurities may have on those of kaolinite. With weathering, there is a progressive decrease in the contents of most chemical elements, except Al, TiO2, HREEs, Ta, Hf, Th, U, V, Cr, S, Zr, Mo and Sn. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Clay Minerals: From Paleoclimatic and Paleoenvironmental Indicators to Industrial Raw Materials)
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28 pages, 8653 KiB  
Article
Controls on the Transformation of Clay Minerals in the Miocene Evaporite Deposits of the Ukrainian Carpathian Foredeep
by Yaroslava Yaremchuk, Sofiya Hryniv and Tadeusz Peryt
Minerals 2025, 15(4), 395; https://doi.org/10.3390/min15040395 - 8 Apr 2025
Viewed by 235
Abstract
Clays deposited in marine evaporite sequences are strongly altered, and the most important factor determining their transformation is brine concentration. An X-ray diffraction study of clay minerals associated with the Lower and Middle Miocene evaporite formations of the Ukrainian Carpathian Foredeep indicated that [...] Read more.
Clays deposited in marine evaporite sequences are strongly altered, and the most important factor determining their transformation is brine concentration. An X-ray diffraction study of clay minerals associated with the Lower and Middle Miocene evaporite formations of the Ukrainian Carpathian Foredeep indicated that the clay mineral assemblages in the gypsum facies are composed of smectite and illite, and, in some samples, mixed-layer chlorite–smectite and illite–smectite, as well as chlorite. In the halite facies, illite, chlorite, and mixed-layer illite–smectite occur in rock salt of Eggenburgian age (Vorotyshcha Suite); in addition to those minerals, smectite, corrensite, and mixed-layer chlorite–smectite occur in the Badenian rock salt (Tyras Suite); and in the potash facies, illite and chlorite were recorded. Such clay mineral assemblages resulted from the aggradational transformation of unstable and labile minerals and phases (kaolinite, smectite, and mixed-layer phases) that finally pass into illite and chlorite, minerals that are stable in an evaporite environment. In addition to brine concentration control, another important factor in the transformations of clay minerals was the sorption of organic components on the mineral structure, which slows the transformation processes. The assemblage of clay minerals in the weathering zone of the evaporite deposits, besides inherited illite and chlorite, also contains mixed-layer illite–smectite and kaolinite. The appearance of those clay minerals in hypergene deposits is the consequence of two processes: degradational transformation (illite–smectite) and neoformation (kaolinite) in conditions of decreased ionic concentrations during desalination. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Clay Minerals: From Paleoclimatic and Paleoenvironmental Indicators to Industrial Raw Materials)
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19 pages, 15029 KiB  
Article
Thermal Behaviour of a Carbonatic Clay: A Multi-Analytical Approach
by Corina Ionescu, Viorica Simon, Volker Hoeck and Ágnes Gál
Minerals 2025, 15(4), 390; https://doi.org/10.3390/min15040390 - 7 Apr 2025
Viewed by 319
Abstract
A Miocene carbonatic clay quarried in Transylvania (Romania) has been used for more than 100 years for the production of traditional ceramic ware, bricks, and tiles. To investigate the mineralogical and microstructural changes of this clay when heated between 700 °C and 1200 [...] Read more.
A Miocene carbonatic clay quarried in Transylvania (Romania) has been used for more than 100 years for the production of traditional ceramic ware, bricks, and tiles. To investigate the mineralogical and microstructural changes of this clay when heated between 700 °C and 1200 °C, a combination of polarized light optical microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was applied. Primary mineral phases such as illite, muscovite, feldspar, carbonate, Fe oxyhydroxides, and quartz undergo a gradual thermal alteration and form, besides a glassy phase, a wide range of minerals such as gehlenite, clinopyroxene, feldspar, maghemite, hematite, mullite, and α-cristobalite. These firing phases can be regarded as ‘ceramic markers’. A comparison between the data obtained by several methods is discussed. The combination of the optical appearance and the microstructure on one side, and the specific associations of primary phases and ceramic markers on the other side, can be used as a ‘ceramic thermometer’ in estimating the firing temperature for ancient ceramics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Clay Minerals: From Paleoclimatic and Paleoenvironmental Indicators to Industrial Raw Materials)
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24 pages, 5066 KiB  
Article
Physicochemical and Mineralogical Characterizations of Two Natural Laterites from Burkina Faso: Assessing Their Potential Usage as Adsorbent Materials
by Corneille Bakouan, Louise Chenoy, Boubié Guel and Anne-Lise Hantson
Minerals 2025, 15(4), 379; https://doi.org/10.3390/min15040379 - 4 Apr 2025
Viewed by 442
Abstract
In the framework of lateritic material valorization, we demonstrated how the geological environment determines the mineralogical characterizations of two laterite samples, KN and LA. KN and LA originate from the Birimian and Precambrian environments, respectively. We showed that the geological criterion alone does [...] Read more.
In the framework of lateritic material valorization, we demonstrated how the geological environment determines the mineralogical characterizations of two laterite samples, KN and LA. KN and LA originate from the Birimian and Precambrian environments, respectively. We showed that the geological criterion alone does not determine the applicability of these laterites as potential adsorbents but must be associated with their physicochemical properties. The characterizations were carried out using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Thermal analysis, and Atomic Emission Spectrometry Coupled with an Inductive Plasma Source. The major mineral phases obtained by X-ray diffraction analysis coupled with infrared analysis showed that the KN and LA laterite samples were composed of quartz (33.58% to 45.77%), kaolinite (35.64% to 17.05%), hematite (13.36% to 11.43%), and goethite (7.44% to 6.31%). The anionic exchange capacity of the KN and LA laterites ranged from 86.50 ± 3.40 to 73.91 ± 9.94 cmol(-)·kg−1 and from 73.59 ± 3.02 to 64.56 ± 4.08 cmol(-)·kg−1, respectively, and the cation exchange capacity values are in the order of 52.3 ± 2.3 and 58.7 ± 3.4 cmol(+)/Kg for the KN and LA samples, respectively. The specific surface values determined by the BET method were 58.65 m2/g and 41.15 m2/g for the KN and LA samples, respectively. The effects of adsorbent doses on As(III,V), Pb(II), and Cu(II) adsorption were studied. At 5 mg/L As and 15 g/L adsorbent (pH 6.5–7), arsenate removal was 99.72 ± 0.35% and 99.58 ± 0.45% for KN and LA, respectively, whereas arsenite removal reached 83.52 ± 2.21% and 98.59 ± 0.64% for LA and KN, respectively. The Pb(II) and Cu(II) removal rates were 74.20 ± 0.95% for 2.4 g/L KN and 54.18 ± 0.01% for 8 g/L KN, respectively. Based on their physicochemical and mineralogical characteristics, the KN and LA laterite samples were shown to possess a high potential as adsorbent material candidates for removing heavy metals and/or anionic species from groundwater. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Clay Minerals: From Paleoclimatic and Paleoenvironmental Indicators to Industrial Raw Materials)
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13 pages, 5529 KiB  
Article
Effect of Interaction Between Expandable Minerals and Glycerin-Based Fluids on the Occurrence of Accretion
by Ana P. O. Sousa, Mário C. S. Lima, Waleska R. P. Costa, Renalle C. A. M. Nascimento, João M. P. Q. Delgado, Antonio G. B. Lima and Luciana V. Amorim
Minerals 2025, 15(3), 245; https://doi.org/10.3390/min15030245 - 27 Feb 2025
Viewed by 364
Abstract
Glycerin-based fluids are proposed as a promising alternative to inhibited fluids in the drilling of highly-reactive formations. However, even with the use of these fluids, it is still possible to observe the occurrence of problems related to the balling of drill bits and [...] Read more.
Glycerin-based fluids are proposed as a promising alternative to inhibited fluids in the drilling of highly-reactive formations. However, even with the use of these fluids, it is still possible to observe the occurrence of problems related to the balling of drill bits and drill pipes, such as the agglomeration and accretion of cuttings. This study aims to analyze how the interaction between expandable minerals from reactive formations and glycerin-based drilling fluids affects the stability of oil wells, focusing on the occurrence and extent of the accretion phenomenon. For this purpose, bentonite pellets were characterized regarding their mineralogical composition and plastic behavior. In addition, accretion tests were performed in order to evaluate the interaction between bentonite pellets and glycerin-based drilling fluids containing different types of inhibitors. The results revealed that the pellets were predominantly composed of interstratified illite–smectite (IS) clay minerals and presented highly plastic properties with a high degree of expansion. Furthermore, it was found that the accretion percentages were significant for all the fluids studied, at higher than 58%. Therefore, it was found that using glycerin in drilling fluids did not stabilize expandable minerals in reactive formations, even with different expansion inhibitors, which were ineffective in reducing the rock expansibility. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Clay Minerals: From Paleoclimatic and Paleoenvironmental Indicators to Industrial Raw Materials)
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22 pages, 9157 KiB  
Article
The Miocene Source-to-Sink Evolution of Fibrous Clay Minerals in Hyperalkaline Playa-Lakes, Duero Basin (Central Spain)
by Pablo del Buey, María Esther Sanz-Montero, Juan Pablo Rodríguez-Aranda, Mónica Sánchez-Román and Fernando Nieto
Minerals 2025, 15(1), 50; https://doi.org/10.3390/min15010050 - 3 Jan 2025
Viewed by 1024
Abstract
Palygorskite is assumed to be the predominant clay mineral in playa-lakes, where it may be detrital or authigenic in origin. Discriminating between detrital and authigenic clays is crucial to elucidate paleoenvironmental conditions in lacustrine deposits. This study provides insight into the sedimentary evolution [...] Read more.
Palygorskite is assumed to be the predominant clay mineral in playa-lakes, where it may be detrital or authigenic in origin. Discriminating between detrital and authigenic clays is crucial to elucidate paleoenvironmental conditions in lacustrine deposits. This study provides insight into the sedimentary evolution of clay minerals from source, lacustrine Miocene marlstones and mudstones, to sink, represented by three recent hyperalkaline playa-lakes in Central Spain. XRD, TEM, and AEM analyses show concomitant detrital and authigenic palygorskites in the three playa-lakes. The inherited palygorskites exhibit degradation features, larger widths, and common and ideal compositions, in contrast to neoformed particles. The latter are narrower. Depending on the hydrochemical composition of each playa-lake, neoformed palygorskites are enriched in a different octahedral cation (Al2O3, MgO, and Fe2O3). Iron-rich palygorskites are only formed in association with authigenic saponites in one of the playa-lakes. The same effect of magnesium competition between smectite and palygorskite is observed in Miocene mudstones, where palygorskite is relatively enriched in iron. In hyperalkaline, seasonal playa-lakes lying in the vicinity, slight physicochemical differences play a crucial role in the crystallochemical composition of authigenic palygorskites, highlighting the use of this mineral as a geochemical proxy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Clay Minerals: From Paleoclimatic and Paleoenvironmental Indicators to Industrial Raw Materials)
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28 pages, 7345 KiB  
Article
Palaeoclimatic Inferences from Clayey-Iron Palaeosols: A Weathering Event Recorded in the Middle–Upper Jurassic Unconformity (South Iberian Palaeomargin, Western Tethys)
by Elisa Laita, Isabel Abad and Matías Reolid
Minerals 2024, 14(8), 741; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14080741 - 24 Jul 2024
Viewed by 1274
Abstract
The study of iron crusts containing iron-coated grains from different sections of the Prebetic (SE Iberia) and the overlying marine sedimentary rocks also containing iron-coated grains in the Prebetic and the Iberian Range (NE Iberia) allowed us to determine the palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental [...] Read more.
The study of iron crusts containing iron-coated grains from different sections of the Prebetic (SE Iberia) and the overlying marine sedimentary rocks also containing iron-coated grains in the Prebetic and the Iberian Range (NE Iberia) allowed us to determine the palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental conditions under which they originated. The iron crusts are mainly composed of clay minerals (kaolinite and illitic phases) and/or goethite and hematite. The kaolinite texture indicates that it is authigenic, whereas the illitic phases are probably detrital. The mineralogy and texture of the iron crusts allow us to classify them as plinthitic palaeosols. The iron-coated grains consisting of a nucleus and a cortex, both composed of a mixture of kaolinite, goethite, and hematite, originated in situ during the plinthite development. Reworking processes caused the fragmentation and incorporation of the iron-coated grains into the overlying ferruginous oolithic limestones and terrigenous-carbonated breccia. New marine iron-coated grains formed later in the ferruginous oolithic limestones. The high Chemical Index of Alteration and Chemical Index of Weathering values and the geochemical ratios (Ba/Sr, Rb/Sr, Sr/Cu, Ga/Rb) from iron deposits reflect intense weathering under warm and humid conditions in the South Iberian Palaeomargin during the Callovian–Oxfordian, which may also take place in the East Iberian Palaeomargin (Iberian Range). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Clay Minerals: From Paleoclimatic and Paleoenvironmental Indicators to Industrial Raw Materials)
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