Cation Exchange in Ganophyllite

Stephen Guggenheim and Richard A. Eggleton
Department of Geological Sciences, University of Illinois, Chicago, Illinois 60680, USA
Geology Department, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia

Abstract: Ganophyllite has been shown to have alkali cation exchange capability. Partial cesium exchange for K + Na in large (> 0·3 mm) grains shows that the exchangeable cations migrate parallel to X, the crystallographic direction for the ‘interlayer’ tunnels. Such exchange capability supports the suggestion that the alkali elements are located in zeolite-like sites attached to the sides of the tunnels. Exchange experiments show that complete sodium substitution for potassium is possible also. Eggletonite, the Na analogue of ganophyllite, is shown to have an identical superlattice to ganophyllite, indicating that eggletonite differs from ganophyllite only by the exchangeable cation.

Keywords: ganophyllite • eggletonite • cation exchange

Mineralogical Magazine; September 1986 v. 50; no. 357; p. 517-520; DOI: 10.1180/minmag.1986.050.357.15
© 1986, The Mineralogical Society
Mineralogical Society (www.minersoc.org)