Vermiculite at1UI expand Ore

Spectrum Details

Modality

NIR

Category

man-made

Material Type

Expanded Phyllosilicates

Sample ID

at1UI

Collection Locality

This sample is from the attic of a home in Moscow, Idaho, and was provided by Mickey Gunter (University of Idaho) in 2006.

Spectral Purity

1b2_3_4_ # 1= 0.2-3, 2= 1.5-6, 3= 6-25, 4= 20-150 microns

Composition / XRD

None # XRF, EPMA, ICP(Trace), WChem

Sample Description

The sample has a mottled golden color with a few dark grains and grains range in size from 2-15 mm (Fig. at1UI.photo.1). A modified Cincinnati floation method was carried out on this sample. The sink fraction consists of mica flakes and small elongate amphibole bundles, the later of which were mounted on a stub for SEM examination. The abundance of elongate amphibole bundles in the sink fraction indicates up to a few weight percent amphibole particles in this sample. See text for details of modified Cincinnati Method. The sample has a spectral signature similar to that of expanded vermiculite ore from Libby, Montana, USA. Original spectrum published in: IMAGE_OF_SAMPLE:

XRD Analysis

Rietveld refinement XRD analysis (limited quantities of sample and no internal standard) of the Cincinnati Method sink fraction indicates the presence of major microcline and quartz, minor albite, calcite, phlogopite (Fig. at1UI.XRD.2). Elongate amphibole bundles were removed from the sink fraction for SEM examination prior to XRD analyses.

X Units

cm⁻¹

Y Units

Absorbance

Data Points

2,126