Environmental influences on the occurrences of sepiolite and palygorskite: a brief review

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Abstract

Sepiolite is a hydrous magnesium silicate formed by precipitation of near-surface brackish or saline waters, under semi-arid climatic conditions. Four major influences on the distribution of sepiolite are source materials, climate, physical parameters and associated phase relations. Two major pathways governing the occurrence of sepiolite and palygorskite are direct precipitation from solution, and the transformation of precursor phases by dissolution–precipitation. Sepiolite is most commonly found as a result of the former process, whereas palygorskite is often characterized as a product of the latter. Thus, sepiolite typically occurs in lacustrine, often saline, strata, while palygorskite is commonly found in conjunction with soils, alluvium, or most abundantly, calcretes. Here, we review briefly some examples of sepiolite deposits in Spain, Turkey, Argentina, USA, and the African countries of Kenya, Morocco, Tunisia, Senegal, Somalia and South Africa.
Publication type Book chapter
Publication Subtype Book Chapter
Title Environmental influences on the occurrences of sepiolite and palygorskite: a brief review
ISBN 9780444536075
DOI 10.1016/B978-0-444-53607-5.00003-7
Volume 3
Year Published 2011
Language English
Publisher Elsevier
Contributing office(s) National Research Program
Description 15 p.
Larger Work Type Book
Larger Work Subtype Other Government Series
Larger Work Title Developments in Clay Science
First page 69
Last page 83
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