STRUCTURE-COMPOSITION RELATIONSHIPS IN TRIOCTAHEDRAL CHLORITES: A VIBRATIONAL SPECTROSCOPY STUDY

Abstract--Raman d Fourier-transformed infrared spectra of natural trioctahedral chlorites of polytype IIb were obtained for a series of samples characterized by distinct Fe/(Fe + Mg) and Si/Al ratios ranging, respectively, from 0.04 to 0.94 and from 5.18 to 1.86. All samples were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, and quantitative electron microprobe analysis. In the 3683-3610-cm- ~ spectral range, the wave number of the OH-stretching band from the 2: l layer (band I) decreased with an increase of iron content at constant Al(IV) content. The more intense bands II and III at about 3600 cm l and 3500 cm-1, were assigned to hydroxyl groups involved in hydrogen bonds: (SiSi)O... HO, with the hydrogen bonds being roughly perpendicular to the basal plane, and (SiA1)O... HO, respectively. At higher tetrahedral A1 and octahedral Fe contents, pectra exhibited OH-bands II and III, respectively, ata lower frequency. Band III intensity increased and band II was enlarged for chlorites displaying higher AI(IV) contents. In the 1300-1350-cm l spectral range, most infrared spectra displayed intense bands at 1090, 1050, 990, and 960 cm ~, which were assigned to T-O stretching of symmetry species A1 and El. The second type of bands observed both in Raman and infrared spectra were at about 650-800 cm ~; they were assigned to OH vibrations and were strongly dependent on the composition ofthe interlayer octahedral sheet, especially on the Fe content. Key Words--Chlorite, Hydroxyl, Infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, Structure