Dissolution kinetics of Ni-phyllosilicates from the Falcondo Deposit, Dominican Republic

Ni-phyllosilicates, commonly grouped under the name of "garnierites", are significant nickel ores found in hydrous silicate-type Ni-laterite deposits worldwide, formed by weathering of ultramafic rocks. Garnierites consist of one or more fine-grained nickelmagnesium phyllosilicates, including serpentine, talc, sepiolite, smectite and chlorite. They often occur as poorly crystalline micron-scale mixtures (e.g. Brindley, 1978)