The 2M1 dioctahedral mica polytype: a crystal chemical study

The structure of dioctahedral true micas such as muscovite and celadonitic muscovite (2M1 polytype, Space Group C2/c) is mostly affected by variations of the octahedral Al content ([vi]Al). Crystals with greater Mg, Fe substitutions (i.e., celadonitic muscovite) reduce the dimensional difference between the larger trans-oriented M(1) site and smaller cis-oriented M(2) octahedral site. The octahedral anionic position O(4) is displaced from the center of the hexagon, defined by O(31) and O(32) oxygen atoms (i.e., “octahedral hexagon”), both on and off the (001) plane. The distance between interlayer cation A and O(4) is smaller in more substituted species, thus providing different orientations of the O(4)-H vector, as a function of [vi]Al. Octahedral distances and are expressed as a function of cell parameters and [vi]Al content, thus allowing an approximate estimate of site dimensions. These approximations are useful when a detailed structural refinement is not available. In celadonitic muscovite, the octahedral hexagon mean edge is not significantly affected by [vi]Al content. The [vi]Al increase produces both a decrease in cell lateral dimensions and a distorted “octahedral hexagon”. The decrease in a and b is consistent with a decrease of , whereas the distortion of the “octahedral hexagon” is consistent with an increase of , because an irregular hexagon produces a longer mean edge than a regular hexagon of equal area.The tetrahedral mean basal edge is reduced as celadonitic substitution progresses. The tetrahedral rotation angle was thus found to increase from celadonite to muscovite. However in muscovite with [vi]Al content between 1.8 and 2.0 atoms per formula unit (apfu), approaches a saturation value, thus showing a proportional increase of tetrahedral and octahedral sheet lateral dimensions. Furthermore, alpha variation allows a coarse approximation of the threshold [vi]Al content, below which celadonitic substitution may not progress.