Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dk4vv Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-22T05:26:23.038Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Thermal behaviour of ‘metamorphic vermiculite’ in Ca-rich ancient ceramic sherds and experimental ceramics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 July 2018

C. Rathossi ,
P. Tsolis-Katagas  and
C. Katagas
C. Rathossi*
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, Section of Earth Materials, University of Patras, GR 265 04, Rion, Greece
P. Tsolis-Katagas
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, Section of Earth Materials, University of Patras, GR 265 04, Rion, Greece
C. Katagas
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, Section of Earth Materials, University of Patras, GR 265 04, Rion, Greece
*
*E-mail: C.Rathosi@upatras.gr
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

A ‘metamorphic vermiculite’-like phase was identified in Ca-rich ancient ceramic sherds from excavations in NW Peloponnese, Greece. Archaeometric investigations have shown that the raw materials used in the production of ancient ceramics were derived from local Plio-Pleistocene sediments. Analysis by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy showed that ‘metamorphic vermiculite’ is a common constituent phase of these sediments occurring in three texturally different types: as interstratified white mica-chlorite and chlorite-vermiculite, and white mica-(white mica-chlorite) stacks. In an attempt to elucidate the thermal transformation of ‘metamorphic vermiculite’ present in the calcareous raw materials, we produced experimental ceramics made from these local raw materials and fired them at 700, 750, 850, 950 and 1050°C in a static air furnace. The mixed-layered chlorite-vermiculite was transformed completely at ∼800°C contributing to the formation of new high-T minerals. The two other types of ‘metamorphic vermiculite’ retain their original lath-like shape up to 1050°C and only a few crystals show that they have undergone complete transformation at this temperature. In the latter crystals, numerous nanocrystals were formed sub-parallel to the former cleavages of ‘metamorphic vermiculite’ pseudomorphs, suggesting their contribution to the nucleation of high-T minerals (i.e. ferrian aluminian diopside, spinel, Fe oxides) by reactions with the available CaO. It is suggested that the firing conditions (i.e. maximum reaction temperature of 1050°C, reaction time of 1 h, oxygen atmosphere) which promote disequilibrium reactions, and the greater contribution of the white mica constituent against chlorite in some of the initial structures of ‘metamorphic vermiculite’ may be responsible for the delay of its thermal decomposition at 1050°C.

Keywords

ancient ceramicsPlio-Pleistocene sediments‘metamorphic vermiculite’thermal transformationexperimental firingferrian aluminian diopsideNW PeloponneseGreece
Type
Research Article
Information
Mineralogical Magazine , Volume 74 , Issue 4 , August 2010 , pp. 747 - 771
Copyright
Copyright © The Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bauluz, B., Mayayo, M.J., Yuste, A., Fernandez-Nieto, C. and Gonzalez Lopez, J.M. (2004) TEM study of mineral transformations in fired carbonated clays: Relevance to brick making. Clay Minerals, 39, 333–344.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Beaufort, D. (1987) Interstratified chlorite/smectite ('metamorphic vermiculite’) in the upper Precambrian greywackes of Rouez, Southern France. Pp. 59—65 in: Proceedings of the International Clay Conference, Denver (Schultz, L.G., Van Olphen, H. and Mumpton, F.A., editors). The Clay Minerals Society, Bloomington, Indiana, USA.Google Scholar
Black, P.M. (1975) Mineralogy of New Caledonian metamorphic rocks. IV. Sheet silicates from Ouègoa district. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 49, 269–284.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brindley, G.W. and Lemaitre, J. (1987) Thermal, oxidation and reduction reactions of clay minerals. Pp. 319–370 in: Chemistry of Clays and Clay Minerals (Newman, A.C.D., editor). Monograph 6, Mineralogical Society, London.Google Scholar
Cultrone, G., Rodriguez-Navarro, C., Sebastian, E., Cazalla, O. and De La Torre, MJ. (2001) Carbonate and silicate phase reactions during ceramic firing. European Journal of Mineralogy, 13, 621–634.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Devineau, K., Devouard, B., Villieras, F., Faure, F., Devidal, J.L. and Kohler, A. (2006) Evolution of product phase assemblages during thermal decomposition of muscovite under strong disequilibrium conditions. American Mineralogist, 91, 413–424.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Do Campo, M. and Nieto, F. (2005) Origin of mixed-layered (Rl) muscovite-chlorite in an anchizonal slate from Puncoviscana Formation (Salta Province, Argentina). Clay Minerals, 40, 317–332.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dondi, M., Ercolani, G., Fabbri, B. and Marsigli, M. (1999) Chemical composition of melilite formed during the firing of carbonate-rich and iron-containing ceramic bodies. Journal of the American Ceramic Society, 82, 465–468.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Doutsos, T., Kontopoulos, N. and Poulimenos, G. (1988) The Corinth-Patras rift as the initial stage of continental fragmentation behind an active island arc (Greece). Basin Research, 1, 177–190.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Franceschelli, M., Mellini, M., Memmi, I. and Ricci, C.A. (1986) Fine-scale chlorite-muscovite association in low-grade metapelites from Nurra (NW Sardinia), and the possible misidentification of metamorphic vermiculite. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 93, 137–143.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Frydas, D. (1987) Kalkiges Nannoplankton aus den Neogen der NW-Peloponnes, Griechenland. Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie Monatshefte, 274-286.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Frydas, D. (1989) Biostratigraphische Untersuchungen aus dem Neogen der NW- und W-Peloponnes, Griechenland. Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Palaontologie Monatshefte, 321—344.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grapes, R.H. (2006) Pyrometamorphism. Springer, Berlin.Google Scholar
Gridi-Bennadji, F., Beneu, B., Laval, J.P. and Blanchart, P. (2008) Structural transformations of muscovite at high temperature by X-ray and neutron diffraction. Applied Clay Science, 38, 259–267.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gualtieri, A.F. and Ferrari, S. (2006) Kinetics of illite dehydroxylation. Physics and Chemistry of Minerals, 33, 490–501.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Guggenheim, S., Chang, Y.H. and Koster Van Groos, A.F. (1987) Muscovite dehydroxylation: high-temperature studies. American Mineralogist, 72, 537–550.Google Scholar
Hey, M.H. (1954) A new review on the chlorites. Mineralogical Magazine, 30, 277–298.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Johnson, LJ. (1964) Occurence of regularly interstrati-fied chlorite-vermiculite as a weathering product of chlorite in a soil. American Mineralogist, 40, 556–572.Google Scholar
Kalinichenko, E.A., Litovchenko, A.M., Bagmut, N.N. and Dekhtyaruk, N.T. (1997) The study of the kinetics and the mechanism of dehydroxylation in muscovite by ESR on Fe3+ . Physics and Chemistry of Minerals, 24, 520–527.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kloprogge, J.T. and Frost, R.L. (2000) Thermal decomposition of Ferrian chamosite: an infrared emission spectroscopic study. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 138, 59–67.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lee, J.H. and Peacor, D.R. (1985) Ordered 1:1 interstratification of illite and chlorite: a transmission and analytical electron microscopy study. Clays and Clay Minerals, 33, 463–537.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Maresch, W.V., Massonne, H.J. and Czank, M. (1985) Ordered and disordered chlorite/biotite interstratification as alteration products of chlorite. Neues Jahrbuch für Mineralogie Abhandlungen, 152, 79–100.Google Scholar
Mazzucato, E., Artioli, G. and Gualtieri, A. (1999) High temperature dehydroxylation of Muscovite-2Mi: a kinetic study by in situ XRPD. Physics and Chemistry of Minerals, 26, 375–381.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mellini, M., Nieto, F., Alvarez, F. and Gómez-Pugnaire, M.T. (1991) Mica-chlorite intermixing and altered chlorite from the Nevado-Filábride micaschists, southern Spain. European Journal of Mineralogy, 3, 27–38.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moore, D. and Reynolds, R.C., Jr. (1997) X-ray Diffraction and the Identification and Analysis of Clay Minerals. Oxford University Press, New York.Google Scholar
Murad, E. and Wagner, U. (1996) The thermal behaviour of an Fe-rich illite. Clay Minerals, 31, 45–52.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Newman, A.C.D. (1987) Chemistry of Clays and Clay Minerals. Monograph 6, Mineralogical Society, London.Google Scholar
Nicot, E. (1981) Les phyllosilicates des terrains précambriens du Nord—Ouest du Montana (USA) dans la transition anchizone — épizone. Bulletin de Mineralogie, 104, 615–624.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Petropoulos, M. (1999) Roman Lamp Workshops at Patras and the Lychnomanteion. Archaeological Bulletin, Ministry of Cultural Heritage Athens, Greece. Google Scholar
Rathossi, C. (2005) Ancient ceramics from NW Peloponnese and the provenance of their raw materials: a petrographic, mineralogical, geochem-ical and archaeometric approach. PhD thesis, University of Patras, Greece.Google Scholar
Rathossi, C. and Pontikes, Y. (2010a) Effect of firing temperature and atmosphere on ceramics made of NW Peloponnese clay sediments. Part I: Reaction paths, crystalline phases, micro structure and colour. Journal of the European Ceramic Society, 30, 1841–1851.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rathossi, C. and Pontikes, Y. (2010b) Effect of firing temperature and atmosphere on ceramics made of NW Peloponnese clay sediments: Part II. Chemistry of pyrometamorphic minerals and comparison with ancient ceramics. Journal of the European Ceramic Society, 30, 1853–1866.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rathossi, C., Katagas, C. and Tsolis-Katagas, P. (2003) Major and trace element characterization of Archaic and Roman pottery from Achaia, Greece. Pp. 217–228 in: Understanding People Through their Pottery (Isabel Prudencio, M., Isabel Dias, M. and Waerenborgh, J.C., editors). 7th European Meeting on Ancient Ceramic (EMAC'03), Greece.Google Scholar
Rathossi, C., Tsolis-Katagas, P. and Katagas, C. (2004) Technology and composition of Roman pottery in northwestern Peloponnese, Greece. Applied Clay Science, 24, 313–326.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Riccardi, M.P., Messiga, B. and Duminuco, P. (1999) An approach to the dynamics of clay firing. Applied Clay Science, 15, 393–409.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rodriguez-Navarro, C., Cultrone, G., Sanchez-Navas, A. and Sebastian, E. (2003) TEM study of mullite growth after muscovite breakdown. American Mineralogist, 88, 713–724.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ruiz Cruz, M.D. (1999) New data for metamorphic vermiculite. European Journal of Mineralogy, 11, 533–548.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ruiz Cruz, M.D. (2001) Mixed-layer mica-chlorite in very low-grade metaclastites from the Maláguide Complex (Betic Cordilleras, Spain). Clay Minerals, 36, 307–324.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ruiz Cruz, M.D. (2003) Two stages of ‘Metamorphic vermiculite’ growth in schists from the Maláguide guide Complex, Betic Cordillera, Spain. The Canadian Mineralogist, 41, 1397–1412.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ruiz Cruz, M.D. and Nieto, J.M. (2006) Chemical and structural evolution of ‘metamorphic vermiculite’ in metaclastic rocks of the Betic Cordillera, Malaga, Spain; a synthesis. The Canadian Mineralogist, 44, 249–265.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ruiz Cruz, M.D., Puga, E., Aguirre, L., Vergara, M. and Morata, D. (2002) Vermiculite-like minerals in low-grade metasediments from the Coastal Range of central Chile. Clay Minerals, 37, 221–234.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sanchez-Navas, A. (1999) Sequential kinetics of a muscovite-out reaction: A natural example. American Mineralogist, 84, 1270–1286.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tite, M.S. and Maniatis, Y. (1975) Examination of ancient pottery using the scanning electron microscope. Nature, 257, 122–123.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tsoflias, P. (1980) Geological map of Greece, Patras sheet scale 1:50.000. Institute of Geology and Mineral Exploration, Athens.Google Scholar
Vassilogamvrou, A. (2004) A.D. 53, 1998. Chronika, Bl, Athens, 272-273.Google Scholar
Vedder, W. and Wilkins, R.W.T. (1969) Dehydroxylation and rehydroxylation, oxidation and reduction of mica. American Mineralogist, 54, 482–509.Google Scholar
Velde, B. (1978) High temperature or metamorphic vermiculite. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 66, 319–323.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Velde, B. (1985) Clay Minerals -A Physico-Chemical Explanation of their Occurrence. Developments in Sedimentology, Elsevier, Amsterdam. Viti, C., Di Vincenzo, G. and Mellini, M. (2004) Thermal transformations in laser-heated chloritized annite. Physics and Chemistry of Minerals, 31, 92–101.Google Scholar
Weaver, C.E. and Pollard, L.D. (1973) The Chemistry of Clay Minerals. Developments in Sedimentology, Elsevier, Amsterdam.Google Scholar
Worden, R.H., Droop, G.T.R. and Champness, P.E. (1992) The influence of crystallography and kinetics on phengite breakdown reactions in a low-pressure metamorphic aureole. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 110, 329–345.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zelilidis, A., Koukouvelas, I. and Doutsos, T. (1988) Neogene paleostress changes behind the foreare fold belt in the Patraikos Gulf area, Western Greece. Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Palaontologie Monatshefte, 311-325.CrossRefGoogle Scholar