Analysis of illite-smectite interstratification

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Abstract
A new approach to understanding illite-smectite interstratification is formulated which incorporates the concepts of interparticle diffraction and elementary illite particles. The analysis shows that nearest-neighbour ordering, non-nearest-neighbour ordering, ordering at the illite end of the composition scale, and the lack of ordering at the smectite end can be explained by expandable interfaces between elementary, i.e. two silicate layers, and larger illite particles. Ordering in I/S clays is significant only when the probability of occurrence of illite is ∼80%. New concepts proposed are an order parameter (ω) and an expansion parameter (β). Interparticle diffraction implies that I/S clays are unusual among all crystalline materials since their XRD size is equal to or larger than the size of their constituent physically separable particles.