Transmission Electron Microscopy of Fine-Grained Phyllosilicates in Ultra-Thin Rock Sections

Abstract
A method is described for preparing electron-transparent sections of fine-grained argillaceous rocks suitable for making transmission micrographs. A sediment and a slate are used as examples. Sections perpendicular to bedding or cleavage yield diffraction patterns with clearly defined 00l reflections. These allow immediate identification of 7, 10 and 14 Å structures. The combination of detailed textural information with structural identification of individual phyllosilicate particles affords a powerful method for the investigation of late diagenetic and early metamorphic changes in sediments.