Estimate of clay minerals amounts from XRD pattern modeling: The Arquant model

Philippe Blanc , Olivier Legendre (1) , Eric Gaucher (1)

1 BRGM - Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières (BRGM)

This work presents an XRD pattern model applied to the quantification of clay minerals in the <2 μm fraction. The model is based on a linear combination of patterns previously simulated with specific codes. The modeling procedure is especially adapted to the oriented deposits performed from a suspension although it can also apply to the oriented pastes. The estimate of mica-like phases proportions allows to correct efficiently the illite amounts obtained. The model displays an interesting accuracy with an uncertainty of 8.6% at 59% of confidence. It is applied to the analysis of a natural sample, collected from a particular clay rock formation, related to the French nuclear waste storage project.

Keywords: Clay minerals; XRD pattern; Modeling; Quantification

Domains: Earth Sciences

Philippe Blanc, Olivier Legendre, Eric Gaucher. Estimate of clay minerals amounts from XRD pattern modeling: The Arquant model. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Parts A/B/C, 2007, 32 (1-7), pp.135-144. ⟨10.1016/j.pce.2006.03.004⟩. ⟨hal-03647346⟩