Crystal chemistry of a Ba-dominant analogue of hydrodelhayelite and natural ion-exchange transformations in double- and triple-layer phyllosilicates in post-volcanic systems of the Eifel region, Germany

A Ba-dominant (Ba > K) analogue of hydrodelhayelite (BDAH) from Lohley (Eifel Mts., Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany) and Ba-enriched varieties of related double- and triple-layer phyllosilicates from Eifel are studied. The crystal structure of BDAH was solved by direct methods and refined to R = 0.0698 [1483 unique reflections with I > 2σ(I)]. It is orthorhombic, Pmmn, a = 23.9532(9), b = 7.0522(3), c = 6.6064(3) A, V = 1115.97(8) A3, Z = 2. The structure is based upon delhayelite-type double-layer tetrahedral blocks [(Al,Si)4Si12O34(OH,O)4] connected by chains of (Ca,Fe)-centered octahedra. Ba2+ and subordinate K+ occur at partially vacant sites in zeolitic channels within the tetrahedral blocks. The crystal-chemical formula of BDAH is: (Ba0.42K0.34□0.24)(Ca0.88Fe0.12)2(□0.90Mg0.10)2[Si6(Al0.5Si0.5)2O17(OH0.71O0.29)2]⋅6H2O. The formation of BDAH and Ba-rich varieties of altered delhayelite/fivegite, gunterblassite and hillesheimite is considered as a result of leaching of Na, Cl, F and, partially, K and Ca accompanied with hydration and the capture of Ba as a result of natural ion exchange. These minerals are structurally a “bridge” between single-layer phyllosilicates and zeolites having the open three-dimensional tetrahedral Al-Si-O frameworks.