MineralsPub Date : 2025-08-29DOI: 10.3390/min15090923
Peng Zhang, Xi Xi, Bo-Chao Wang
{"title":"Geochemical Signatures and Element Interactions of Volcanic-Hosted Agates: Insights from Interpretable Machine Learning","authors":"Peng Zhang, Xi Xi, Bo-Chao Wang","doi":"10.3390/min15090923","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min15090923","url":null,"abstract":"To unravel the link between agate geochemistry, host volcanic rocks, and ore-forming processes, this study integrated elemental correlation analysis, interaction interpretation, and interpretable machine learning (LightGBM-SHAP framework with SMOTE and 5-fold cross-validation) using 203 in-situ element datasets from 16 global deposits. The framework achieved 99.01% test accuracy and 97.4% independent prediction accuracy in discriminating host volcanic rock types. Key findings reveal divergence between statistical elemental correlations and geological interactions. Synergies reflect co-migration/co-precipitation, while antagonisms stem from source competition or precipitation inhibition, unraveling processes like stepwise crystallization. Rhyolite-hosted agates form via a “crust-derived magmatic hydrothermal fluid—medium-low salinity complexation—multi-stage precipitation” model, driven by high-silica fluids enriching Sb/Zn. Andesite-hosted agates follow a “contaminated fluid—hydrothermal alteration—precipitation window differentiation” model, controlled by crustal contamination. Basalt-hosted agates form through a “low-temperature hydrothermal fluid—basic alteration—progressive mineral decomposition” model, with meteoric water regulating Na-Zn relationships. Zn acts as a cross-lithology indicator, tracing crust-derived fluid processes in rhyolites, feldspar alteration intensity in andesites, and alteration timing in basalts. This work advances volcanic-agate genetic studies via “correlation—interaction—mineralization model” coupling, with future directions focusing on large-scale micro-area elemental analysis.","PeriodicalId":18601,"journal":{"name":"Minerals","volume":"15 9","pages":"923-923"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/15/9/923/pdf?version=1756474711","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147905231","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
MineralsPub Date : 2025-08-23DOI: 10.3390/min15090895
Luis Morales-Castro, Estefania Loyola, Matías Castro-Quijada, Felipe Vargas, Iván Navarrete, Claudia Eugenin, Carlos Marquardt, Álvaro Videla
{"title":"A Study on Copper Mine Tailings to Be Used as Precursor of Alkali-Activated Materials for Construction Applications","authors":"Luis Morales-Castro, Estefania Loyola, Matías Castro-Quijada, Felipe Vargas, Iván Navarrete, Claudia Eugenin, Carlos Marquardt, Álvaro Videla","doi":"10.3390/min15090895","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min15090895","url":null,"abstract":"This research presents a novel methodology to classify copper tailings according to their potential as alkali-activated materials (AAMs) for construction applications. The methodology includes geochemical and mineralogical characterization via QEMSCAN and X-ray fluorescence, with mechanical performance evaluation through compressive strength test (UCS). A three-phase diagram based on Al2O3, Fe2O3, and CaO-MgO-K2O is proposed for a fast screening of copper tailing potential to be used as a construction material. In this paper, three copper tailings were chosen to test the methodology, and a set of five samples for each tailing have been geopolymerized for testing. Copper tailing samples were mixed with 0, 2.5, 5, 7.5 and 10% by mass of Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) to evaluate the effect on performance when a chemical co-activator is used to improve material reactivity. Compressive strength testing was applied on 2 cm3 cubes after 28 days of curing at 60 °C, yielding values from 6 to 26.1 MPa. The best performing sample featured a Si/Al ≅ 3 ratio and a mineralogy with significant presence of reactive species such as plagioclase and K-feldspar (≅42%). In contrast, high levels of Fe2O3 (≥12%), clay (≥7%), and pyrite (≥4%) were associated with reduced mechanical performance.","PeriodicalId":18601,"journal":{"name":"Minerals","volume":"15 9","pages":"895-895"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/15/9/895/pdf?version=1755946285","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147381974","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
MineralsPub Date : 2025-07-22DOI: 10.3390/min15080772
Jingchao Li, Yide Xu, Tingting Chen, Yijun Cao, Guixia Fan
{"title":"Influence of Oxyanions on the Structural Memory Effect of Layered Double Hydroxides Under Aqueous Condition","authors":"Jingchao Li, Yide Xu, Tingting Chen, Yijun Cao, Guixia Fan","doi":"10.3390/min15080772","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min15080772","url":null,"abstract":"The structural memory effect is normally considered one of the most important properties of LDHs. However, certain anions can have adverse effects on it. In this study, three types of CLDHs (Mg2Al1-CLDH, Mg2Al0.5Fe0.5-CLDH, Mg2Fe1-CLDH) were obtained and used to observe their regeneration behaviors in the presence of sulfate, silicate, and phosphate, respectively, at initial pH values of 10 and 13. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA-DTG), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and N2 adsorption–desorption isotherm (BET). The results suggested that silicate and phosphate have significant impacts on the regeneration of CLDHs, while sulfate does not. Specifically, phosphate and silicate reacted with MgO to generate magnesium silicate and magnesium phosphate dibasic, which were covered on the surface of particles and hindered the hydroxylation of metal oxides. However, a higher pH can suppress the formation of new substances and promote the regeneration of LDHs. Moreover, the CLDHs with high specific surface area had a stronger anti-interference performance regarding the effects of phosphate and silicate.","PeriodicalId":18601,"journal":{"name":"Minerals","volume":"15 8","pages":"772-772"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/15/8/772/pdf?version=1753243060","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147333932","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
MineralsPub Date : 2025-07-21DOI: 10.3390/min15070763
Chonghong Zhang, Yuyang Jiang, Shuhao Qian
{"title":"The Effects of Amino Acids on the Polymorphs and Magnesium Content of Calcium–Magnesium Carbonate Minerals","authors":"Chonghong Zhang, Yuyang Jiang, Shuhao Qian","doi":"10.3390/min15070763","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min15070763","url":null,"abstract":"Calcium–magnesium (Ca–Mg) carbonates are among the most widely distributed carbonates in the Earth’s surface environment, and their formation mechanisms are of great significance for revealing geological environmental changes and carbon sequestration processes. In this study, the gas diffusion method was employed with L-glutamic acid, L-glycine, and L-lysine as nucleation templates for carbonate minerals to systematically investigate their regulatory effects on the mineralization of Ca–Mg carbonates. The results demonstrated that L-glycine, with the shortest length, was more conducive to forming aragonite, whereas acidic L-glutamic acid, which contains more carboxyl groups, was more beneficial for the structural stability of aragonite. The morphology of the Ca-Mg carbonate minerals became more diverse and promoted the formation of spherical and massive mineral aggregates under the action of amino acids. Moreover, the amino acids significantly increased the MgCO3 content in Mg calcite (L-glutamic acid: 10.86% > L-glycine: 7.91% > L-lysine: 6.63%). The acidic L-glutamic acid likely promotes the dehydration and incorporation of Mg2+ into the Mg calcite lattice through the preferential adsorption of Mg2+ via its side-chain carboxyl groups. This study shows how amino acid functional groups influence Ca–Mg carbonate mineralization and provides insights into biogenic Mg-rich mineral origins and advanced mineral material synthesis.","PeriodicalId":18601,"journal":{"name":"Minerals","volume":"15 7","pages":"763-763"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/15/7/763/pdf?version=1753089788","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147878039","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
MineralsPub Date : 2025-07-03DOI: 10.3390/min15070712
Jian Kang, L. Tong, Qin Zhang, Han Zhao, Xinyao Wang, Bin Xiong, Hongying Yang
{"title":"Synergistic Leaching of Low-Grade Tungsten–Molybdenum Ore via a Novel KMnO4-Na2CO3-NaHCO3 Composite System Guided by Process Mineralogy","authors":"Jian Kang, L. Tong, Qin Zhang, Han Zhao, Xinyao Wang, Bin Xiong, Hongying Yang","doi":"10.3390/min15070712","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min15070712","url":null,"abstract":"The mineral processing of a low-grade tungsten-molybdenum ore (LGTMO) was investigated to assess the potential of recovering molybdenum (Mo) and tungsten (W). Techniques such as Polarizing Microscope (PM), Scanning Electron Microscopy-Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), Mineral Liberation Analysis (MLA), and Advanced Mineral Identification and Characterization System (AMICS) were employed. The recoverable metals in the ore are Mo (0.158% ± 0.03%) and W (0.076% ± 0.02%). Mo exists in two forms: 63.30% as molybdenite and 36.7% as powellite (CaMoxW1−xO4). W is present as 75.26% scheelite and 24.74% powellite. The complete dissociation rates of molybdenite and scheelite-powellite are 27.14% and 88.87%, respectively. Particles of scheelite-powellite with a diameter less than 10 µm account for 34.61%, while molybdenite particles with a diameter below 10 µm make up 72.73%. Scheelite-powellite is mainly associated with olivine and dolomite, while molybdenite is mainly associated with pyroxene, calcite, and hornblende. Based on the process mineralogy, the mineralogical factors influencing the flotation recovery of molybdenite and scheelite-powellite were analyzed. Finally, a complete hydrometallurgical leaching test was carried out. The optimal experimental conditions are as follows: liquid-solid ratio of 6 mL/g, KMnO4 concentration of 0.015 mol/L, Na2CO3 concentration of 0.12 mol/L, NaHCO3 concentration of 0.024 mol/L, leaching time of 4 h, and leaching temperature of 85 °C. Under these conditions, the leaching efficiencies of Mo and W reach 79.23% and 41.41%, respectively. This study presents a novel approach for the recovery of refractory W and Mo resources in LGTMO while simultaneously providing a theoretical basis for the high-efficiency utilization of these resources.","PeriodicalId":18601,"journal":{"name":"Minerals","volume":"15 7","pages":"712-712"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/15/7/712/pdf?version=1751599510","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147879705","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Distribution of Thallium in Sediments of the Fiora River Catchment, Central Italy: Implications for Its Sources","authors":"Alessia Nannoni, Pierfranco Lattanzi, Guia Morelli, Cesare Fagotti, Rossella Friani, Valentina Rimondi, Pilario Costagliola","doi":"10.3390/min15070678","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min15070678","url":null,"abstract":"Previous studies documented the contribution of toxic elements (Hg, As, and Sb) from the dismissed Monte Amiata Mining District (Italy), the third largest Hg producer worldwide, to the Mediterranean Sea. Another highly toxic element, thallium (Tl), received less attention. Here we report a reconnaissance study of the spatial variability of Tl content in stream sediments across the Fiora River catchment, which drains part of the Hg and Sb mining districts. Thallium contents are comparatively low (≤0.4 mg/kg) in sediments of creeks directly draining the mining areas, whereas they increase up to 2 mg/kg in the catchment section that drains the Vulsini ultrapotassic volcanic province, where no known mineral deposits occur. Results suggest that Hg and Sb deposits cannot be the only Tl source in the catchment. The most likely alternative/additional candidate are the high-K volcanic rocks. Although no specific data for the Vulsini district exist, a distinct Tl geochemical anomaly linked to the Latium volcanic province is present. The total Tl mass contained in sediments discharged yearly into the Mediterranean Sea from the Fiora River is estimated in the order of 0.1 t. This reconnaissance study indicates a non-negligible potential release of Tl from the mining districts and volcanic catchments in Central Italy and suggests the opportunity of further investigation on Tl distribution and speciation in the area.","PeriodicalId":18601,"journal":{"name":"Minerals","volume":"15 7","pages":"678-678"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/15/7/678/pdf?version=1750765358","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147382095","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
MineralsPub Date : 2025-06-10DOI: 10.3390/min15060628
Weiping Yan, Boyuan Zhang, Yaohui Yang, Jian Deng, Weisi Li
{"title":"The Cavitation Characteristics of Micro–Nanobubbles and Their Effects on the Flotation Recovery of Fine-Grained Ilmenite","authors":"Weiping Yan, Boyuan Zhang, Yaohui Yang, Jian Deng, Weisi Li","doi":"10.3390/min15060628","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min15060628","url":null,"abstract":"The co-occurring relationships between ilmenite and gangue minerals in ilmenite deposits, as well as fine mineral embedding particle sizes, are complex. During the beneficiation process, grinding ilmenite finely is necessary to achieve sufficient individual mineral dissociation and the efficient recovery of ilmenite. During this process, a large number of fine-grained minerals can easily be generated, which adversely affects flotation separation. Micro–nanobubbles have been proven to effectively enhance the flotation separation efficiency of fine-grained minerals, as their cavitation characteristics are closely related to the flotation performance of the minerals. In order to fully understand the cavitation characteristics of micro–nanobubbles and their impact on the flotation recovery of fine-grained ilmenite, a series of experiments were conducted using methods such as the bubble cavitation property test, micro-flotation experiments, zeta potential analysis, the contact angle test, adsorption capacity detection, and PBM monitoring. The results indicate that during the process of slurry cavitation, appropriate concentrations of 2-octanol, cycle treatment times, and external inflation volume are conducive to the formation of micro–nanobubbles. Compared with deionized water without cavitation, cavitated micro–nanobubble water is more beneficial for the flotation separation of fine particulate ilmenite, titanaugite, and olivine. The presence of micro–nanobubbles can effectively promote the adsorption of combined collectors on mineral surfaces, significantly enhancing the hydrophobicity of the minerals, with an even stronger promoting effect observed under the treatment of 2-octanol. Micro–nanobubbles can adsorb a portion of the collectors originally attached to the mineral surfaces, thereby decreasing the absolute value of the surface potential of the minerals, which is beneficial for mineral aggregation. The introduction of micro–nanobubbles promotes the aggregation of fine ilmenite iron ore particles into flocculent bodies. 2-Octanol can reduce the size of the micro–nanobubbles generated during the cavitation process of the mineral slurry and, to a certain extent, weaken the phenomenon of bubble coalescence, so they demonstrate a greater advantage in facilitating the aggregation phenomenon.","PeriodicalId":18601,"journal":{"name":"Minerals","volume":"15 6","pages":"628-628"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147887082","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
MineralsPub Date : 2025-05-15DOI: 10.3390/min15050525
Qiang Wang, Tao Qi, Hongdong Yu, Limin Zhang, Dongjiang Sun, Yinliang Liu, Tongxiang Liang, Lan Huang
{"title":"Precipitating Rare Earth by NH4HCO3 from a Concentrated Rare Earth and Magnesium Sulfate Solution","authors":"Qiang Wang, Tao Qi, Hongdong Yu, Limin Zhang, Dongjiang Sun, Yinliang Liu, Tongxiang Liang, Lan Huang","doi":"10.3390/min15050525","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min15050525","url":null,"abstract":"The ammonium bicarbonate precipitation method has become one of the main ways to extract rare earths from rare earth leaching solutions due to its advantages of simple operation, mature technology, and low cost. Therefore, the objective of this study was to explore the precipitation of rare earth carbonate (REC) from a concentrated rare earth and magnesium sulfate solution by ammonium bicarbonate. The terminal pH to precipitate rare earth was determined. The effects of factors including the feeding rate, temperature, ammonium bicarbonate concentration, seed dosage, and stirring rate on the rare earth precipitation efficiency, the Mg and SO42− amounts in the obtained REC, and the median particle sizes of the REC were investigated. The effects of these factors on the Mg and SO42− amounts in the REC and the median particle sizes of the REC were compared by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results showed that at a terminal pH of 6.8, a feeding rate of 0.5 mL/min, a temperature of 25 °C, an ammonium bicarbonate concentration of 0.6 mol/L, a crystal seed dosage of 7.5%, and a stirring speed of 300 r/min, without aging, the contents of rare earth oxide (REO), MgO, and SO42− in the REC were 57.69%, 0.23%, and 1.68%, respectively, superior to the requirements of the current Chinese national standard (GB/T 16479-2020) for REC. The rare earth precipitation efficiency was 99.78%. Among the investigated factors, the pH was the main factor affecting the rare earth precipitation efficiency. The seed dosage significantly changed the median particle sizes of the REC and the Mg content of the REC. For SO42−, its content was fluctuant and could be controlled at a relatively low value by the seed dosage and specific stirring rate.","PeriodicalId":18601,"journal":{"name":"Minerals","volume":"15 5","pages":"525-525"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147334094","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
MineralsPub Date : 2025-05-09DOI: 10.3390/min15050506
Xiaoyu Li, Jie Chen, Wenqing Zhang, Chenyu Wang, Hui Ma, Kang Peng, Zheng Zhou
{"title":"Supported Hybrid Amines Within Porous Aluminosilicate Clays with Natural Different Morphologies for Efficient CO2 Capture","authors":"Xiaoyu Li, Jie Chen, Wenqing Zhang, Chenyu Wang, Hui Ma, Kang Peng, Zheng Zhou","doi":"10.3390/min15050506","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min15050506","url":null,"abstract":"The urgent need for efficient CO2 capture technologies has driven research into amine-functionalized adsorbents, though existing methods face trade-offs between adsorption capacity and cycling stability. This study addresses these limitations by developing a novel hybrid modification strategy combining chemical grafting and physical impregnation on polymorphic kaolinite minerals. Through systematic acid leaching and hybrid grafting–impregnation amine functionalization, the adsorbents with hierarchically porous structures and optimized performances are synthesized. The tubular adsorbent (ATK-APTES-PEI) demonstrated exceptional performance, achieving a CO2 uptake of 1.68 mmol/g at 75 °C under a 60% CO2/40% N2 mixed gas flow, with only 5.3% capacity loss after 10 adsorption–desorption cycles, significantly outperforming both rod-like (ARK-APTES-PEI, 1.55 mmol/g) and flake-like (AFK-APTES-PEI, 1.23 mmol/g) variants. The unique pore structure of ATK-APTES-PEI enables simultaneous high amine loading and maintained gas diffusion pathways, while the hybrid modification strategy synergistically enhances both adsorption capacity and stability by increasing active surface sites. These findings establish critical structure–property relationships for mineral-based adsorbents and demonstrate a scalable approach for industrial CO2 capture applications. The work provides a blueprint for designing cost-effective, stable adsorbents using abundant clay minerals, bridging materials science with environmental engineering for sustainable carbon management solutions.","PeriodicalId":18601,"journal":{"name":"Minerals","volume":"15 5","pages":"506-506"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/15/5/506/pdf?version=1746803613","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147901160","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Comparative Study of Colloidal and Rheological Behaviors of Mixed Palygorskite–Montmorillonite Clays in Freshwater and Seawater","authors":"Jiajun Zhang, Guanzheng Zhuang, Jinrong Chen, Wenxiao Fan, Jixing Fan, Zhuhua Kuang, Dong Liu","doi":"10.3390/min15030251","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min15030251","url":null,"abstract":"This study systematically investigates the colloidal stability, rheological properties, and filtration behavior of palygorskite–montmorillonite mixed clays in both freshwater and seawater systems. By varying the mass content and dispersion medium (freshwater/seawater), we analyze the colloidal stability, zeta potential, flow curves, viscosity, shear-thinning behavior, thixotropy, and fluid loss of the dispersions. The results show that palygorskite exhibits good rheological performance in both freshwater and seawater, while montmorillonite performs better in freshwater but suffers a significant decline in seawater. However, palygorskite demonstrates high fluid loss, which is unfavorable for drilling fluid function. Mixed clays can mitigate the limitations of individual clays to some extent, but the specific performance depends on the clay mineral content and dispersion medium. In freshwater, a small amount of montmorillonite improves the viscosity and shear-thinning behavior of the dispersion, with optimal montmorillonite contents of 22% and 38%, respectively. The thixotropy and fluid loss reduction in the mixed clays are positively correlated with montmorillonite content. In seawater, the rheological performance inversely correlates with Mt content due to montmorillonite’s high sensitivity to electrolytes. The addition of Pal enhances the colloidal stability and rheological properties of the mixed clays in seawater. This work provides theoretical insights into the behavior of mixed clays in different media, offering valuable guidance for the design of seawater-based drilling fluids.","PeriodicalId":18601,"journal":{"name":"Minerals","volume":"15 3","pages":"251-251"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/15/3/251/pdf?version=1740737051","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147908579","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}