Mineral Composition and Morphological Features of Kaolinite in Ceramic Clays of the Shulepovo Deposit (Ryazan Region, Central European Russia)

This paper addresses for the first time the internal structure of lens 2 of the Shulepovo refractory clay deposit. The SEM study of representative samples from the entire lens section revealed relationships between the major minerals: kaolinite, halloysite, illite, and quartz. The lens was previously considered homogeneous, but its detailed study revealed a clear internal zonality. The structural forms of kaolinite (hexagons, vermicules, and films), halloysite (acicular or columnar and stellate crystals), and illite (intergrowths and bands) are distinguished. Their variable relationships define the vertical zonality of the lens.