Sericite
“Sericiteis a fine grained mica, similar to muscovite, illite, or paragonite. Sericite is a common alteration mineral of orthoclase or plagioclase feldspars in areas that have been subjected to hydrothermal alteration typically associated with copper, tin, or other hydrothermal ore deposits. Sericite also occurs as the fine mica that gives the sheen to phyllite and schistose metamorphic rocks.”
“The name comes from the Latin sericus, meaning "silken" in reference to the location from which silk was first utilized, which in turn refers to the silky sheen of rocks with abundant sericite.”
Recent Journal Articles
Studies of modification of HDPE and interfacial interaction of its composites with sericite
(2517–2522)Polymers for Advanced Technologies 22 #12 (2011)
Li et al ofNanjing University, China, functionalized high-density polyethylene (HDPE) with ultraviolet light and to improve the interfacial interaction of its composites with sericite in this study. The oxygen-containing groups of CO, C-O, and C(=O)O were quickly introduced onto molecular chains of HDPE by ultraviolet irradiation in ozone atmosphere and the contents of the introduced oxygen-containing groups increased with increasing the modification time. After modification, the molecular weight of the irradiated HDPE decreased and its distribution became wider. The irradiated HDPE in ozone was not crosslinked. The dispersion of sericite in the matrix and the interfacial interaction of sericite with the matrix were markedly improved for the irradiated HDPE/sericite composites. As a result, the irradiated HDPE/sericite composites showed significantly increased tensile yield strength and notched impact strength. (RDC 11/25/2011)