Preface

Clays and clay minerals show variability, diversity and complexity in their structural, chem-
ical and physical properties. A variety of instruments and experimental techniques has been
employed in clay-mineral research. A wider scope of research has been opened by investigators
in various branches of science and technology due to their increasing interest in such materials.
Electron microscopy is one of the important methods for studying clays and clay minerals.
Although a previous contribution of electron microscopy was to clarify the morphology of fine
clay particles, the outstanding recent development of improved instruments and techniques
has provided more detailed information on the crystal-morphologicaland structural properties.
About ten years ago, we discussed the possibility of making a picture-atlas of clays and
clay minerals, based on selected samples as well as instruments and techniques in Japan. However,
with the continuous improvement of instruments and techniques which has followed ever
since, we have been obliged to spend much time in realizing our hope.
The present volume provides a picture-atlas of electron micrographs of clays and clay minerals,
and is also intended to serve as a lively textbook and technical reference book having multiple
functions.
(1) Chapter 1, as the introduction to the book, gives a brief statement on what clays and
clay minerals are, and also outlines their crystal structures giving special reference to the var-
iability in order-disorder configurations which has been revealed so far by X-ray and electron-
optical analyses. As in the past, detailed research on clay-mineral structures will emerge increas-
ingly as one of the significant objects of progressive electron microscopy, since this technique
permits studies on finely divided individual crystallites in contrast to X-ray analysis which
indicates diffraction effects of a macroscopic single crystal or powder speciemens as a whole. It
is hoped that Chapter 1 will provide a useful introduction for students of advanced mineralogy
and crystallography who are interested in electron microscopy.
(2) Chapter 2 gives detailed descriptions particularly concerning sample preparation and
experimental techniques which are used practically for taking highly resolved diffraction images.
The topics include lattice images, structure images, preparation of micro-grids, ultrathin sec-
tioning, and selected-area diffraction. It is hoped that this Chapter will provide a useful technical
guide to the electron microscopy of clay minerals.
(3) Chapter 3 contains the electron micrographs and diffraction pictures, together with
an explanatory text describing the localities, origins and modes of occurrence of the samples
used. Most pictures were taken with the instrumentation, sample preparation and experimental
techniques described in Chapter 2. Most of the samples were selected from the collections
at our laboratories. It is hoped that Chapter 3 will serve as a useful data source for all those
interested in electron microscopy and in clay mineralogy and geology.
(4) Although the present volume was prepared essentially for clay studies, some space has

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also been allotted to interesting pictures of minerals related to clays, e.g. zeolites, and mineral
particles in dusts. In certain cases, the samples of clay minerals in our collections were inadequate
or unsatisfactory. Various colleagues therefore kindly provided photographs of their valuable
samples, often with great enthusiasm, so helping to make this publication possible. In this
connection, our principal thanks are due to:
Professor H. Hayashi, Akita University
Professor S. Honda, Akita University
Professor S. Kakitani, Hiroshima University
Dr. N. Kohyama (National Institute of Industrial Health)
Dr. K. Tazaki (Okayama University)
Dr. T. Matsuda, Okayama University
Dr. T. Nishiyama, Toyo University
Professor N. Ueda, Kyoto University
Professor K. Yada, Tohoku University.
Particular thanks are due to Messrs. E. Tashiro, K. Ohbori, I. Ohta and A. J. Smith of Kodan-
sha for their editorial and linguistic assistance in the preparation of the final manuscript.

T. SuDo
S. SHIMODA
H. YOTSUMOTO
S. AITA