Thermal Behavior of Muscovite Sheet Mica

The three spectral types of muscovite sheet mica, i.e., very pink ruby, light green, and dark green, were subjected to heat treatments at temperatures up to 600 °C. The changes in the apparent optic axial angle and in the absorption spectra (0.3 to 15 μ) were studied along with color. The differentiation of muscovite sheet according to these spectral types extends to the behavior of apparent optic axial angle and to certain regions of the spectrum under heat treatment. The pink associated absorption region (0.47 to 0.6 μ) can be enhanced or bleached away by appropriate thermal treatment, although the associated infrared multiplet at 3 to 3.5 μ is little affected. The absorption band at 12 μ increases in intensity with temperature of treatment. It is suspected that the 0.47 to 0.6 μ absorption is the result of color centers.