A HREM study of nonbasal twinning and superlattices in ilmenite

Abstract

The microstructures of natural ilmenite found in Panzhihua district, China, were examined by high-resolution electron microscopy (HREM). The [{\bar 1}2{\bar 1}0] structural images showed clearly the (10{\bar 1}1) nonbasal twinning which seems to be coincident with the [{\bar 1}012] rotation twinning. The superlattices with periodicities of 16.8 and 12.6 Å, respectively, as well as the unit-cell twinning related to the ordering of (10{\bar 1}1) multiple twinnings were observed. The superlattice resulting from the ordering arrangement of (10{\bar 1}1) stacking faults related to the slip systems suggested by Heuer [Philos, Mag. (1966), 13, 379–893] were also detected. Possible genetic aspects are considered.