A review of Ni and Co incorporation during talc synthesis: Applications to crystal chemistry, industrial compounds and natural Ni- and Co-rich ore

Abstract This article reviews the current knowledge on the incorporation of Ni and Co cations in mineral synthesis. In addition, it overviews the interest in developing such materials, and discusses a number applications in which these materials are used as mineral fillers. A reflection is then conducted showing that synthetic minerals rich in Ni and Co compare closely to those occurring in Ni- and Co-rich natural lateritic environment, which can thus be considered as mutual proxies. It follows that studies of lateritic environments can provide valuable information on formation processes of synthetic minerals, and vice versa. An example of cross-checking data between these two thematic fields is presented, which allows solving chemical fractionation problems encountered in lateritic environments.