The illitization of kaolinite at increasing pressures was followed by hydrothermal experiments of kaolinite in KOH solution at 300 degrees C for 12 h and pressures between 500 and 3000 bar XRD indicated a direct transformation of kaolinite into muscovite/illite with increasing pressure However the (27)AI MAS NMR spectra showed in addition to the muscovite/illite resonances the presence of a signal at 61 ppm that should correspond to a secondary phase not detected by XRD A second series of experiments at 300 degrees C and 1000 bar for 1 3 and 6 h was carried out to show direct evidence of such phase The XRD patterns of the products clearly showed the crystallization of K-F zeolite while the (27)AI MAS NMR spectra of these samples displayed a signal at 61 ppm that must correspond therefore to Al in the K-F zeolite structure In conclusion kaolinite transformed into muscovite/illite when submitted to hydrothermal reaction in KOH solution with increasing pressure with the formation of a secondary metastable phase called K-F zeolite whose coherent diffraction domains were too small as to be detected by XRD.Effect of pressure on kaolinite illitization