Major factors affecting the selected area electron diffraction (SAD) patterns of micas are: lattice properties of the crystal, specimen thickness, orientation of the crystal, properties of the Ewald sphere for electron diffraction, depth of field of the objective lens, and variations in focusing conditions of this lens. Depending on these factors, SAD patterns of 2M1 muscovite may display different symmetries. Specimen ’finite’ thickness affects the intensity in terms of the ’interference function’. The latter function has been evaluated exactly and the intensity distribution has been calculated along the (hk) rows. The observed intensity variations of (hk) spots indicate that the focusing conditions of the objective lens are rather critical for the symmetry of SAD patterns.

The major mechanism by which fulvic acid removed Cu2+ from Cu2+-montmorillonite was complexation, most likely chelation. This was confirmed by the use of a specific cupric ion electrode which showed that whereas the total Cu2 + concentration in the supernatant solutions increased with rise in pH, about 7 per cent of the total Cu2+ solubilized by fulvic acid occurred in the ‘free’ or ‘uncomplexed’ form at pH 2.5, only 0.6 per cent was similarly distributed at pH 4.5 and 0.0009 per cent at pH 6.5. External surface area measurements by a dynamic BET method showed the following surface areas: 2.5 m2g-1 for the fulvic acid, 8.0 m2 g-1 for the Cu2+-montmorillonite but 16.1 m2 g-1 for the FA-Cu2+-montmor-illonite complex. Electron micrographs of the FA-clay complex confirmed that fulvic acid was adsorbed in interlamellar spaces and on external surfaces of the Cu2+-montmorillonite.

Shales from six locations in Oklahoma were subjected to natural weathering for 2 yr. Simulated weathering of these shales was effected in the laboratory by subjecting them to ultrasonic treatment in a tank type device. Both treatments produced disaggregation. X-ray diffraction patterns for the ultrasoni-cally treated and weathered shales indicated no major changes in the types of clay minerals. However, natural weathering in the field produced degradation of the clay minerals in addition to disaggregation of the shales. Ultrasonic treatment appears to be a good predictive test for determining the durability and weatherability of the shales; however, it can simulate field weathering only so far as the engineering index properties of the shale are concerned. It is not a predictive test where the mineralogical characteristics are of significance.

The crystallite sizes in the particles from four fractions of a kaolinite-clay were determined from the broadening of the X-ray diffraction lines. Measurements were made of the <002> and <111> planes whose crystallographic directions correspond to the clay plate thickness and diagonal, respectively. The extent of crystal imperfection was determined by comparing the calculated crystallite size with the mean size based on measurements from electron micrographs. The crystal imperfections were found to be more extensive in the plate diagonal, <111>, than in the plate face, <002>, directions. Electron micrographs of hydrofluoric acid-etched samples revealed plate-edge and plate-face imperfections. The latter show a regularity suggesting a mosaic-like texture in the plate surface. Surface imperfections probably have significant influence on the dispersion and flocculation behavior of kaolinite.

Tubular halloysite from Wagon Wheel Gap, Colorado and spheroidal halloysite from Redwood County, Minnesota were examined by transmission electron microscopy. Clay samples were prepared by the following techniques: drop-mounted suspension on carbon support films; thin sections of clay in Araldite epoxy resin; and carbon-platinum-palladium single-stage replicas.

Both types of dehydrated halloysite have interlayer separations between packets of layers. Halloysite tubes are composed of packets as thin as five layers which sometimes reveal a rolled interior configuration in cross-sectional view. Thicker tubes are composed of many layers per packet. Some large tubes appear in cross section as folded packets of layers. The interior morphology of spheroidal halloysite particles is more irregular and the layer structure is more discontinuous than in most tubes. The spheroidal halloysite of this study is characterized by external tangential plates with hexagonal shape suggestive of kaolinite.