Well-crystallized ferrihydrite as indicated by its X-ray powder diffraction pattern and low solubility in acidified oxalate (Feo/Fet = 0.27) was formed by the oxidation of FeCl2 solution containing Si/Fe = 18 × 10−3. The crystallinity of ferrihydrites formed from the solutions containing Si/Fe > 18 × 10−3 was lowered as indicated by weaker and broader XRD lines and increased oxalate solubility. Ferrihydrites formed in the presence of silica did not give the differential thermal analysis exothermic peak between 350° and 450°C that is found for ferrihydrites prepared from the hydrolysis of Fe(III) salts. The transformation of ferrihydrite (formed at Si/Fe = 18 × 10−3) to hematite was inhibited by the presence of 1.48% SiO2 in the oxidation products.

The maximum-degree-of-order (MDO) polytypes in all three mica families have been classified into two subfamilies and five homomorphous MDO groups according to their superposition structure and the YZ projection of their structure, respectively. This classification, which is closely related to the diffraction pattern of micas, can be derived directly from the fully descriptive polytype symbols and facilitates the calculation of the identification diagrams as well as the recognition of the relations of homomorphy between the three mica families. All mica structures refined so far by the least-squares method according to the present standards, are those of MDO polytypes.

Air-dried samples of homoionic Na-, Ca-, Al-, and Fe-smectite were equilibrated with 2,6-dimethylphenol vapor for 24 hr. Infrared spectra of the complexes formed indicated that a portion of the sorbed phenol was transformed into quinone-type compounds. Both sorption and transformation were greatly influenced by the nature of the exchangeable cation and followed the order Fe ≫ Al > Ca > Na. Changes in the electron spin resonance spectra of the clays following interaction with the phenol followed the same order, indicating that these reactions are enhanced by a transition metal cation, such as Fe3+, on the exchange complex. The reaction products from the clay complexes were extracted with methanol and identified using ultraviolet/visible spectrophotometry, high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC), and mass spectrometry. The extracts contained mixtures of products including the parent phenol, di-, tri-, and tetramers of the phenol, as well as quinone and quinone dimers. The identities of these compounds were further confirmed by the coincidence of the retention times of HPLC peaks obtained from extracts of the clays with those from compounds produced by oxidation of 2,6-dimethylphenol with Ag2O.

In a lateritic pallid zone ilmenite crystals alter via pseudorutile to porous leucoxene grains composed of randomly oriented aggregates of ~0.06 μm anatase crystals. This style of alteration differs from that in beach sands where parallel oriented rutile crystals develop from pseudorutile. Increased Si and Al in the altered grains is due to the crystallization from soil solution of halloysite, kaolinite and gibbsite within pores rather than to the incorporation of these elements into anatase crystals. Manganese was a significant constituent (3.2% Mn2O3) of the original ilmenite but was not retained by the leucoxene grains. The minor constituents Ni, Zn, Cu, Mg, Co and Ca were also lost, but Cr and V were retained.

Smectite close to the pure Fe end member of the nontronite-beidellite series was found in the fine clay separated from a 354-cm deep sediment core in the southwestern Pacific Basin. The mineral has a b-axis of 9.09 Å and an unusually low dehydroxylation temperature of 454°C and is composed of sheaves of fibers less than 50 Å wide. Its charge density is 5.09 × 10~4 esu/cm2. The charge originates mainly from the presence of 18% of the total Fe in tetrahedral positions, as determined by Mössbauer analysis. Slight deviations of the infrared spectra from those reported for nontronites are probably due to the presence of more octahedral Mg. The presence of authigenic quartz in the same sample permits some speculation on the concentration of dissolved silicon during nontronite genesis. A δ18O value of 26 ± 0.3‰ indicates a temperature of formation of about 22°C. The Sr isotope ratio suggests that the nontronite formed at least 12 million years ago.

The exchange of Rh(NBD)(Pϕ3)2+, Rh(NBD)(PMe2ϕ)3+, Rh(COD)(Pϕ3)2+, and Rh(PMe2ϕ)4+ on hectorite was studied in methanol/dichloromethane, acetone, dimethylformamide, and acetonitrile. At low initial Rh+ concentration and short contact times, ion exchange was the predominant process, and its selectivity and maximum capacity were solvent-dependent. High initial Rh+ concentrations, long contact times, and the most polar solvents favored intersalation and salt precipitation. In all experiments monolayers of complex formed in the interlamellar space and were very tightly held. The complexes retained their integrity on the surface even after removal of all solvent molecules.

Goose Lake, Beavers Bend, and Fithian illites were equilibrated in the presence of goethite (or hematite) at room temperature for as long as 2.6 yr. Kaolinite of known stability was added to some samples. Samples of solution were obtained after centrifuging with, or without, immiscible displacement or column leaching. Equilibrium was indicated by constant values over a long period of time, with kaolinite solubility as an internal indicator, and most importantly, by the approach to equilibrium from both undersaturation and supersaturation. Data plots indicate that the illites contain two or more phases or components in equilibrium with each other. Statistical and graphical techniques were used to analyze hundreds of equilibrations. The constancy of pK values for various expressions indicates that bulk illite composition and pyrophyllite are likely solution-controlling phases or components, but that muscovite, leucophyllite, phlogopite, and talc are not. A muscovite-like phase, of lower K content than muscovite, fit one pK expression well, but failed on two others.

Adsorption isotherms and UV-visible and Mössbauer spectroscopic data point to specific interactions between flavomononucleotide (FMN) and Fe3+-smectite. The maximum amount of FMN adsorption was 0.3 mmole/g of Fe3+-smectite giving a 1:1 molar proportion of Fe3+ and FMN. The results suggest a Fe3+-FMN complex residing at the smectite surface. Other homoionic smectites (Cu2+, Zn2+, and Ca2+) exhibited lower levels of adsorption and less apparent specific interaction.

Synthetic Al-hematites prepared from ferrihydrites, at low (∼ 100°C) and high (400° and 800°C) temperatures were studied for their morphological, crystallochemical, and infrared (IR) characteristics. Low-temperature Al-hematites had a platy morphology (the plate thickness was inversely related to amount of Al substitution), and the high temperature Al-hematites showed a poorly defined morphology due to interparticle sintering. In the low-temperature Al-hematites shifts in the IR mode frequencies were noted and could be partly explained by a shape factor that was deduced from particle morphology. The intrinsic effect of Al substitution, however, was to produce shifts of as much as 10–15 cm−1 for the highest Al substitution (∼ 16%). Similar shifts were observed for the high-temperature hematites in which morphology was not appreciably affected by Al substitution.

The unit-cell dimensions of synthetic, Al-substituted goethites showed that the c dimension is a linear function of Al substitution in the range 0–33 mole % Al, but that the a dimension is variable over this same range. The b dimension is also linearly related to Al substitution but is slightly more variable than the c dimension for Al substitutions of 20–33 mole %. The variability of the a dimension is postulated to be the result of structural defects. An improved procedure for estimating Al substitution from x-ray powder diffraction positions requires (1) calculation of the c dimension from the positions of the 110 and 111 diffraction lines using the formula: c = (1/d(111)2 − 1/d(110)2)−1/2, and (2) estimation of Al substitution from the relationship: mole % Al = 1730 − 572.0c. The 95% confidence interval of the estimate is ±2.6 mole % Al when using this procedure, in contrast to ±4.0 mole % Al when the position of the 111 reflection alone is used.

The pH of Na-saturated, carbonate-containing and carbonate-free Leda clay, at salinities of 2 and 10 g/liter, was decreased from pH 8 to 4 by the addition of HCl. The Bingham yield stress, as determined with a coaxial viscometer, increased in all materials as the pH decreased. Above about pH 7 the 2-g/liter materials had a lower yield stress at any water content than the 10-g/liter materials, whereas, below about pH 6.8 the yield stress of the carbonate-containing soil at a salinity of 10 g/liter was lower. For the carbonate-free material, the change occurred at about pH 6.2. The influence of salinity on the remolded shear strength of these materials was pH-dependent. A yield stress increase with decreasing pH was likely due to a change in ion saturation. The carbonate-free material exhibited a maximum yield stress at about pH 5.5–6.2, depending on salinity. The isoelectric points for oxides and clay mineral edges most probably account for the existence of the maximum.

Adsorption of Mo(VI) on 2-0.2-μm size fraction of sodium-saturated kaolinite at 25 ± 2°C and at a constant pH of 7.00 ± 0.05 was studied. The kaolinite sample was pretreated to remove any surface oxide and hydroxide coatings. The initial concentrations of Mo in solution ranged from 1 to 11 mg/liter in a NaClO4 background electrolyte at a constant ionic strength of 0.09 ± 0.01. Calculations of speciation using the GEOCHEM computer program indicated that under experimental conditions Mo(VI) was mainly in the MoO42− form. The experimental conditions were also shown to fulfill the requirements for applying the Langmuir equation in interpreting adsorption data. The Langmuir parameter for the adsorption maximum, n°, and the affinity parameter, $K_{Mo{O}_{4^{2-}}-Cl{O}_{4^{-}}}$ were computed to be 3.33 × 10−4 mole/ mole of adsorbent and 5.969 × 105, respectively. The large affinity parameter indicated that the Na-saturated kaolinite surface has a very high affinity for MoO42− ions relative to ClO4− ions.

Using Garfield, Washington, nontronite as the model mineral system, methods and apparatus were developed to prepare reduced suspensions in citrate-bicarbonate-dithionite (CBD) solution. These techniques were effective in removing excess, undesired solutes from reduced suspensions while maintaining a high Fe2+ content. They also enabled the preparation of dried, reduced films preferentially oriented with respect to the crystallographic c-axis. Supernatant solutions were collected and analyzed for Fe, Al, and Si, from which the extent of dissolution of the clay as a result of CBD treatment was assessed. Results indicated that very little Fe and Si were released to solution, but as much as about 8% of the total Al was solubilized. The highest levels of Al in solution were observed in CB treatments without dithionite.

To evaluate the importance of oxides to the surface chemistry of acid mineral soils, clay fractions were separated from a surface and subsurface horizon of an Inceptisol representative of many of the acid soils of the Southern Tier of New York state. Portions of the clays were treated to remove selectively noncrystalline and microcrystalline Fe and A1 oxides (acid ammonium oxalate extraction), total free iron oxides (dithionite reduction in buffered citrate solution), and organic matter (hypochlorite oxidation). Charge and ion-adsorption characteristics of the treated and untreated clays were investigated by means of Ca2+- and Cl−-exchange capacities, potentiometric titrations, and electrophoretic mobility (zeta potential) measurements of the CaCl2-treated clays.

Based upon surface area and anion- and cation-exchange measurements, the Fe and A1 oxides or oxideorganic matter complexes were found to contribute a large part of the surface area and pH-dependent charge of these clays. Oxide removal increased the cation-exchange capacity (CEC) and virtually eliminated the anion-exchange capacity (AEC) at pH 3 and 5.5 while shifting the positive zeta potential (ZPC) of the B-horizon clay toward negative values. Organic matter oxidation increased the AEC at pH 3 and the CEC at pH 5.5 and markedly shifted the ZPCs of both A- and B-horizon clays toward more positive values, probably by the removal of adsorbed organics from oxide surfaces. Estimates of the ZPCs of the clays varied among the three methods used, Ca2+- and Cl−-exchange capacities giving the lowest, and electrophoresis giving the highest values.

The coarse (2-0.2 μm) and fine (<0.2 μm) size fractions of several soil and reference kaolinite samples were completely intercalated and expanded to 11.2 Å using a simplified CsCl-hydrazine-di-methylsulfoxide (DMSO) treatment. Rapid equilibration of the clay in hot (80°C) hydrazine monohydrate and hot (100°C) DMSO, and the use of ceramic tile mounts, limited the sample pretreatment time to only 15 min. The fine size fraction of kaolinite may be X-rayed immediately after pretreatment, though analysis of the sample 2 or 12 hr after pretreatment produced more intense, sharp basal reflections. This difference may be due to a better ordering of the DMSO-kaolinite complex with time and to a drying of the excess DMSO. The coarse size fraction of kaolinite did not entirely expand to 11.2 Å when analyzed immediately after pretreatment. A 9.6-Å peak was also present and possibly represents a mixed layering of expanded and nonexpanded kaolinite layers. The larger crystals seem to require additional time for the reaction to become complete as evidenced by the presence of an intense, sharp 11.2-Å peak and absence of the 9.6-Å peak when the coarse clay was analyzed 2 or 12 hr after sample pretreatment. Kaolinite particles <50 μm did not react completely even when they were analyzed 24 hr after pretreatment. Therefore, this technique should be limited to <2-μm particles.

Simple equations are presented which allow double-layer potentials of clays to be derived from co-ion exclusion measurements in monovalent and divalent electrolyte solutions. These equations have been used to re-interpret earlier results for illite and montmorillonite. The potentials derived follow the lyotropic series for the various homoionic modification of each clay. We have demonstrated that the Schofield equation, which assumes high double-layer potentials, cannot be applied to co-ion exclusion in clay systems. Re-analysis of earlier measurements has shown that for a given homoionic clay the potentials are almost independent of concentration over the range 0.3 to 0.003 molar. Thus, clay surfaces appear to behave more like constant-potential than constant-charge surfaces.

Statistical analyses of chemical data from the literature of corrensite minerals suggest a large compositional variability, more evident in octahedral than in tetrahedral coordination. Mg occupies 40–80% of the octahedral sites, with Al and Fe2+ making up the remainder. Approximately 15–30% of the tetrahedral sites are filled by Al. Despite this compositional variability, distinct fields for the several types of mixed-layer trioctahedral chlorite/trioctahedral swelling layer are not apparent. Statistical analyses of the composition of corrensite compared with saponite, vermiculite, and chlorite suggest that corrensite is an intermediate between trioctahedral chlorite and trioctahedral smectite. If Fe/(Fe + Mg) > 50%, chlorite alone is favored, but with increasing Mg, chlorite appears to transform into corrensite and then, by iron oxidation, into trioctahedral smectite. Despite the chemical variability between corrensite, chlorite, and saponite, corrensite appears chemically to be a well-defined species. On the other hand, corrensite cannot be characterized chemically on the basis of its swelling component. Thus, the current definition of corrensite as a regular 1:1 interstratification of trioctahedral chlorite and either trioctahedral smectite or vermiculite is appropriate.

The negative surface charge of synthetic allophanes with a range of Si/Al ratios decreased and positive charge increased with increasing alumina content at a given pH. The phosphate adsorption capacity also increased with increasing Al content. That this relationship between composition and chemical reactivity was not found for the soil allophanes is attributed to the presence of specifically adsorbed organic or inorganic anions on the natural material. Both synthetic and natural imogolites had a much lower capacity to adsorb phosphate than the allophanes and adsorbed anomalously high amounts of Cl− and ClO4− at high pH. It is proposed that intercalation of salt occurs in imogolite, although electron spin resonance studies using spin probes failed to reveal the trapping of small organic molecules in imogolite tubes. These spin probes in the carboxylated form did, however, suggest an electrostatic retention of carboxylate by imogolite and a more specific adsorption by allophane involving ligand exchange of surface hydroxyl. The results illustrate the inherent differences in charge and surface properties of allophane and imogolite despite the common structural unit which the two minerals incorporate.