CLAY MINERALOGY OF THE ALLUVIAL SOIL OF UPPER EGYPT

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 General Organization for Rehabilitation Projects and Agric. Development

2 Soil and Water Research Institute, Agricultural Research Centre, Giza

Abstract

X-ray diffiractograms cleared the predominance of dioctahedral montmorillonite, with few chlorite, and or /b-axis disordered kaolinite. II- lite was found as a binary interstratified mineral with montmorillonite or as a ternary interstratified mineral with montmorillonite and chlorite. The presence of interstratified minerals causes the merging of basal spacings at below 7A plateau. Some substitution of Fe3+ for Al in the predominant montmorillonite cleared in (1) the infra-red spectra by the absorption band of (Fell-, Al , OH-bending) at 880 cm-1 after removing of calcite, (2) the D.T.A. by the endothermic peak of dehydroxylation at 515°C. 

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