Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-j824f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-05T19:53:19.535Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Measurement of the Specific Surface Area of Clays by Internal Reflectance Spectroscopy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 April 2024

D. J. Mulla*
Affiliation:
Department of Agronomy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907
P. F. Low
Affiliation:
Department of Agronomy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907
C. B. Roth
Affiliation:
Department of Agronomy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907
*
2Present address: Department of Agronomy and Soils, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164.
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

The specific surface area, S, of a clay is commonly measured by the adsorption of ethylene glycol monoethyl ether (EGME); however, this method can be tedious and time consuming, especially if the clay is saturated with a monovalent, highly hydrated cation. An alternative method for measuring S was developed involving infrared internal reflectance spectroscopy. This method is based on the discovery that the ratio of R1, the reflectance of a clay-HOD mixture at the frequency of O-D stretching, to R2, the reflectance of the mixture at the frequency of H-O-D bending, is linearly related to S. The correlation coefficient between R1/R2 and S, as measured by the adsorption of EGME, was 0.995. Consequently, a calibration curve of R1/R2 versus S was constructed, and the measured values of R1/R2 for any clay-HOD mixture were referred to it for the determination of S. Results were obtained in triplicate in about an hour; hence, this method of determining S is more rapid and convenient than that involving the adsorption of EGME. Moreover, it applies to clays in a natural condition, i.e., swollen in water.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © 1985, The Clay Minerals Society

Footnotes

1

Journal paper number 10,117.

References

Brunauer, S., Emmett, P. H. and Teller, E., 1938 Adsorption of gases in multi-molecular layers J. Amer. Chem. Soc. 60 309319.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carter, D. L., Heilman, M. D. and Gonzalez, C. L., 1965 Ethylene glycol mono-ethyl ether for determining surface area of silicate minerals Soil Sci. 100 356360.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Diamond, S. and Kinter, E. B., 1958 Surface areas of clay minerals as derived from measurements of glycerol retention Clays and Clay Minerals, Proc. 5th Natl. Conf., Urbana, Illinois, 1956 566 334347.Google Scholar
Dyal, R. S. and Hendricks, S. B., 1950 Total surface of clays in polar liquids as a characteristic index Soil Sci. 69 421432.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harrick, N. J., 1967 Internal Reflection Spectroscopy New York Wiley-Interscience.Google Scholar
Harrick, N. J. and Riederman, N. H., 1965 Infrared spectra of powders by means of internal reflection spectroscopy Spectrochim. Acta 21 21352139.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Katlafsky, B. and Keller, R. E., 1963 Attenuated total reflectance infrared analysis of aqueous solutions Anal. Chem. 35 16651670.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Low, P. F., 1979 Nature and properties of water in montmorillonite-water systems Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. J. 43 651658.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Low, P. F., 1980 The swelling of clay: II. Montmorillonites Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. J. 44 667676.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
MacEwan, D. M. C. and Wilson, M. J., 1980 Interlayer and intercalation complexes of clay minerals Crystal Structures of Clay Minerals and Their X-ray Diffraction Identification 5 197248.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McNeal, B. L., 1964 Effects of exchangeable cations on glycol retention by clay minerals Soil Sci. 97 96102.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mortland, M. M., Kemper, W. D. and Black, C. A., 1965 Specific surface Methods of Soil Analysis, Part 1 Wisconsin Amer. Soc. Agron., Madison 532544.Google Scholar
Mulla, D. J. and Low, P. F., 1983 The molar absorptivity of interparticle water in clay-water systems J. Colloid Interface Sci. 95 5160.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Romkens, M. J. M., Roth, C. B. and Nelson, D. W., 1977 Erodibility of selected clay subsoils in relation to physical and chemical properties Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. J. 41 954960.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schofield, R. K., 1949 Calculation of surface area of clays from measurements of negative adsorption Trans. Brit. Ceram. Soc. 48 207213.Google Scholar