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Trimethylsilylation of commonly occurring primary and secondary minerals in soils
Author(s) -
SMITH B. F. L.,
PATERSON E.,
MITCHELL B. D.
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
journal of soil science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.244
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1365-2389
pISSN - 0022-4588
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2389.1982.tb01752.x
Subject(s) - kaolinite , clay minerals , illite , weathering , soil water , primary (astronomy) , mineral , mineralogy , geology , geochemistry , chemistry , environmental chemistry , soil science , organic chemistry , physics , astronomy
Summary Soil is formed through the weathering of minerals—mainly silicates—and the manner in which these materials weather is related to some extent to the arrangement of silica units within their structures. This has been termed the degree of polymerizafion of the silica and can be quantitatively assessed by preparing organic (trimethylsilyl) derivatives which can be separated and identified. This procedure has been applied to a number of primary and secondary (including clay and highly disordered) minerals occurring in soils and has indicated that: (a) of the primary minerals, the ferro‐magnesian are the most susceptible to acid attack; (b) inorganic gels, particularly those high in alumina, are reactive; and (c) crystalline clay minerals, especially kaolinite and illite, are relatively stable.