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X‐Ray Diffraction of Common Silica Minerals and Possible Applications to Studies of Soil Genesis
Author(s) -
Pollack S. S.,
Whiteside E. P.,
Van Varowe D. E.
Publication year - 1954
Publication title -
soil science society of america journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1435-0661
pISSN - 0361-5995
DOI - 10.2136/sssaj1954.03615995001800030010x
Subject(s) - quartz , diffraction , mineralogy , powder diffraction , hematite , materials science , impurity , mineral , amorphous silica , x ray crystallography , geology , chemistry , chemical engineering , composite material , crystallography , metallurgy , optics , physics , organic chemistry , engineering
A qualitative X‐ray diffraction study indicated that quartz was present in all of 16 silica minerals. Jasper was the only sample found to contain a crystalline impurity and this was identified as hematite. A standardized sample preparation and mounting technique is described herein. Quantitative estimates of the quartz contents of three phenocrystalline varieties and two cryptocrystalline varieties of quartz were made. The cryptocrystalline varieties showed much less intense diffraction by the 3.35 A° spacing characteristic of quartz than did the phenocrystalline varieties. The available evidence indicates that these differences are probably due to fundamental differences in the nature of the quartz in these two groups. However, the possibilities of the presence of some amorphous diluents and variable particle sizes have not yet been completely eliminated. The implications of these findings for the use of X‐ray diffraction procedures for the determination of quartz in soils and the study of soil genesis are discussed.