CEC502: Geotechnical Engineering I

Lectures 19 & 20 - Module 2

Topic: Clay Mineralogy

Dr. Sushovan Dutta

(Email Id: sus.dmcecivil@gmail.com, Mobile: 8657425431)
Department of Civil Engineering

Datta Meghe College of Engineering

Clay Mineralogy and Soil
Structure
Properties of very fine soil fractions - The most important grain
property of fine grained soil materials is the mineralogical
composition.
- If the soil particles are < about 2µ, the influence of the force of
gravity on each particle is insignificant compared to that of Surface
charges.
- The colloid particles of soil consist primarily of clay minerals
(colloidal state – domination of surface charges)

Mineral - A mineral is a naturally occurring chemical element or

compound formed by a geologic process.

Classification of minerals (based on the nature and arrangement of

atoms):
▪ Carbonates
▪ Phosphates
▪ Oxides
▪ Hydrous oxides
▪ Silicates (Most abundant and around 90% of soils have silicates)
Surface area per unit volume

- As the particle size decreases, the effect of surface forces become

more predominant due to increased surface area. In fine grained
soils, the gravity forces are relatively insignificant compared to
surface forces.
- Specific surface area is defined as the total surface area
of the individual grains per unit dry mass of the grains.
Silicates are a group of minerals with a structural unit called the
SILICA TETRAHEDRON.
Combines
with
1) Primary Valance bond

Maximum number of electrons in outer shell = 2n 2

2) Hydrogen bond
3) Vander Waal forces (due to Orientation effect,
Induction effect and dispersion effect)

Orientation effect
Montmorillonite: Pure seams of Montmorillonite
(e.g. Wyoming Bentonite)
Clay and Water
Negatively charged clay particle and surrounding aqueous
solution:
General mechanisms of Clay and Water attraction:
 The negative charge is to be neutralized by the opposite charge
leading to the formation of adsorbed water layer and double layer.

Adsorbed water: Held on the surface of the particle by powerful

forces of electrical attraction and virtually in a solid state. This layer
is of very small thickness (10 Å).
Typical Kaolinite particle (10,000 Typical Montmorillonite particle (1000 x
x 1000 Å) with adsorbed water 10 Å) with adsorbed water layer and
layer and double layer water double layer water
Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC):

- Exchangeable cations are the + ve ly chrged ions from

salts in the pore water which are attracted to the surface of
clay particles to balance the –ve charge.

- The cations can be arranged in a series in terms of their

affinity for attraction as follows: Al3+ > Ca2+ > Mg2+ > NH4 + >
K+ > H+ > Na+ > Li +
This indicated that, for e.g. Al 3+ ion can replace Ca2+
ions and Ca2+ can replace Na+ ions. The process is called
CATION EXCHANGE.

- CEC, measured in milliequivalents per 100g of dry soil

particles, is a measure of net negative charge on the soil
particles resulting from isomorphous substitution and
broken bonds at the boundaries.
 Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC)

Mineral type CEC (meq/100 gm of

dry soil)
Kaolinite 3-8
Illite 40
Montmorillonite 80

CEC (Montmorillonite) = 10 (CEC) Kaolinite

- It indicates that smaller amount of montmorillonite is

required than Kaolinite to impart properties of clay in a
mixed grained soil.
Soil Structures
Soil Structures

(coarse grained soils)

Soil structures (silt and

fine sands): usually
develops when particle
size is in the range of
0.002 mm – 0.02 mm)
Soil structures (clay)