INTERSTRATIFIED MINERALS, OCCURRENCE AND FORMATION OF SOILS,

REGULARLY AND PARTIALLY RANDOM INTERSTRATIFIED MINERALS.

INTRODUCTION:

Soil clays exist in nature as a mixture of several species. Some of the different types of clay
minerals may be stacked together as a packet along the c-axis. This is called
interstratification and such clays are referred as interstratified minerals or mixed layer clays.

Under specific conditions, 2-3 distinct alumino silicate clays stacked along c-axis

Inter-stratification leads to formation of mixed layer or interstratified minerals

 regular stratified minerals : stacked regularly

 irregular inter stratification : stacked irregularly , more common, occurs

under hydrothermal or metamorphic condition

 Inter stratification processes are:

o partial removal of interlayer K ions from micas / illites or hydroxides

from chlorite

o fixation of K ion by vermiculite layers to yield mica / illite

o formation of hydroxide interlayer to form -----Chlorite - smectite

Eg: Chlorite - vermiculite, Mica-vermiculite .

 Interstratifications may also be the result of a segregation process within a crystal.

 Another process of formation of mixed layer clays is precipitation, formation or

crystal growth in inter layers.

 For e.g. Gibbsite sheet may develop from precipitation and crystallization in
intermicellar spaces, owing to the replacement of exchangeable cations and change in
the chemical environment.

 The identification of regular mixed layer clays follows the same principles as used
with clays.

 They are usually identified by an integral sequence of diffraction peaks, which

corresponds to the cum of the thickness of component layers.
Some examples of mixed-layer clay minerals are:

 Illite-vermiculite

 Illite-smectite

 chlorite-vermiculite

 chlorite-smectite

 kaolinite-smectite

Regularly interstratified structures:

 Identified by their 001 basal reflection corresponds to the sum of the spacings of the
individual components, and subsequent peaks of higher integral orders

Partially random interstratified minerals:

The sequence of diffractions is relatively short, compared to regular mixtures. Pretreatments,

such as solvation, potassium saturation, and heating, may then be required the diffractions of
the basal (001) spacings of the major planes will all appear in the x-ray analysis. Each of the
diffraction peaks can be detected in the usual manner.

Interstratified clays have been detected in a large variety of soils in temperature, cold, and
tropical regions.

McEwan and Ruiz-Amil (1975) are of the opinion that mixed layering is less common in
tropical conditions.

In the soils of the humid temperature regions, interstratification occurs often in the sequence
smectite-chlorite-mics, or mica-illite.

Answer the following:

1. Define mixed layer.

Ans: Some of the different types of clay minerals may be stacked together as a packet
along the c-axis. This is called interstratification and such clays are referred as
interstratified minerals or mixed layer clays.
2. What is the process of mixed layer clay.
 partial removal of interlayer K ions from micas / illites or hydroxides from
chlorite
  fixation of K ion by vermiculite layers to yield mica / illite
 formation of hydroxide interlayer to form -----Chlorite - smectite
 Eg: Chlorite - vermiculite, Mica-vermiculite
3. . Write down the example of mixed layer clay.
 Illite-vermiculite
 Illite-smectite
 chlorite-vermiculite
 chlorite-smectite
 kaolinite-smectite
4. Explain Regularly interstratified structures and Partially random interstratified
minerals
Regularly interstratified structures

Identified by their 001 basal reflection corresponds to the sum of the spacings of the
individual components, and subsequent peaks of higher integral orders

Partially random interstratified minerals:

The sequence of diffractions is relatively short, compared to regular mixtures.

Pretreatments, such as solvation, potassium saturation, and heating, may then be
required the diffractions of the basal (001) spacings of the major planes will all appear
in the x-ray analysis. Each of the diffraction peaks can be detected in the usual
manner.

Interstratified clays have been detected in a large variety of soils in temperature, cold,
and tropical regions.