Author
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Logsdon, Sally |
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Laird, David |
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Submitted to: Clay Minerals Society Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only Publication Acceptance Date: 6/24/2004 Publication Date: 6/24/2004 Citation: Logsdon, S.D., Laird, D.A. 2004. Electrical conductivity spectra of smectites as influenced by saturating cation and humidity [abstract]. Program and Abstracts of the Clay Minerals Society. p. 127. Interpretive Summary:
Technical Abstract: Electrical conductivity is an important soil property related to salinity, and is often used for delineating other soil properties. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of smectite properties on the complex electrical conductivity spectra of hydrated smectites. Four reference smectites were saturated with calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na), or potassium (K) and equilibrated at four relative humidities (RH) ranging from 56 to 99%. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to determine fractions of the various smectite layer hydrates (0 to 4 layers of interlayer water molecules) in each sample. A vector network analyzer was used to determine the real component of the complex electrical conductivity spectra for frequencies ranging from 300 kHz to 3 GHz. Values of the direct current (d.c.) electrical conductivity, the frequency where the slope changes in the spectra, and the slope at the high frequency end of the spectra were determined by fitting. Both d.c. conductivity and frequency of the slope change increased with the total amount of water, the amount of interlayer water, and for saturating cations in the following order; K |
