Universidad Autnoma de Quertaro

Geothecnics I
M. in CR. Guillermo Paz Cruz.

Homework 1.
CLAY STRUCTURE AND IDENTIFICATION CLAY MINERAL METHODS.
Clay structure.

Clay minerals are so tiny crystalline substances evolved primarily from chemical
weathering of certain rock minerals, they are complex alumina silicates plus other
metallic ions. All clay minerals are very small with colloidal sized crystals (D < 1 m).
The individual crystal look like tiny plates or flakes these ones consist of many crystal
sheets which have a repeating atomic structure. There are only two fundamental crystal
sheets, the tetrahedral or silica and the octahedral or alumina sheets. Because of their
small size and flat shape, they have very large specific surfaces. There is usually a
negative electric charge on the crystal surfaces and electro chemical forces on these
surfaces are therefore predominant in determining their engineering properties. In order
to understand why these materials behave as they do, it will be necessary to examine
their crystal structure in some detail.
The tetrahedral sheet is basically a combination of silica tetrahedral units which
consist of four oxygen atoms at the corners, surrounding a single silicon atom. Figure 1.a
shows a single silica tetrahedron; fig. 1.b shows how the oxygen atoms are combined to
form a sheet structure. A common schematic representation of the tetrahedral sheet is
shown in fig. 1.c. A top view of the silica sheet which shows how the oxygen atoms at the
base of each tetrahedron belong to two tetrahedrons and how adjacent silicon atoms are
bonded is shown in fig. 1.d.
The octahedral sheet is basically a combination of octahedral units which consist of
six oxygen or hydroxyls enclosing an aluminum, magnesium, iron or other atom. A single
octahedron is shown in Figure 2.a. fig. 2.b shows the octahedrons combine to form a
sheet structure. Fig. 2.c is a schematic representation of the octahedral sheet. A top view
of the octahedral sheet showing how the different atoms are shared and bonded is in Fig.
2.d.
According to the reticular structure clay minerals can be identify into three different
and main groups, which are: kaolinite, montmorillonite and illite
Kaolinite is the union of a reticule of cilice and another of aluminum. The union of this
kind of reticule structure is so strong to dont allow the flow of waters molecules.
Because of this reason the kaolinite is relatively stable in presence of water.

Chvez
Exp.: 230930

Armas

Ral

Sebastian

Universidad Autnoma de Quertaro

Geothecnics I
M. in CR. Guillermo Paz Cruz.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 1 and 2. Silica and alumina sheets fundamental conformation. Sheets can layer in
different ways, forming different types of clay minerals. Clay minerals tend to form flat, platelike,
and middle shapes.

Montmorillonite is the undefined superposition of an alumina lamina between two

silica laminas. The strength that makes this laminar union is a bit weak so water
molecules can pass through of the laminas therefore the montmorillonites are unstable.
Illite are the analogical case of the montmorillonites being their conformation a
lamina of cilice between two of aluminum. These ones are a little more stables than
montmorillonites but both are.

Chvez
Exp.: 230930

Armas

Ral

Sebastian

Universidad Autnoma de Quertaro

Geothecnics I
M. in CR. Guillermo Paz Cruz.

Fig. 3. Schematic diagram of the structure

of kaolinite (1953).

Chvez
Exp.: 230930

Armas

Fig. 4. Schematic diagram of the

structure of montmorillonite (1953).

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Sebastian

Fig. 5. Schematic diagram of the structure of illite (1953).

Identification methods

Nowadays there are some accessible proceedings for the researcher to identify the
constituent minerals of clays. The more popular methods are: the diffraction X-Ray
method and the thermic balance of clays. The microscope is also useful to determinate
important information like is the length and weight of the particles.
Once heated each clay mineral becomes a specific material whit specific chemical
characteristics therefore each specific material allow the identification of the clay
minerals.
Chemical analysis has also been used a plenty like method of identification of clay
minerals.
Not yet, the actual methods to identify minerals in clays are not completely right.
Microscope allows to identify regular forms in some clay minerals with a regular and a
specific shape but there are a lot of minerals that can be confused because of their
common shape, which belong to almost all of the clay minerals.
Thermic balance is doubly overall in clays formed with two or more types of minerals
which is known that happen with almost all clays (are formed with mineralogical
mixtures).
Chemical analysis is useful but at all because says the integral conformation of clays
and not the knowledge about how components of clay are distributed.
X-Ray method diffraction seems to be the most complete method, specially the
electronic diffraction method which has been more recent.