Chemistry of Clays and Clay Minerals

Book excerpt: Bringing together information widely distributed throughout scientific and industrial journals, here is an overview of the chemical consititution and properties of clay minerals and the environmental conditions that lead to their formation. Provides a detailed picture of the chemical consititution of the eight main groups of clay minerals containing silica and of the non-siliceous oxide clays. The central section of the book deals with the properties of clays: their colloidal behavior, cation exchange, interaction with water, reactions on heating, catalytic properties, and reactions with organic compounds. Also discusses the chemical conditions that favor the formation of clays and their evolution or decomposition into other materials.