Mineralogy, chemistry, and physical properties interrelationships of some sensitive clays from Eastern Canada

Abstract

This paper describes the use of quantitative mineralogy and specific surface area in interpreting the index properties of clayey soils from nine sites in Eastern Canada. Samples representative of the Tyrrell, Laflamme, Champlain, and Goldthwait marine seas and Lac Barlow–Ojibway have been studied.Quantitative X-ray diffraction analyses may be satisfactorily obtained using potassium metaperiodate (Foscal-Mella 1976) as an internal standard in these soils. Determination of contained amorphous matter requires extraction procedures less brutal than those employed in the Ségalen method.Correlations between Atterberg limits and specific surface area are believed to be more useful than those between specific surface area and the grain size or clay fraction. Increases in plasticity and specific surface area are related to increases in the amount of contained phyllosilicates and amorphous matter.The mineralogical composition of the soils studied is dominated, even in the clay fraction, by felsic minerals (plagioclase, quartz, microcline, and hornblende). Samples close to the Canadian Shield contain relatively more felsic minerals than those away from it. Key words: mineralogy, index properties, sensitive clays, physicochemistry.