Mineralogical analysis of clays in hardsetting soil horizons, by X-ray fluorescence and X-ray diffraction using Rietveld method

Abstract

Diffraction and spectroscopic techniques have been shown to be suitable for obtaining physical and mineralogical properties in polycrystalline soil samples, and also in their precursor compounds. For instance, the X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy allows obtaining the elemental composition of an investigated sample, while the X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique permits obtaining qualitative and quantitative composition of the soil minerals through the Rietveld method (RM). In this study Yellow Latosol (Oxisol), Yellow Argisol (Ultisol) and Gray Argisol (Ultisol) soil samples, classified as “hardsetting soils”, extracted from areas located at Northeast and Southeast of Brazilian coast were investigated. The soils and their fractions were analyzed in an EDX-700 and an XRD-6000 (Cu Kα radiation). XRF results indicate high percentages of Si and Al, and small percentage of Fe and Ti in the investigated samples. The DRX data and RM indicate that there was a predominance of kaolinite and halloysite minerals (kaolin group minerals) in the clay fractions, which are presumably responsible for the formation of kaolinitic plasma in these soils. Also, the obtained results showed that the XRF, XRD techniques and RM were very helpful for investigating the mineralogical composition of a hardsetting soil.