HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Davis, C. E. Articles by Jones, R. L. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Davis, C. E. Articles by Jones, R. L. GeoRef GeoRef Citation Agricola Articles by Davis, C. E. Articles by Jones, R. L.

Weight Loss on Ignition and K Fixation in Clays¹

ABSTRACT

A significant correlation (r² = 0.65***) was obtained for K-fixation and loss on ignition in a number of soil clays of contrasting mineralogy and reference clay minerals when samples treated with K were heated hydrothermally (moisture saturated environment) and by dry heat from 100C to 380C. LOI (loss on ignition) values decreased with increase in temperature from 100C to 380C. At 100C, lower LOI values were obtained by hydrothermal treatment compared to dry heat but this was reversed at 200C. At 380C hydrothermal treatment resulted in lower LOI than dry heat for a high montmorillonite soil low in free Fe₂O₃, but there was little difference in the treatments for a montmorillonite soil high in free Fe₂O₃ and for soils rich in kaolinite. Loss on ignition was not markedly affected by the treatments for an illitic soil.

For high montmorillonite soils greater K fixation resulted from dry heat treatment at 100C but at higher temperatures, hydrothermal treatment was more effective. At higher temperatures, the dominantly kaolinite clays fixed more K in response to dry heat. Hydrothermal treatment (380C) was only heat treatment that promoted fixation in an illitic soil.

¹ Contribution from the Department of Soil Science, Univ. of West Indies, and Department of Agronomy, Univ. of Ill.

² Research Fellow, Scientific Research Council, Jamaica; Senior Lecturer in Soil Science, U.W.I., St. Augustine, Trinidad; and Assoc. Prof. of Soil Mineralogy, Univ. of Illinois, Urbana, respectively.

Received for publication February 10, 1969. Accepted for publication October 10, 1969.