A knowledge of clay is important in many spheres of scientific endeav our, particularly in natural sciences such as geology, mineralogy and soil science, but also in more applied areas like environmental and mater ials science. Over the last two decades research into clay mineralogy has been strongly influenced by the development and application of a num ber of spectroscopic techniques which are now able to yield information about clay materials at a level of detail that previously would have seemed inconceivable. This information relates not only to the precise characterization of the individual clay components themselves, but also to the ways in which these components interact with a whole range of absorbate molecules. At present, however, the fruits of this research are to be found principally in a somewhat widely dispersed form in the scientific journals, and it was thus considered to be an appropriate time to bring together a compilation of these spectroscopic techniques in a way which would make them more accessible to the non-specialist. This is the primary aim of this book. The authors of the various chapters first describe the principles and instrumentation of the individual spectro scopic techniques, assuming a minimum of prior knowledge, and then go on to show how these methods have been usefully applied to clay mineralogy in its broadest context.

Clay plays an important role in everyday life. This versatile mineral is used in housing, improving the environment as a waste treatment material and also in biological applications and medical health care. Clay Surfaces contains 17 chapters which deal with various aspects of natural and man made (synthetic) clay. Well written by experts in both experimental and theoretical areas, this book takes the reader into the fascinating world of the chemistry and physics of clay mineral surfaces and interfaces as well as the complex phenomena on the surfaces involved in clay related systems. This book will provide a better understanding of the intervention mechanisms of interactions of soils in contact with wastes, actions to be taken in the case of chemical spillage, methods to improve the production of food without affecting the ecological balance, increased fixation of carbon in the soil to increase grain production and reduction of carbon dioxide release into the atmosphere. Applications covered describe the role of clays in environmental remediation and the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. This book looks at theory and applications of both natural and modified clays from academic and industrial viewpoints. With broad appeal, this book is suitable for specialists directly involved in clay science and those undergraduate and graduate student studying related areas.

The first general texts on clay mineralogy and the practical applications of clay, written by R.E. Grim, were published some 40-50 years ago. Since then, a vast literature has accumulated but this information is scattered and not always accessible. The Handbook of Clay Science aims at assembling the scattered literature on the varied and diverse aspects that make up the discipline of clay science. The topics covered range from the fundamental structures (including textures) and properties of clays and clay minerals, through their environmental, health and industrial applications, to their analysis and characterization by modern instrumental techniques. Also included are the clay-microbe interaction, layered double hydroxides, zeolites, cement hydrates, genesis of clay minerals as well as the history and teaching of clay science. No modern book in the English language is available that is as comprehensive and wide-ranging in coverage as the Handbook of Clay Science.In providing a critical and up-to-date assessment of the accumulated information, this will serve as the first point of entry into the literature for both newcomers and graduate students, while for research scientists, university teachers, industrial chemists, and environmental engineers the book will become a standard reference text.* Presents contributions from 66 authors from 18 different countries who have come together to produce the most comprehensive modern handbook on clay science* Provides up-to-date concepts, properties, and reactivity of clays and clay minerals in a one-stop source of information* Covers classical and new environmental, industrial, and health applications of clays, as well as the instrumental techniques for clay mineral analysis* Combines geology, mineralogy, crystallography with physics, geotechnology, and soil mechanics together with inorganic, organic, physical, and colloid chemistry for a truly multidisciplinary approach

The first edition of the Handbook of Clay Science published in 2006 assembled the scattered literature on the varied and diverse aspects that make up the discipline of clay science. The topics covered range from the fundamental structures (including textures) and properties of clays and clay minerals, through their environmental, health and industrial applications, to their analysis and characterization by modern instrumental techniques. Also included are the clay-microbe interaction, layered double hydroxides, zeolites, cement hydrates, and genesis of clay minerals as well as the history and teaching of clay science. The 2e adds new information from the intervening 6 years and adds some important subjects to make this the most comprehensive and wide-ranging coverage of clay science in one source in the English language. - Provides up-to-date, comprehensive information in a single source - Covers applications of clays, as well as the instrumental analytical techniques - Provides a truly multidisciplinary approach to clay science

Scholarly work on sedimentology. Each article is signed and has a bibliography. Illustrated. Indexed.