Published online by Cambridge University Press: 09 July 2018
A montmorillonite clay and an X-ray amorphous Fe(II)-silicate were suspended in a synthetic groundwater solution under oxic and anoxic conditions at 23 and 70°C for 200 days. The clay samples were then analysed for total Fe, Fe(II), dithionite- and oxalate-extractable Fe (Fed and Feo), cation exchange capacity (CEC), and examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and diffuse reflectance spectrometry (DRS). The total iron content and Fe(II)/Fe(III) ratio of the clay increased with an increase in temperature and both were greater under anoxic than oxic conditions, as were the amounts of Fed and Feo. The CEC of the clay was lower in the presence of the Fe-silicate, suggesting that Fe-hydroxide had precipitated at the edges of the clay blocking some cation-exchange sites. No changes in the clay were detected by XRD or DRS after contact with the Fe-silicate, nor was there any evidence for Fe-hydroxide material in the interlayer region of the clay. However, it is shown that the amount and nature of iron associated with clay can be significantly altered and certain properties of the clay, such as CEC, can be affected when the clay is in contact with Fe(II)-containing materials.