A new protocol was developed to examine an assemblage of kaolinite-smectite in a buried horizon of a paleosol developed on gabbro parent material. The new extraction procedure appears suitable for removing kaolinite and for ascertaining the nature of the smectite interstratified with kaolinite. Smectite was identified by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and infrared (IR) patterns, cation exchange capacity (CEC) and chemical analyses.
The results obtained provide for increased understanding of the process of transformation of smectite into kaolinite.