Abstract
Specific surface of silicate materials is of fundamental importance to physical adsorption of volatile gases and mineral identification. A simple laboratory method for estimating specific surface from a single water vapor adsorption measurement is proposed. Water vapor adsorption is quantitatively determined from measurement of the maximum water content, .theta.m, attained in a soil placed in a chamber having distilled water reservoirs for 2-3 d. An approximately linear relationship between specific surface and .theta.m is developed, enabling estiamtion of specific surface from knowledge of .theta.m. The effect of clay cation and mineral structure on this relationship is discussed.
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