ASAC 1101 : FUNDAMENTALS OF SOIL SCIENCE (2+1)
Level : [Link] (Ag), I semester
Dr. PEDDA GHOUSE PEERA S.K.
SOIL SCIENCE AND AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY
[Link] SCHOOL OF AGRICULTURE,CUTM,
PARLAKHEMUNDI
Topic
Origin of charge in organic and inorganic colloids –
Negative and positive charges-Differences between
organic and inorganic soil colloids
Concepts Covered:
Constant charges in colloids
Variable charges in colloids
Adsorption of cations and anions to colloidal surface
Types of charges
Two types of charges arise in soil colloids
Constant or permanent charges
isomorphous substitution occurs
Dependent or variable charges
charge depends on solution pH
Constant charges
Constant charges arise due to isomorphous substitution
Not dependent on pH
Isomorphous substitution – replacement of a cation by another
cation of similar size
Depends on type and abundance of cations
Common in 2:1 clays
Constant charges
Negative charge
Negative charge arises when a lower charged cation replaces higher
charged cation
Example : replacement of Al3+ with Mg2+ in octahedral sheets
replacement of Si4+ with Al3+ in tetrahedral sheets (fine
grained mica)
Constant charges – negative charge
Al3+ replaced by Mg2+
Occurs in aluminium dominated
dioctahedral sheets of smectites,
vermiculites and chlorites
Constant charges
Positive charge
Positive charge arises when a higher charged cation replaces lower
charged one
Example: When Al3+ replaces one Mg2+ in trioctahedral sheets
Common in trioctahedral hydroxide sheet in chlorites
Variable charges
Mainly found in 1:1 clays like kaolinite and humus (because
exchange occurs in external surface only)
May give rise to both positive and negative charge
Charge depends on pH of soil solution
Variable charge
Negative charge
caused by –OH group present in crystal edge
Development of pH-dependent charge in kaolinite
pH decreases from left to right
(A) One (-1) charge from octahedral oxygen that has lost its H+ ion by dissociation (the H broke away from the surface hydroxyl
group and escaped into the soil solution). Note that such dissociation can generate negative charges all along the surface hydroxyl
plane, not just at a broken edge.(B) One half (-1/2) charge from each octahedral oxygen that would normally be sharing its
electrons with a second aluminum. (C) One (-1) charge from a tetrahedral oxygen atom that would normally be balanced
Variable charge
Positive charge
Occurs under moderate to extreme acidic
conditions
Under low pH, edge oxygen associates with H+,
hence a net positive charge
Charges in various clays
Relationship between soil pH and charges
Cation Exchange Capacity increases with increasing soil pH
Anion Exchange Capacity decreases with increasing soil pH
In acid rich 1:1 clay soils of tropical region, positive
charges are more abundant whereas, negative charges
predominate in 2:1 clays of temperate regions
Shamshuddin and Ismail (1995
A negatively charged clay
Clay attracted to positive terminal, demonstrating
its negative charge
Weil., 2015
Adsorption of cations and anions
Adsorption : adhesion of gases, ions or atoms to a surface
May be physical or chemical
Charged colloid surfaces adsorb cations and anions
Two types of formations aid in adsorption – outer and inner sphere
complex
Outer-sphere complex
Ions are usually surrounded by water in soil solution
Water molecules thus act as bridge between ions and colloid
surfaces
Weak electrostatic force binds the ions to colloids
Hence, ions are easily replaced
Inner-sphere complex
No water molecules in between ions and colloids
Hence, ions directly bond with colloidal surface
Very difficult to replace ions
Tightly bonded K+ ion
Outer and inner-sphere complexes
Ray R. Weil
Role of adsorption
The amount and type of cations adsorbed affect the fertility of soil
Reference:
The Nature and Properties of Soils by Nyle C. Brady
and Ray R. Weil