Mixed and Interstratified Clay Minerals
- Soils usually contain a mixture of multiple clay minerals rather than a single type.
- Some clay minerals exhibit properties intermediate between two well-defined minerals, forming mixed-layer or interstratified minerals.
- These mixed-layer minerals consist of alternating layers of different clay types within the same crystal structure.
- Examples include:
- Chlorite-Vermiculite (Intermediate between chlorite and vermiculite)
- Fine-Grained Mica-Smectite (Combination of mica and smectite)