Iron and aluminium oxides and the mineralogy of iron free clay fraction of acric oxisols

Abstract

Total, free and amorphous iron and aluminium oxides were obtained from three acric Oxisols (two dusky-red latosol - LR and one Una variant latosol - LU) from the State of São Paulo, Brazil. These soils are in an advanced stage of weathering, having an effective CEC lower than 15 mmolc/kg clay. For all soils, the clay mineralogy was dominated by kaolinite and gibbsite, showing also some peaks of hidroxy-interlayered vermiculite. The LR had total, free and amorphous iron and aluminium contents higher than in the LU. In those soils, gibbsite represented more than 50% of iron free clay fraction of the Bw horizon, while in the LU the participation of kaolinite was higher (54% x 46%). In the Una variant latosol, with more intense yellow color, free aluminium represented 25% of the total, while in the LR it was 13%. The ratio specific surface area/free Fe-oxide was higher in the LU than in the dusky-red ones.