Baseline Studies of the Clay Minerals Society Source Clays: Chemical Analyses of Major Elements

Abstract

Chemical analysis is an essential step to establish the nature of minerals (Newman, 1987). The techniques used in rock and mineral analyses are generally valid for the analyses of clays. Additional information from other analytical techniques, which are mentioned here, is needed for accurate interpretation of the chemical analysis results of major elements (Gabis, 1979). In traditional chemical analyses, the aim is to obtain accurate analyses for all elements present in the sample, in such a way that the sum of elements expressed as oxides, including hydration and structural water, approaches the sample weight as closely as possible.