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Soil Analysis
Dear Mr. Burton: I have completed the mineralogical analysis on the bentonite sample submitted in October of the year. This sample is very similar in mineralogy to the one I analyzed earlier (1998).However, there are a few slight differences. In the earlier sample I detected cristobalite in the coarse fraction and the clay fraction. However, in this sample, I did not detect any cristobalite. Cristobalite is a disordered silica mineral (SiO2). By X-ray diffraction the clay fraction again appears to be almost pure bentonite. There was a trace of quartz, but quartz is found almost everywhere. The sample contained almost no sand (2-.05mm) but about 21% silt (50-2um). This silt fraction contained mostly quartz with a small amount of feldspar. If we use a small amount of quartz in the clay fraction and mostly quartz in the coarser fraction, the whole sample would be approximately 80%+ bentonite. If you have the previous reports and comments on sample preparation and analysis, they are the same as used here. If you require additional information, please contact me. Sincerely, Project: Soil Testing Services for Texas Sodium Bentonite, Inc. Tuesday, October 15, 2002 CME Testing and Engineering’s College Station office received a sample of bentonite clay on Tuesday, October 15, 2002 from Texas Sodium Bentonite, Inc. for laboratory analyses. Classification tests were performed on the submitted sample and consisted of the Atterberg limits tests (ASTM D 4318), percent fines test (or the Amount of Material in Soils Finer Than No. 200 Sieve (ASTM D 1140), and the “as received” water (moisture) content (ASTM D 2216). The results of the laboratory analyses are presented in the table below. LABORATORY TEST RESULTS
Sample of a Soil Analysis
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