Halloysite clay minerals are ubiquitous in soils and weathered rocks where they occur in a variety of particle shapes and hydration states. Diversity also characterizes their chemical composition, cation exchange capacity and potassium selectivity. This review summarizes the extensive but scattered literature on halloysite, from its natural occurrence, through its crystal structure, chemical and morphological diversity, to its reactivity toward organic compounds, ions and salts, involving the various methods of differentiating halloysite from kaolinite. No unique test seems to be ideal to distinguish these 1:1 clay minerals, especially in soils. The occurrence of 2:1 phyllosilicate contaminants appears, so far, to provide the best explanation for the high charge and potassium selectivity of halloysite. Yet, hydration properties of the mineral probably play a major role in ion sorption. Clear trends seem to relate particle morphology and structural Fe. However, future work is required to understand the possible mechanisms linking chemical, morphological, hydration and charge properties of halloysite.

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Abstract--The adsorption of uncharged polymers by clays is largely "entropy-driven." Polymer conformation changes from a random coil in solution to an extended form at the surface in which adsorbed polymer segments or trains alternate with loops and tails extending away from the surface. Although the net interaction energy, e, per segment-surface contact is small (--1 kT unit), the total energy of adsorption is large because the fraction of train segments, p, is commonly between 0.3 and 0.5. The adsorption isotherms are typically of the high-affinity type, and there is an apparent lack of desorption on dilution. Positively charged polymers (polycations) are adsorbed largely through electrostatic interactions between the cationic groups of the polymer and the negatively charged sites at the clay surface. Here e >> 1 kT unit and p > 0.7, leading to an almost complete collapse of the polymer chain onto the surface. Indeed, beyond a given level of adsorption charge reversal can occur in that the clay-polycation system effectively behaves as an anion exchanger. Little adsorption occurs with negatively charged polymers (polyanions) due to initial charge repulsion between the polymer and the clay surface. Acid pH, a high ionic strength, and the presence of polyvalent cations in the system enhance and promote polyanion adsorption. Uncharged polymers and polycations can enter the interlayer space of expanding 2:1 type layer silicates but polyanions generally fail to intercalate.The interactions of clays with biopolymers, such as proteins, nucleic acids, and polysaccharides, can be rationalized in similar terms. When intercalation occurs, the interlayer biopolymer is further stabilized against microbial (enzymatic) degradation giving rise to practical applications of clay-polymer complexes as flocculants and soil conditioners. Polyanions are effective as flocculants because of their large "grappling distance," whereas uncharged polymers are better suited as soil conditioners because they can spread over adjacent clay/soil particle surfaces like a coat of paint.

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