Unit 5

Soil Colloid

5.1 Introduction:
The soil colloids are the most active portion of the soil and largely determine the
physical and chemical properties of a soil. Inorganic colloids (clay minerals, hydrous oxides)
usually make up the bulk of soil colloids. Colloids are particles less than 0.001 mm in size
and the clay fraction includes particles less than 0.002 mm in size. Therefore, all clay
minerals are not strictly colloidal. The organic colloids include highly decomposed organic
matter generally called humus. Organic colloids are more reactive chemically and generally
have a greater influence on soil properties per unit weight than the inorganic colloids. Humus
is amorphous and its chemical and physical characteristics are not well defined. Clay
minerals are usually crystalline (although some are amorphous) and usually have a
characteristic chemical and physical configuration. Both inorganic and organic colloids are
intimately mixed with other soil solids. Thus, the bulk of the soil solids are essentially inert
and the majority of the soil's physical and chemical character is a result of the colloids
present.
5.2. General Properties of Soil Colloids
The general properties of soil colloids are described below.
i. Size: The most important common property of inorganic and organic colloids is their
extremely small size. They are too small to be not seen with an ordinary light microscope.
Only with an electron microscope they can be seen. Most are smaller than 1 micrometer in
diameter.
ii. Surface area: Because of their small size, all soil colloids expose a large external surface
per unit mass. The external surface area of 1 g of colloidal clay is at least 1000 times that of 1
g of coarse sand. Some colloids, especially certain silicate clays have extensive internal
surfaces as well. These internal surfaces occur between plate like crystal units that make up
each particle and often greatly exceed the external surface area. The total surface area of soil
colloids ranges from 10 m2/g for clays with only external surfaces to more than 800 m2/g for
clays with extensive internal surfaces. The colloid surface area in the upper 15 cm of a
hectare of a clay soil could be as high 700,000 km2/g.
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iii. Surface charges: Soil colloidal surfaces, both external and internal characteristically
carry negative and/or positive charges. For most soil colloids, electro negative charges
predominate. Soil colloids both organic and inorganic when suspended in water, carry a
negative electric charge. When an electric current is passed through a suspension of soil
colloidal particles they migrate to anode, the positive electrode indicating that they carry a
negative charge. The magnitude of the charge is known as zeta potential. The presence and
intensity of the particle charge influence the attraction and repulsion of the particles towards
each other, there by influencing both physical and chemical properties.
iv. Adsorption of cations: As soil colloids possess negative charge they attract the ions of an
opposite charge to the colloidal surfaces. They attract hundreds of positively charged ions or
cation such as H+, A13+ Ca2+ and Mg2+.
v. Adsorption of water: In addition to the adsorbed cations, a large number of water
molecules are associated with soil colloidal particles. Some are attracted to the adsorbed
cations, each of which is hydrated; others are held in the internal surfaces of the colloidal
particles. These water molecules play a critical role in determining both the physical and
chemical properties of soil.
vi. Cohesion: Cohesion is the phenomenon of sticking together of colloidal particles that are
of similar nature. Cohesion indicates the tendency of clay particles to stick together. This
tendency is primarily due to the attraction of the clay particles for the water molecules held
between them. When colloidal substances are wetted, water first adheres to the particles and
then brings about cohesion between two or more adjacent colloidal particles.
vii. Adhesion: Adhesion refers to the phenomenon of colloidal particles sticking to other
substances. It is the sticking of colloida1 materials to the surface of any other body or
substance with which it comes in contact.
viii. Swelling and shrinkage: Some clay (soil colloids) swell when wet and shrink when dry.
After a prolonged dry spell, soils high in smectites (e.g. Vertisols) often are crises-crossed by
wide, deep cracks, which at first allow rain to penetrate rapidly. Later, because of swelling,
such soil is likely to close up and become much more impervious than one dominated by
kaolinite, chlorite, or fine grained micas. Vermiculite is intermediate in its swelling and
shrinking characteristics.
ix. Dispersion and flocculation: As long as the colloidal particles remain charged, they repel
each other and the suspension remains stable. If on any account they loose their charge, or if
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the magnitude of the charge is reduced, the particles coalesce, form flocs or loose aggregates,
and settle out. This phenomenon of coalescence and formation of flocs is known as
flocculation. The reverse process of the breaking up of flocs into individual particles is
known as deflocculation or dispersion.
x. Brownian movement: When a suspension of colloidal particles is examined under a
microscope the particles seem to oscillate. The oscillation is due to the collision of colloidal
particles or molecules with those of the liquid in which they are suspended. Soil colloidal
particles with those of water in which they are suspended are always in a constant state of
motion. The smaller the particle, the more rapid is its movement.
xi. Non permeability: Colloids, as opposed to crystalloid, are unable to pass through a semipermeable membrane. Even though the colloidal particles are extremely small, they are
bigger than molecules of crystalloid dissolved in water. The membrane allows the passage of
water and of the dissolved substance through its pores, but retains the colloidal particles.
5.3. Chemical Composition of Soils:
When soils weather and the mineralogical composition changes over time, there is a
corresponding change in chemical composition. During soil formation, there is a preferential
loss of silicon relative to aluminum and iron. The major elements in soils are those with
concentrations that exceed 100 mg kg1, all others being termed trace elements. The major
elements include O, Si, Al, Fe, C, K, Ca, Na, Mg, Ti, N, S, Ba, Mn, P, and perhaps Sr and Zr,
in decreasing order of concentration.
5.4. Ion Exchange
When soils weather and the mineralogical composition changes over time, there is a
corresponding change in chemical composition. Ion exchange involves cations and anions
that are adsorbed from solution onto negatively and positively charged surfaces, respectively.
Such ions are readily replaced or exchanged by other ions in the soil solution of similar
charge, and thus, are described by the term, ion exchange. Cation exchange is of greater
abundance in soils than anion exchange.
5.5. Nature of Cation Exchange
Cation exchange is the interchange between a cation in solution and another cation on
the surface of any negatively charged material, such as clay colloid or organic colloid. The
negative charge or cation exchange capacity of most soils is dominated by the secondary clay
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minerals and organic matter. Therefore, cation exchange reactions in soils occur mainly near
the surface of clay and humus particles, called micelles. Each micelle may have thousands of
negative charges that are neutralized by the adsorbed or exchangeable cations. The negatively
charged micellar surfaces form a boundary along which the negative charge is localized. The
cations concentrate near this boundary and neutralize the negative charge of the micelle. The
exchangeable cations are hydrated and drag along the hydration water molecules as they
constantly move and oscillate around negatively charged sites. The concentration of cations is
greatest near the micellar surfaces, where the negative charge is the strongest. The charge
strength decreases rapidly with increasing distance away from the micelle, and this is
associated with a reduction in cation concentration away from the micelle. Conversely, the
negatively charged micellar surface repels anions. This results in a decreasing concentration
of cations and an increasing concentration of anions with distance away from the micellar
surface. At some distance from the micellar surface, the concentration of cations and anions
is equal. An equilibrium tends to be established between the number of cations adsorbed and
the number of cations in solution. The number of cations in solution is much smaller than the
number adsorbed (generally 1 percent or less) unless the content of soluble salts is high.
Roots absorb cations from the soil solution and upset the equilibrium. The uptake of a cation
is accompanied by the excretion of H+ from the root and this restores the charge equilibrium
in both the plant and soil.
5.6. Cation Exchange Capacity of Soils
The cation exchange capacity of soils (CEC) is defined as the sum of positive (+)
charges of the adsorbed cations that a soil can adsorb at a specific pH. Each adsorbed K+
contributes one + charge, and each adsorbed Ca2+ contributes two + charges to the CEC. The
CEC is the sum of the + charges of all of the adsorbed cations (Conversely, the CEC is
equivalent to the sum of the - charges of the cation exchange sites). The CEC is commonly
expressed as centimoles of positive charge per kilogram [cmol(+)/kg], also written as
cmol/kg, of oven dry soil.
5.7. Cation Exchange Capacity versus pH of Soils
The CEC of a soil is equal to the CEC of both the mineral and organic fractions. The
definition of CEC specifies that the CEC applies to a specific pH because the CEC is pH
dependent. To make valid comparisons of CEC between soils and various materials, it is
necessary to make the determination of CEC at a common pH. The CEC is positively
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correlated with pH; therefore, acid soils have a CEC less than the maximum potential CEC.
Changes in CEC with changes in soil pH are important in the management of intensively
weathered and acid soils in tropical regions because of the generally low CEC and the highly
pH-dependent nature of the CEC.
5.8. Fertility of soil versus pH
Fertility of soil leads the Plant growth and it is the function of nutrients available in
soil. Perhaps the greatest general influence of pH on plant growth is its effect on the
availability of nutrients for plants. Nitrogen availability is found maximum between pH 6 and
8, because this is the most favorable range for the soil microbes that mineralize the nitrogen
in organic matter and those organisms that fix nitrogen symbiotically. High phosphorus
availability at high pH-above 8.5-is due to sodium phosphates that have high solubility.
The pH requirement of some disease organisms is used as a management practice to
control disease. One of the best known examples is that of the maintenance of acid soil to
control potato scab. Potato varieties have now been developed that resist scab organisms in
neutral and alkaline soils. Damping-off disease in nurseries is controlled by maintaining soil
pH at 5.5 or less. Also, Earthworms are inhibited by high soil acidity.