Titratable Acidity and Alkalinity of Red Soil Surfaces

The surfaces of red soils have an apparent amphotenc character, carrying titratable acidity and titratable alkalinity simultaneously. The titratable acidity arises from deprotonation of hydroxyl groups of hydrous oxide-type surfaces and dissociation of weak-acid functional groups of soil organic matter, while the titratable alkalinity is derived from release of hydroxyl groups of hydrous oxide-type surfaces. The titratable acidity and titratable alkalinity mainly depended on the composition and content of iron and aluminum oxides in the soils. The results showed that the titratable acidity and titratable alkalinity were in significantly positive correlation not only with the content of amorphous aluminum oxide(Alo) and iron oxide(Feo) extracted with acid ammonium oxalate solution, free iron ox-ide(Fed) extracted with sodium dithionite-citrate-bicarbonate (DCB) and clays, but also with the zero point of charge (ZPC) of the samples. Organic matter made an important contribution to the titratable acidity. The titratable alkalinity was closely correlated with the amount of fluoride ions adsorbed. The titratable acidity and titratable alkalinity of red soils were influenced by parent materials, being in the order of red soil derived from basalt > that from tuff > that from granite. The titratable acidity and titratable alkalinity were closely related with origination of the variable charges of red soils, and to a certain extent were responsible for variable negative and positive charges of the soils.

The surfaces of red soils have an apparent amphoteric character,carrying titratable acidity and titratable alkalinity simultaneously.The titratable acidity arises from deprotonation of hydroxyl groups of hydrous oxide-type surfaces and dissociation of weak-acid functional groups of soil organic matter,while the titratable alkalinity is derived from release of hydroxyl groups of hydrous oxide-type surfaces.The titratable acidity and titratable alkalinity mainly depended on the composition and content of iron and aluminum oxides in the soils.The results showed that the titratable acidity and titratable alkalinity were in significantly positive correlation not only with the content of amorphous aluminum oxide(Alo) and iron oxide(Feo) extracted with acid ammonium oxalate solution,free iron oxide(Fed) extracted with sodium dithionite-citrate-bicarbonate(DCB) and clays,but also with the zero point of charge (ZPC) of the samples.Organic matter made an important contribution to the titratable acidity.the titratable alkalinity was closely correlated with the amount of fluoride ions adsorbed.The titratable acidity and titratable alkalinity of red soils were influenced by parent materials,being in the order of red soil derived from basalt> that from tuff> that from granite.The titratable acidity and titratable alkalinity ware closely related with origination of the variable charges of red soils,and to a certain extent were responsible for variable negative and positive charges of the soils.