P. Sangervonoepen et al., PRESENTATION OF THE SRCL2-METHOD AFTER BA CH FOR THE DETERMINATION OFTHE EFFECTIVE CATION-EXCHANGE CAPACITY AND COMPARISON WITH THE NH4CL-METHOD, Zeitschrift fur Pflanzenernahrung und Bodenkunde, 156(4), 1993, pp. 311-316
The SrCl2-method for the determination of the effective cation exchang
e capacity CEC(eff) has been developed by Dr. H. Bach, a former geoche
mist of the ''Geologisches Landesamt Schleswig-Holstein''. Exchangeabl
e metallic cations in soils are displaced by a 0,1 M SrCl2-solution an
d analyzed from the percolate. Reexchange of strontium by a 0,1 M MgCl
2-solution allows to determine the CEC(eff) by analyzing for strontium
in the second percolate. In comparison with the customary application
of NH4Cl, SrCl2 shows the following advantages: 1. The nearly unbuffe
red SrCl2-solution adopts instantly the pH of the soil. 2. In contrast
to the weakly acid NH4Cl-solution, no H3O+-cations compete with the e
xchange cation. Furthermore, partial dissolution of clay minerals is p
revented because of the near-neutral character of the SrCl2-solution.
3. The SrCl2-method can be applied on all types of soils including car
bonate- and salt-bearing soils. 4. The amount of free (dissolved) cati
ons can be approximated.