Essays on Persia |
m convert special characters found by Wikipedia:Typo Team/moss (via WP:JWB) |
||
(5 intermediate revisions by 3 users not shown) | |||
Line 4: | Line 4: | ||
{{Other uses|Mountain (disambiguation)}} |
{{Other uses|Mountain (disambiguation)}} |
||
{{Other uses|Soap (disambiguation)}} |
{{Other uses|Soap (disambiguation)}} |
||
'''Mountain soap''' ({{lang-la|Argilla saponiformis}}, {{lang-de|Bergseife}}, {{lang-fr|Savon de montagne}}),<ref name="szegl">''[[:ru:Щеглов, Николай Прокофьевич|Nikolay Shcheglov]]'', Mineralogy according to [[René Just Haüy|Mr. |
'''Mountain soap''' ({{lang-la|Argilla saponiformis}}, {{lang-de|Bergseife}}, {{lang-fr|Savon de montagne}}),<ref name="szegl">''[[:ru:Щеглов, Николай Прокофьевич|Nikolay Shcheglov]]'', Mineralogy according to [[René Just Haüy|Mr. Haüy's]] system: part two. — St. Petersburg: In Marine Printing House, 1824.</ref>{{rp|203}}, ''rock-soap'' or ''bolus''<ref name="cat">''[[Gerard Krefft]]''. Catalogue of the minerals and rocks in the collection of the Australian Museum. — Publisher: Thomas Richards, Government Press, 1873. — 132 p.</ref>{{rp|34}} — a partially outdated [[trivial name]] for a large group of [[clay]] minerals similar in properties from the group of hydrous layered [[aluminum silicate]]s with variable composition. Minerals from the mountain soap group contain primarily [[Silicate mineral|silicates]] (44-46%), [[Aluminium oxide|alumina]] (17-26%), [[iron oxide]]s (6-10%) and [[water]] (13-25%). The mountain soap group included at different times up to two dozen mineral species and varieties. In different cases, this name could mean different minerals, most often ''[[halloysite]]'' (from the proper name), ''[[saponite]]'' (soapstone),<ref name="kris">''[[Afrikan Krishtofovich|A. N. Krishtofovich]]'', Geological Dictionary. Volume 1. — Moscow: State Publishing House of Geological Literature, 1955.</ref>{{rp|187}} ''[[bentonite]]'' or ''[[montmorillonite]]'' (from the {{lang-fr|Montmorillon}}, toponym). The last mineral is a large group, each of which could be called mountain soap. All these minerals received their common colloquial name, which gradually penetrated into mineralogy, for their ability to lather and serve as a detergent for various purposes. |
||
Mountain soap has some common properties that are characteristic of all minerals included in the group. All of them have very low hardness (from 1 to 2 on the Mohs scale) and are a typical [[weathering]] product of [[aluminosilicate]]s. In the form of its main component ([[bentonite]], which is formed during the weathering of volcanic rocks — [[tuff]]s and [[ash]]), mountain soap is one of the main minerals in many types of [[soil]]s, and it is also found in many [[sedimentary rock]]s. Thanks to its layered |
Mountain soap has some common properties that are characteristic of all minerals included in the group. All of them have very low hardness (from 1 to 2 on the Mohs scale) and are a typical [[weathering]] product of [[aluminosilicate]]s. In the form of its main component ([[bentonite]], which is formed during the weathering of volcanic rocks — [[tuff]]s and [[ash]]), mountain soap is one of the main minerals in many types of [[soil]]s, and it is also found in many [[sedimentary rock]]s. Thanks to its layered "batch" structure, mountain soap has the ability to absorb water, swell strongly and has pronounced [[sorption]] properties. |
||
== Name == |
== Name == |
||
The name |
The name "mountain soap" is not so much a [[metaphor]], which is quite often found in mineralogy, as a simple statement of the soapy properties of the mineral, as well as the systematic use that it has had for thousands of years. This mineral is named ''mountain soap'', on account of its greasiness, sectility, and softness.<ref name="rober">''[[Robert Jameson]]''. A System of Mineralogy, in which Minerals are Arranged According to the Natural History Method. — Edinburgh, A. Constable & Co., 1820.</ref>{{rp|79}} On the one hand, this ''type of clay'' received its trivial name from its property of softening in water and forming with it a viscous and greasy substance to the touch, similar to thickly diluted soap.<ref name="spass">''[[:de:Grigori Iwanowitsch Spasski|Spassky G. I.]]'' Mountain dictionary. Part one. — S. Petersburg. In the printing house of Nikolai Stepanov, 1843.</ref>{{rp|95}} On the other hand, for a very long time, the population that had access to deposits of such clays systematically used it as a detergent for various purposes: from [[Fulling|waulking]] cloth, canvas and wool to washing hands, face and hair in the bathhouse.<ref name="ogor">''[[:ru:Огородников, Павел Иванович|Ogorodnikov P. I.]]'' "Essays on Persia". Shahrud kaleidoscope. Persian coast of the Caspian Sea. Pass over Kuzluk. — S. Petersburg: ed. magazine "World Traveler", 1878. — 396 p.</ref> From the combination of two factors inherent in all these varieties, other synonymous names also follow under which washing clays are found. In the literature of the 18th and 19th centuries, mountain soap can be found under the names: soapy earth,<ref name="kraf">Guide to Mathematical and Physical Geography, with the use of the earth's globe and land maps, again translated with notes from French. Theodore Ulr. Theod. Epimus (translation by A. M. Razumov). Second edition. — In St. Petersburg at the Imperial Academy of Sciences in 1764.</ref> soapy clay, [[soapstone]] or bolus.<ref name="stell">''[[Georg Wilhelm Steller|Steller Georg Wilhelm]]''. Description of the land of Kamchatka. — Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky: Kamchatka Printing Yard. Book Publishing house, 1999.</ref> |
||
The conventional scientific use of the collective term |
The conventional scientific use of the collective term "mountain soap" generally ended by the last quarter of the 19th century, giving way to individual names of the minerals included in this conventional group. Currently, the term is considered completely outdated and does not appear as such even in the latest mineralogical dictionaries.<ref name="kriv">''Krivovichev V. G.'' Mineralogical glossary. Scientific editor [[:ru:Булах Андрій Глібович|A. G. Bulakh]]. — St.Petersburg: St.Petersburg Univ. Publ. House. 2009. — 556 p. — ISBN 978-5-288-04863-0</ref>{{rp|239,531}} |
||
== Properties == |
== Properties == |
||
Mountain soap has the same properties as one of its main varieties: [[bentonite]] or [[montmorillonite]]. This is a typical clay mineral belonging to the subclass of layered silicates, due to its structure it has the ability to swell strongly. In addition, mountain soap has pronounced sorption properties. The modern use of bentonites in industrial production, construction and even as a food additive is based on their high thermal stability, binding ability, as well as [[Catalysis|catalytic]] and [[adsorption]] activity. |
Mountain soap has the same properties as one of its main varieties: [[bentonite]] or [[montmorillonite]]. This is a typical clay mineral belonging to the subclass of layered silicates, due to its structure it has the ability to swell strongly. In addition, mountain soap has pronounced sorption properties. The modern use of bentonites in industrial production, construction and even as a food additive is based on their high thermal stability, binding ability, as well as [[Catalysis|catalytic]] and [[adsorption]] activity. |
||
Old authors of the 18th-19th centuries, describing the properties of mountain soap, unanimously note that it is opaque, not sticky, convenient for writing, and also soft when wetted, lathers well and sticks strongly to the tongue. It feels greasy and light. In composition (according to Buchholz's analysis) it contains 44% [[Silicon dioxide|silica]], 26.5% [[Aluminium oxide|alumina]], about 20.5% [[water]], 8% [[iron oxide]]s and 0.5-1% [[calcium]] compounds ([[lime]]).<ref name="fish">''[[Gotthelf Fischer von Waldheim|Fischer von Waldheim G.I.]]'' Oryctognosy or a brief description of all fossil substances with an explanation of terms: Part one. Essay by Gottgelf Fischer, Imperial Medical-Surgical Academy Vice-President. — Moscow: Printing house of the Imperial Medical-Surgical Academy, 1818. — 456 p.</ref>{{rp|377-378}} Naturally, the results of chemical analysis relate exclusively to the specific variety on which laboratory operations were carried out. In all other cases, both the percentage composition of the substances that make up the clay and the set of impurities may differ significantly from the proposed ratio. Nevertheless, this analysis is quite indicative in general for that mineral group that can be described as |
Old authors of the 18th-19th centuries, describing the properties of mountain soap, unanimously note that it is opaque, not sticky, convenient for writing, and also soft when wetted, lathers well and sticks strongly to the tongue. It feels greasy and light. In composition (according to Buchholz's analysis) it contains 44% [[Silicon dioxide|silica]], 26.5% [[Aluminium oxide|alumina]], about 20.5% [[water]], 8% [[iron oxide]]s and 0.5-1% [[calcium]] compounds ([[lime]]).<ref name="fish">''[[Gotthelf Fischer von Waldheim|Fischer von Waldheim G.I.]]'' Oryctognosy or a brief description of all fossil substances with an explanation of terms: Part one. Essay by Gottgelf Fischer, Imperial Medical-Surgical Academy Vice-President. — Moscow: Printing house of the Imperial Medical-Surgical Academy, 1818. — 456 p.</ref>{{rp|377-378}} Naturally, the results of chemical analysis relate exclusively to the specific variety on which laboratory operations were carried out. In all other cases, both the percentage composition of the substances that make up the clay and the set of impurities may differ significantly from the proposed ratio. Nevertheless, this analysis is quite indicative in general for that mineral group that can be described as "mountain soaps". |
||
Being in damp soil or being moistened, mountain soap becomes completely soft and similar to butter, but when it dries in dry weather in the air or when heated, it hardens. Chemical stability and even some inertness of mountain soap are also noted; even in strong acids, for example, sulfuric, hydrochloric or nitric, no visible change or any other signs of a chemical reaction occur with it.<ref name="Mining">Mining magazine or collection of information about mining and salt business. — St. Petersburg: Printing house of the Mountain Cadet Corps, 1826.</ref>{{rp|157}} |
Being in damp soil or being moistened, mountain soap becomes completely soft and similar to butter, but when it dries in dry weather in the air or when heated, it hardens. Chemical stability and even some inertness of mountain soap are also noted; even in strong acids, for example, sulfuric, hydrochloric or nitric, no visible change or any other signs of a chemical reaction occur with it.<ref name="Mining">Mining magazine or collection of information about mining and salt business. — St. Petersburg: Printing house of the Mountain Cadet Corps, 1826.</ref>{{rp|157}} |
||
[[File:Mineral Saponite 1.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|[[Saponite]] ([[Ukraine]])]] |
[[File:Mineral Saponite 1.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|{{center|[[Saponite]] ([[Ukraine]])}}]] |
||
The authors differ significantly more regarding the color of the clays. If [[Gotthelf Fischer von Waldheim|Johann Gottgelf von Waldheim]] unequivocally states that mountain soap |
The authors differ significantly more regarding the color of the clays. If [[Gotthelf Fischer von Waldheim|Johann Gottgelf von Waldheim]] unequivocally states that mountain soap "has a light pitch-black color",<ref name="fish"/>{{rp|377}} [[:fr:Pavel Gorianinov|Pavel Goryaninov]] practically confirm his opinion, assuring that it is "black-brown in color",<ref name="горян">''[[:fr:Pavel Gorianinov|Goryaninov P. F.]]'' Guide to teaching mineralogy. Comp. Pavel Goryaninov, Imp. St. Petersburg medical surgeon acad. ordinary professional. — St. Petersburg: type. Headquarters Dept. housings internal guards, 1835. — 291 p.</ref>{{rp|264}} and [[Robert Jameson]] confirms this information,<ref name="rober"/>{{rp|80}}<ref>[[Robert Jameson]] in his «System of Mineralogy...», writes literally the following about Mountain Soap: ''«Its colour is pale brownish-black»''.</ref> however then other authors are much less categorical. The Mining Journal for 1926 writes that "this soap has different colors, but more greenish and yellow",<ref name="Mining"/>{{rp|157}} and [[Grigory Spassky]] in the Mining Dictionary of 1843 summarizes: "its color is generally white, turning into dark brown, bluish and yellowish".<ref name="spass"/>{{rp|95}} |
||
It is clear that the specific characteristics of mountain soap are associated, first of all, with the breadth of coverage of regional forms and varieties that a particular author included in his review. In particular, Spassky separately mentions that the external properties of mountain soap, used in the [[Kazan Governorate|Kazan]] and [[Irkutsk Governorate|Irkutsk governorates]], and especially in the [[Crimea]] under the name [[Kil (clay)|kil]], are generally similar to those described here, however, the chemical composition of each of these differences has not yet been precisely determined.<ref name="spass"/>{{rp|95}} |
It is clear that the specific characteristics of mountain soap are associated, first of all, with the breadth of coverage of regional forms and varieties that a particular author included in his review. In particular, Spassky separately mentions that the external properties of mountain soap, used in the [[Kazan Governorate|Kazan]] and [[Irkutsk Governorate|Irkutsk governorates]], and especially in the [[Crimea]] under the name [[Kil (clay)|kil]], are generally similar to those described here, however, the chemical composition of each of these differences has not yet been precisely determined.<ref name="spass"/>{{rp|95}} |
||
Pavel Ogorodnikov writes about exactly the same thing in his [[memoir]] |
Pavel Ogorodnikov writes about exactly the same thing in his [[memoir]] "Essays on Persia", of course, without mentioning the exact names and chemical terms. Talking about his travels through Northern [[Iran]], he notices that different types of fatty [[clay]], which replaces soap for the poor population when washing clothes, are found in abundance in all the nearby mountains. For example, grayish clay, sold at the local market for 1,80 [[Ruble|rub.]] and more expensive per halvar, mined mainly between the villages of Tash and Mujen, and cheaper, yellowish (90 [[kopeck]]s per halvar) — in the surrounding mountains of the village of Taal-Saab-abad. [[Asterabad]] residents wash their clothes mainly with Gilaser clay, which is abundant in the Asterabad mountains. In addition, the Shahrud people also use Semnon clay, which comes from the city of Semnon, which lies on the way from [[Shahrud]] to [[Tehran]]. This particularly expensive and probably high quality clay sells for 9 [[Ruble|rub.]] for halvar, used exclusively by women when washing their hair in the bathhouse.<ref name="ogor"/> |
||
== Gallery == |
== Gallery == |
||
<gallery> |
<gallery mode=packed> |
||
Popcorn weathering (Big Blue Bentonite, Sentinel Butte Formation, Upper Paleocene; Coal Vein Trail, Roosevelt National Park, Little Missouri Badlands, North Dakota, USA) 11.jpg| |
Popcorn weathering (Big Blue Bentonite, Sentinel Butte Formation, Upper Paleocene; Coal Vein Trail, Roosevelt National Park, Little Missouri Badlands, North Dakota, USA) 11.jpg|{{center|[[Bentonite]]}} |
||
Mineraly.sk - halloyzit.jpg| |
Mineraly.sk - halloyzit.jpg|{{center|[[Halloysite]]}} |
||
Kil (rock).jpg| |
Kil (rock).jpg|{{center|[[Kil (clay)|Kil]]}} |
||
Brushite, Montmorillonite-445846.jpg| |
Brushite, Montmorillonite-445846.jpg|{{center|[[Montmorillonite]]}} |
||
Saponite-432063.jpg| |
Saponite-432063.jpg|{{center|[[Saponite]]}} |
||
</gallery> |
</gallery> |
||
Revision as of 18:57, 24 April 2024
Mountain soap | |
---|---|
General | |
Category | Mineral |
Mountain soap (Latin: Argilla saponiformis, German: Bergseife, French: Savon de montagne),[1]: 203 , rock-soap or bolus[2]: 34 — a partially outdated trivial name for a large group of clay minerals similar in properties from the group of hydrous layered aluminum silicates with variable composition. Minerals from the mountain soap group contain primarily silicates (44-46%), alumina (17-26%), iron oxides (6-10%) and water (13-25%). The mountain soap group included at different times up to two dozen mineral species and varieties. In different cases, this name could mean different minerals, most often halloysite (from the proper name), saponite (soapstone),[3]: 187 bentonite or montmorillonite (from the French: Montmorillon, toponym). The last mineral is a large group, each of which could be called mountain soap. All these minerals received their common colloquial name, which gradually penetrated into mineralogy, for their ability to lather and serve as a detergent for various purposes.
Mountain soap has some common properties that are characteristic of all minerals included in the group. All of them have very low hardness (from 1 to 2 on the Mohs scale) and are a typical weathering product of aluminosilicates. In the form of its main component (bentonite, which is formed during the weathering of volcanic rocks — tuffs and ash), mountain soap is one of the main minerals in many types of soils, and it is also found in many sedimentary rocks. Thanks to its layered "batch" structure, mountain soap has the ability to absorb water, swell strongly and has pronounced sorption properties.
Name
The name "mountain soap" is not so much a metaphor, which is quite often found in mineralogy, as a simple statement of the soapy properties of the mineral, as well as the systematic use that it has had for thousands of years. This mineral is named mountain soap, on account of its greasiness, sectility, and softness.[4]: 79 On the one hand, this type of clay received its trivial name from its property of softening in water and forming with it a viscous and greasy substance to the touch, similar to thickly diluted soap.[5]: 95 On the other hand, for a very long time, the population that had access to deposits of such clays systematically used it as a detergent for various purposes: from waulking cloth, canvas and wool to washing hands, face and hair in the bathhouse.[6] From the combination of two factors inherent in all these varieties, other synonymous names also follow under which washing clays are found. In the literature of the 18th and 19th centuries, mountain soap can be found under the names: soapy earth,[7] soapy clay, soapstone or bolus.[8]
The conventional scientific use of the collective term "mountain soap" generally ended by the last quarter of the 19th century, giving way to individual names of the minerals included in this conventional group. Currently, the term is considered completely outdated and does not appear as such even in the latest mineralogical dictionaries.[9]: 239, 531
Properties
Mountain soap has the same properties as one of its main varieties: bentonite or montmorillonite. This is a typical clay mineral belonging to the subclass of layered silicates, due to its structure it has the ability to swell strongly. In addition, mountain soap has pronounced sorption properties. The modern use of bentonites in industrial production, construction and even as a food additive is based on their high thermal stability, binding ability, as well as catalytic and adsorption activity.
Old authors of the 18th-19th centuries, describing the properties of mountain soap, unanimously note that it is opaque, not sticky, convenient for writing, and also soft when wetted, lathers well and sticks strongly to the tongue. It feels greasy and light. In composition (according to Buchholz's analysis) it contains 44% silica, 26.5% alumina, about 20.5% water, 8% iron oxides and 0.5-1% calcium compounds (lime).[10]: 377–378 Naturally, the results of chemical analysis relate exclusively to the specific variety on which laboratory operations were carried out. In all other cases, both the percentage composition of the substances that make up the clay and the set of impurities may differ significantly from the proposed ratio. Nevertheless, this analysis is quite indicative in general for that mineral group that can be described as "mountain soaps".
Being in damp soil or being moistened, mountain soap becomes completely soft and similar to butter, but when it dries in dry weather in the air or when heated, it hardens. Chemical stability and even some inertness of mountain soap are also noted; even in strong acids, for example, sulfuric, hydrochloric or nitric, no visible change or any other signs of a chemical reaction occur with it.[11]: 157
The authors differ significantly more regarding the color of the clays. If Johann Gottgelf von Waldheim unequivocally states that mountain soap "has a light pitch-black color",[10]: 377 Pavel Goryaninov practically confirm his opinion, assuring that it is "black-brown in color",[12]: 264 and Robert Jameson confirms this information,[4]: 80 [13] however then other authors are much less categorical. The Mining Journal for 1926 writes that "this soap has different colors, but more greenish and yellow",[11]: 157 and Grigory Spassky in the Mining Dictionary of 1843 summarizes: "its color is generally white, turning into dark brown, bluish and yellowish".[5]: 95
It is clear that the specific characteristics of mountain soap are associated, first of all, with the breadth of coverage of regional forms and varieties that a particular author included in his review. In particular, Spassky separately mentions that the external properties of mountain soap, used in the Kazan and Irkutsk governorates, and especially in the Crimea under the name kil, are generally similar to those described here, however, the chemical composition of each of these differences has not yet been precisely determined.[5]: 95
Pavel Ogorodnikov writes about exactly the same thing in his memoir "Essays on Persia", of course, without mentioning the exact names and chemical terms. Talking about his travels through Northern Iran, he notices that different types of fatty clay, which replaces soap for the poor population when washing clothes, are found in abundance in all the nearby mountains. For example, grayish clay, sold at the local market for 1,80 rub. and more expensive per halvar, mined mainly between the villages of Tash and Mujen, and cheaper, yellowish (90 kopecks per halvar) — in the surrounding mountains of the village of Taal-Saab-abad. Asterabad residents wash their clothes mainly with Gilaser clay, which is abundant in the Asterabad mountains. In addition, the Shahrud people also use Semnon clay, which comes from the city of Semnon, which lies on the way from Shahrud to Tehran. This particularly expensive and probably high quality clay sells for 9 rub. for halvar, used exclusively by women when washing their hair in the bathhouse.[6]
Gallery
References
- ^ Nikolay Shcheglov, Mineralogy according to Mr. Haüy's system: part two. — St. Petersburg: In Marine Printing House, 1824.
- ^ Gerard Krefft. Catalogue of the minerals and rocks in the collection of the Australian Museum. — Publisher: Thomas Richards, Government Press, 1873. — 132 p.
- ^ A. N. Krishtofovich, Geological Dictionary. Volume 1. — Moscow: State Publishing House of Geological Literature, 1955.
- ^ a b Robert Jameson. A System of Mineralogy, in which Minerals are Arranged According to the Natural History Method. — Edinburgh, A. Constable & Co., 1820.
- ^ a b c Spassky G. I. Mountain dictionary. Part one. — S. Petersburg. In the printing house of Nikolai Stepanov, 1843.
- ^ a b Ogorodnikov P. I. "Essays on Persia". Shahrud kaleidoscope. Persian coast of the Caspian Sea. Pass over Kuzluk. — S. Petersburg: ed. magazine "World Traveler", 1878. — 396 p.
- ^ Guide to Mathematical and Physical Geography, with the use of the earth's globe and land maps, again translated with notes from French. Theodore Ulr. Theod. Epimus (translation by A. M. Razumov). Second edition. — In St. Petersburg at the Imperial Academy of Sciences in 1764.
- ^ Steller Georg Wilhelm. Description of the land of Kamchatka. — Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky: Kamchatka Printing Yard. Book Publishing house, 1999.
- ^ Krivovichev V. G. Mineralogical glossary. Scientific editor A. G. Bulakh. — St.Petersburg: St.Petersburg Univ. Publ. House. 2009. — 556 p. — ISBN 978-5-288-04863-0
- ^ a b Fischer von Waldheim G.I. Oryctognosy or a brief description of all fossil substances with an explanation of terms: Part one. Essay by Gottgelf Fischer, Imperial Medical-Surgical Academy Vice-President. — Moscow: Printing house of the Imperial Medical-Surgical Academy, 1818. — 456 p.
- ^ a b Mining magazine or collection of information about mining and salt business. — St. Petersburg: Printing house of the Mountain Cadet Corps, 1826.
- ^ Goryaninov P. F. Guide to teaching mineralogy. Comp. Pavel Goryaninov, Imp. St. Petersburg medical surgeon acad. ordinary professional. — St. Petersburg: type. Headquarters Dept. housings internal guards, 1835. — 291 p.
- ^ Robert Jameson in his «System of Mineralogy...», writes literally the following about Mountain Soap: «Its colour is pale brownish-black».