Dielectric spectroscopy as a probe for dynamic properties of compacted smectites

The micro­dynamics of water and ions in two types of clays (montmorillonite and hectorite) was investigated with Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopy (40 Hz to 5 GHz). Four to five relaxations were observed depending on the relative humidity, the clay type and the nature of the compensating counter­ion (Na + or Cs +). A tentative assignment of the relaxations to physical mechanisms is proposed