kationcsereképessége

Kationcsereképessége is a Hungarian term that translates to "cation exchange capacity" (CEC) in English. It refers to the ability of a material, typically soil or an ion exchange resin, to hold and exchange positively charged ions, or cations. These cations are essential nutrients for plants, such as potassium (K+), calcium (Ca2+), magnesium (Mg2+), and ammonium (NH4+).

The CEC of a material is determined by the number of negatively charged sites on its surface. In soils, these negative charges are primarily found on clay minerals and organic matter. The higher the CEC of a soil, the greater its capacity to retain these essential cations, preventing them from being leached away by water. This means soils with high CEC can supply a more stable and sustained supply of nutrients to plants.

CEC is typically measured in milliequivalents per 100 grams of soil (meq/100g) or centimoles of positive charge per kilogram of soil (cmol+/kg). Different soil types have varying CEC values; for instance, soils rich in organic matter and montmorillonite clay tend to have higher CEC than sandy soils or those dominated by kaolinite clay. Understanding a material's kationcsereképessége is crucial in fields like agriculture, environmental science, and water treatment, as it directly influences nutrient availability, soil fertility, and the effectiveness of ion exchange processes.