Freezing and Thawing Effects on Sand-based Media
Modified with Inorganic Amendments
Deying Li, Marco Volterrani, Nick E. Christians, David D. Minner and Simone Magni
This is a joint project with Marco Volterrani of the University of Pisa, Italy. The full text will be published in the International Turfgrass Research Journal in 2001.
ABSTRACT. Many inorganic amendments have been suggested for use in sand-based systems to increase nutrient and water holding capacity, but little is known about their long-term effects on the physical properties of the media. The objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of freezing-and-thawing on the particle integrity, soil bulk density, and saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat) of a sand-based media amended with inorganic materials and to measure the particle stability of these sand and inorganic amendment mixtures when subjected to compaction. The amendments included porous ceramic clay (PCC), calcined diatomaceous earth (CDE), zeolite clinoptilolite, zeolite chabasite, a polymer coated clay with a kelp material incorporated on the exterior of the polymer coating (PC), lapillus , and pumice. A mixture of 85% sand and 15% (v/v) of the soil amendments was prepared in the laboratory. After 20 freeze/thaw cycles, sand amended with PC had a 7.6% decrease in bulk density from the compacted sample. The percentage weight of the finest fraction that passed through to the 0.053-mm sieve to the bottom pan increased in all treatments except the control and PC. The fine particles collected in the pan increased by 124% for sand amended with zeolite clinoptilolite. After 20 cycles of freeze/thaw, Ksat values of sand amended with PCC and CDE were 25 and 33% higher than the control, respectively. Twenty freeze/thaw cycles resulted in a 219, and 101% increase in Ksat of the sand amended with PC and peat, respectively. The increases of Ksat by PC and peat are likely due to their particle stability during freezing and thawing. Dynamic compaction caused breakdown of 1.2 to 3.3% of the particles retained on the 0.5-mm sieve.
Table 1. Physical properties of the inorganic materials used in the freezing-and-thawing study.
|
Property |
Inorganic materials |
|||||||
|
Sand |
Zeolite 1† |
Zeolite 2‡ |
PCC§ |
CDE¶ |
PC# |
Lapillus |
Pumice |
|
|
Gravel (>2 mm), g kg-1 |
1.0 |
2.0 |
437.7 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
25.3 |
100.0 |
158.7 |
|
Very coarse (1.0-2.0 mm), g kg-1 |
4.7 |
128.3 |
376.7 |
0.0 |
249.7 |
81.7 |
169.7 |
357.0 |
|
Coarse (0.5-1.0 mm), g kg-1 |
123.0 |
574.3 |
23.7 |
596.0 |
501.7 |
490.0 |
143.3 |
239.3 |
|
Medium (0.25-0.5 mm), g kg-1 |
770.7 |
243.3 |
30.3 |
401.0 |
215.3 |
326.3 |
149.0 |
114.0 |
|
Fine (0.15-0.25 mm), g kg-1 |
89.3 |
15.0 |
26.7 |
3.3 |
17.3 |
41.7 |
114.7 |
44.3 |
|
Very fine (0.106-0.15 mm), g kg-1 |
6.3 |
11.7 |
23.0 |
0.0 |
6.7 |
10.0 |
75.3 |
21.7 |
|
Silt (0.05-0.106 mm), g kg-1 |
4.0 |
13.7 |
32.7 |
0.0 |
9.3 |
14.3 |
133.7 |
30.7 |
|
Clay (<0.05 mm), g kg-1 |
2.3 |
11.0 |
50.3 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
8.3 |
114.0 |
35.0 |
|
pH (1:1 water/material) |
6.8 |
7.8 |
8.0 |
6.3 |
7.0 |
6.4 |
7.0 |
6.8 |
† Zeolite clinoptilolite. ¶ CDE, calcined diatomaceous earth.
‡ Zeolite chabasite. # PC, polymer coated clay with a kelp material incorporated on the exterior of the polymer coating.
§ PCC, porous ceramic clay.
Table 2. The effect of freezing and thawing on the change in bulk density of the mixtures including 85% sand/15% amendment (v/v).
|
Treatment |
Bulk density |
Bulk density decrease |
|||||
|
compacted |
Saturated |
Frozen |
1-cycle |
5-cycle |
10-cycle |
20-cycle |
|
|
g cm-1 |
…………………………………………………………....……… % ………………………….…….………………………… |
||||||
|
Peat |
1.47 |
1.7 |
8.4 |
1.9 |
1.7 |
0.9 |
0.3 |
|
Zeolite1† |
1.51 |
0.2 |
7.7 |
1.0 |
0.6 |
1.0 |
2.1 |
|
Zeolite2‡ |
1.54 |
0.2 |
5.7 |
0.6 |
1.0 |
1.2 |
1.8 |
|
PCC§ |
1.46 |
0.6 |
7.9 |
1.4 |
1.0 |
0.6 |
1.7 |
|
CDE¶ |
1.45 |
-0.2 |
7.6 |
1.0 |
1.5 |
3.6 |
2.8 |
|
PC# |
1.61 |
16.1 |
18.4 |
15.6 |
11.5 |
9.5 |
7.6 |
|
Lapillus |
1.59 |
0.0 |
8.2 |
2.0 |
1.6 |
3.4 |
1.9 |
|
Pumice |
1.50 |
0.2 |
7.8 |
1.0 |
0.8 |
2.1 |
1.5 |
|
LSD0.05 |
0.02 |
1.0 |
1.6 |
0.9 |
1.0 |
1.2 |
1.7 |
† Zeolite clinoptilolite. ¶ CDE, calcined diatomaceous earth.
‡ Zeolite chabasite. # PC, polymer coated clay with a kelp material incorporated on the exterior of the polymer coating.
§ PCC, porous ceramic clay.
Table 3. Freezing and thawing effects on particle integrity of the mixtures containing 85% sand/15% amendment (v/v).
|
Sieve aperture (mm) |
|||||||||
|
4 |
2 |
1 |
0.5 |
0.25 |
0.15 |
0.106 |
0.053 |
pan |
|
|
Treatment |
Percentage weight retained on the sieve before freezing-and-thawing |
||||||||
|
Peat |
0.0 |
0.1 |
0.7 |
13.2 |
75.6 |
8.3 |
0.8 |
0.8 |
0.5 |
|
Zeolite1† |
0.0 |
0.0 |
1.9 |
18.5 |
71.7 |
7.2 |
0.4 |
0.2 |
0.1 |
|
Zeolite2‡ |
0.2 |
2.1 |
5.0 |
12.2 |
70.9 |
7.5 |
0.7 |
0.6 |
0.8 |
|
PCC§ |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.5 |
15.5 |
74.6 |
8.2 |
0.6 |
0.3 |
0.4 |
|
CDE¶ |
0.0 |
0.1 |
1.3 |
13.6 |
74.8 |
8.9 |
0.7 |
0.5 |
0.1 |
|
PC# |
0.1 |
0.3 |
1.4 |
16.6 |
71.2 |
8.7 |
0.8 |
0.6 |
0.3 |
|
Lapillus |
0.0 |
1.3 |
2.2 |
13.0 |
69.7 |
8.8 |
1.6 |
2.0 |
1.4 |
|
Pumice |
0.0 |
0.9 |
2.8 |
14.9 |
72.5 |
7.2 |
0.6 |
0.5 |
0.5 |
|
LSD0.05 |
0.0 |
0.2 |
0.4 |
1.3 |
1.2 |
0.9 |
0.2 |
0.1 |
0.3 |
|
Percentage decreased after 20 cycles of freezing-and-thawing |
|||||||||
|
Peat |
33.3 |
26.0 |
14.7 |
6.3 |
-2.7 |
3.0 |
-3.7 |
4.7 |
1.7 |
|
Zeolite1 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
-2.0 |
-3.0 |
2.0 |
-7.3 |
-36.7 |
-98.7 |
-124.3 |
|
Zeolite2 |
54.7 |
20.3 |
11.0 |
0.3 |
-1.0 |
-3.7 |
-15.7 |
-9.0 |
-16.7 |
|
PCC |
0.0 |
9.7 |
-16.7 |
-19.0 |
2.7 |
15.0 |
14.0 |
3.0 |
-6.0 |
|
CDE |
33.3 |
18.3 |
-27.7 |
-8.0 |
0.3 |
12.0 |
13.7 |
20.3 |
-25.3 |
|
PC |
100.0 |
21.3 |
-10.7 |
-12.3 |
0.3 |
15.3 |
25.3 |
32.0 |
13.0 |
|
Lapillus |
0.0 |
8.7 |
-12.3 |
4.0 |
2.0 |
-4.3 |
-13.7 |
-22.7 |
-34.0 |
|
Pumice |
33.3 |
12.0 |
10.0 |
5.0 |
0.0 |
-10.0 |
-24.7 |
-22.3 |
-39.3 |
|
LSD0.05 |
NS |
NS |
19.0 |
8.7 |
NS |
14.3 |
26.9 |
57.8 |
70.8 |
† Zeolite clinoptilolite. ¶ CDE, calcined diatomaceous earth.
‡ Zeolite chabasite. # PC, polymer coated clay with a kelp material incorporated on the exterior of the polymer coating.
§ PCC, porous ceramic clay.
Table 4. Changes in saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat) caused by freezing and thawing of the mixtures containing 85% sand/15% amendment (v/v).
|
Treatment |
Ksat† |
Ksat increase |
|
|
0-cycle |
20-cycle |
||
|
……….... cm h-1……….. |
% |
||
|
Control |
20.13 |
30.34 |
50.13 |
|
Peat |
9.54 |
19.20 |
101.21 |
|
Zeolite 1‡ |
23.59 |
26.20 |
11.04 |
|
Zeolite 2§ |
10.95 |
15.88 |
44.71 |
|
PCC¶ |
31.67 |
38.03 |
20.16 |
|
CDE# |
24.21 |
40.38 |
66.63 |
|
PC†† |
11.21 |
35.89 |
219.27 |
|
LSD0.05 |
1.19 |
5.86 |
28.49 |
† Ksat, saturated hydraulic conductivity. ¶ PCC, porous ceramic clay.
‡ Zeolite clinoptilolite. # CDE, calcined diatomaceous earth.
§ Zeolite chabasite.
†† PC, polymer coated clay with a kelp material incorporated on the exterior of the polymer coating.
Table 5. Particle-size distribution after by mechanical compaction in the mixtures containing 85% sand/15% amendment (v/v) which has passed 1-mm sieve and retained on 0.5-mm sieve.
|
Treatment |
Sieve aperture (mm) |
|||||
|
0.5 |
0.25 |
0.15 |
0.106 |
0.053 |
Pan |
|
|
Percentage weight retained |
||||||
|
Zeolite 1† |
98.75 |
1.00 |
0.25 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
|
Zeolite 2‡ |
97.98 |
1.68 |
0.25 |
0.00 |
0.09 |
0.00 |
|
PCC§ |
98.64 |
1.11 |
0.26 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
|
CDE¶ |
98.34 |
1.48 |
0.17 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
|
PC# |
98.21 |
1.56 |
0.23 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
|
Lapillus |
96.74 |
2.34 |
0.59 |
0.08 |
0.17 |
0.14 |
|
Pumice |
97.61 |
1.56 |
0.33 |
0.08 |
0.25 |
0.14 |
|
LSD0.05 |
0.95 |
0.55 |
0.15 |
NS |
NS |
NS |
† Zeolite clinoptilolite. § PCC, porous ceramic clay.
‡ Zeolite chabarite. ¶ CDE, calcined diatomaceous earth.
# PC, polymer coated clay with a kelp material incorporated on the exterior of the polymer coating.
|
ISU Horticulture:Publications:2000 Turfgrass Report | College of Agriculture |