The Effect of Type, Concentration and Volume of Dispersing Agent on the Magnitude of the Clay Content Determined by the 48 Hydrometer Analysis
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TECHNICAL PAPER The effect of type, JOURNAL OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN INSTITUTION OF CIVIL ENGINEERING concentration and volume ISSN 1021-2019 Vol 58 No 4, December 2016, Pages 48–54, Paper 1376 of dispersing agent on the magnitude of the clay DR ARSHDEEP KAUR is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Johannesburg. Her current content determined by research focuses on the accurate determination of the clay content of various South African soils. She holds the degrees BTech, MTech and PhD, the hydrometer analysis all received in India. Her other research interests in geotechnical engineering include the improvement of soil strength. She consulted for her own structural designing firm in India from 2008 to 2010. A Kaur, G C Fanourakis Contact details: Department of Civil Engineering Technology University of Johannesburg Knowledge of the physical properties of soils, including the clay content, is of utmost importance in P O Box 17011 the field of geotechnical engineering. The hydrometer analysis is the most widely used technique Doornfontein, 2028 for the analysis of the particle size distribution of the fine-grained fraction of a soil, calculated South Africa using sedimentation principles. The hydrometer analysis utilises a dispersing agent – Calgon 33:7 T: +27 11 559 6898 (comprising 33 grams of sodium hexametaphosphate and 7 grams of sodium carbonate when E: [email protected] mixed in 1 litre of water) is universally considered as the most effective dispersing agent. In this investigation, hydrometer analyses were conducted (according to the TMH1 1986 PROF GEORGE C FANOURAKIS joined the Department of Civil Engineering Technology at method) on two soils (alluvium and black clay), using five dispersing agents. The results show that the (now) University of Johannesburg over 22 the clay size fraction can vary significantly (from 1% to 32%) for the two soils, depending upon years ago, after leaving the employ of Jones and the dispersing agent used. From these initial results, the two most effective dispersing agents Wagener Consulting Engineers. He holds the (Calgon and sodium pyrophosphate decahydrate – NaPP) were investigated further to establish degrees of MSc (Eng) and DTech (Eng). He is a the optimum concentration and volume. Calgon proved to be the most effective in the alluvial soil, Chartered Civil Engineer and Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers (UK). He is a Fellow increasing the clay content by 38%. The NaPP was most effective in the relatively active black soil, of the South African Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE), an Honorary increasing the clay content by 25%. Fellow (and Past-President) of the Institute of Professional Engineering Technologists (IPET) and Member of the Soil Science Society of Southern Africa. He received the 2006 Best Journal Paper Award from SAICE. INTRODUCTION which have even led to unacceptable damage Contact details: The determination of the particle size distri- to the structures. In South Africa there is a Department of Civil Engineering Technology bution of a soil, including the clay content, University of Johannesburg problem with the accurate determination of P O Box 17011 is one of the most problematic areas in geo- the clay content of soils. This problem, which Doornfontein, 2028 technical engineering testing. The particle was formally expressed by Jacobsz and Day South Africa size analysis is a method of separating soils (2008), reinforces the need for research into T: +27 11 559 6416 into different fractions based on the sizes of all of the variables of the hydrometer test with E: [email protected] particles present in the soil. The particle size a view to improving its accuracy and perhaps analysis is divided into two categories (coarse to standardise the test nationally, and possibly, and fine) with associated laboratory test in future, internationally. methods. A sieve analysis is used to separate In the hydrometer analysis, dispersing the coarse-grained fraction of soil, i.e. the agents are used to disperse the fine-grained fraction of soil with particle sizes greater particles of the soil in the suspension medium than 425 microns. On the other hand, sedi- (water). Dispersing agents can either act as a mentation analysis, which is based on the protective colloid on the solid particle or alter principles of dispersion and sedimentation, is the electrical charge on the particle to prevent used for the analysis of the fine-grained frac- the formation of flocs (Sridharan et al 1991). tion of the soil, such as silt and clay, of which A variety of dispersing agents are used the particle size is less than 75 microns. in different parts of the world to perform Analysis of these fine-grained soils is done sedimentation analysis. These include either by the pipette method or by the sodium silicate and sodium oxalate (TMH1 hydrometer method (Arora 2003). 1986), Calgon (BS 1990; IS 1985; ISRIC Since the clay content of a soil is used to 2002), sodium pyrophosphate decahydrate determine its activity, which in turn is used (Schuurman & Goedewaagen 1971), sodium for design purposes, it is very important to tetra pyrophosphate (Yoo & Boyd 1994), accurately determine the clay content of soils. sodium hexametaphosphate (ASTM 1965; Keywords: grain-size analysis, hydrometer tests, dispersing agents, Inaccurate clay content determinations have Lambe 1951; SANS 2014) and di-sodium concentration, volume resulted in inappropriate design solutions, di-hydrogen pyrophosphate (formerly used Kaur A, Fanourakis GC. The effect of type, concentration and volume of dispersing agent on the magnitude of the clay content determined by the 48 hydrometer analysis. J. S. Afr. Inst. Civ. Eng. 2016;58(4), Art. #1376, 7 pages. http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/2309-8775/2016/v58n4a5 Table 1 Atterberg limits, linear shrinkage and Table 2 Details of various dispersing agents used activity of the soils sampled Dispersing agent Preparation of stock solutions Alluvial Black Properties Dissolve sodium silicate, preferably the water glass solution soil soil Sodium silicate: (Na2SiO3) in distilled water until the solution yields a reading of 36 at a Liquid limit (LL) 32 56 5 ml of sodium silicate temperature of 20°C on the standard soil hydrometer. and 5 ml of sodium oxalate Plastic limit (PL) 16 22 Sodium oxalate: This consists of a filtered saturated solution of sodium oxalate (Na2C2O4). Plasticity index (PI) 16 34 Calgon: Mix 35 grams of sodium hexametaphosphate (NaPO ) with 7 grams Clay content (%) 21.4 32 125 ml of Calgon 3 of sodium carbonate (Na CO ) and add a sufficient quantity of distilled water solution 2 3 to bring the volume of the solution to one litre. Activity (A) 0.75 1.07 Sodium pyrophosphate decahydrate: Mix 36 grams of sodium 20 ml of sodium pyrophosphate decahydrate (Na P O .10H O) with a sufficient quantity of pyrophosphate 4 2 7 2 by the Soils Testing Laboratory of the South distilled water to bring the volume to the solution to one litre. African government’s Department of Water Sodium tetra pyrophosphate: Mix 36 grams of sodium tetra pyrophosphate 20 ml of sodium tetra Affairs). The justification for the use of this with a sufficient quantity of distilled water to bring the volume of the solution pyrophosphate latter dispersing agent (di-sodium di-hydro- to one litre. gen pyrophosphate) could not be established. Di-sodium di-hydrogen pyrophosphate: Mix 36 grams of di-sodium di-hydrogen pyrophosphate (Na H P O ) with a sufficient quantity of distilled Calgon, which is a combination of sodium 40 ml of sodium 2 2 2 7 water to bring the volume of the solution to one litre. hexametaphosphate and sodium carbon- silicate and 40 ml of di-sodium di-hydrogen ate, is one of the popular dispersing agents Add sodium silicate syrup (Na SiO ) to distilled water until pyrophosphate Sodium silicate: 2 2 adopted by various countries for the sedi- the solution yields a reading of 36 at the temperature of 19.5°C on the standard soil hydrometer. mentation test analysis. The BS 1377 Part 2 (BS 1990) and IS 2720 Part IV (IS 1985) methods recommend 33 grams of sodium was a significant decrease in dispersion with silicate and 5 ml of sodium oxalate as the dis- hexametaphosphate with 7 grams of sodium a further increase in the concentration as well persing agent. The activities of the soils used carbonate, while the (South African) Council as volume of the dispersing agent added. for current study were computed by using for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) The objective of the current study was to the clay content obtained by the hydrometer recommends 35 grams of sodium hexameta- investigate the effect of different dispersing analysis when 125 ml of Calgon 33:7 (a phosphate with 7 grams of sodium carbon- agents on two different soil samples with solution comprising 33 grams of sodium ate, and the International Soil Reference and varying mineralogy. An effort was made to hexametaphosphate (NaHMP) and 7 grams Information Centre (ISRIC) recommends compare the results of the hydrometer test of sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) in 1 litre of 40 grams of sodium hexametaphosphate analyses by varying the concentration and distilled water) was used. with 10 grams of sodium carbonate. All the volume of the best two dispersing agents methods mentioned above use 125 ml of on the two soil samples, following the Hydrometer tests solution of the prescribed concentrations, THM1 (1986) test method. Hydrometer analyses were conducted on except for ISRIC which uses only 20 ml of both samples according to the TMH1 (1986) solution of the prescribed concentration. method to determine their clay content. Sridharan et al (1991) described a study on EXPERIMENTAL DETAILS These analyses were carried out in three the effect of different types and quantities of stages.