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Wettability of humic acid and its salts
Author(s) -
Tschapek M.,
Ardizzi G. Pozzo,
de Bussetti S. G.
Publication year - 1973
Publication title -
zeitschrift für pflanzenernährung und bodenkunde
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.644
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1522-2624
pISSN - 0044-3263
DOI - 10.1002/jpln.19731350103
Subject(s) - wetting , humic acid , adsorption , chemistry , contact angle , chemical polarity , chemical engineering , hydrocarbon , colloid , immersion (mathematics) , molecule , inorganic chemistry , organic chemistry , fertilizer , mathematics , pure mathematics , engineering
Homoionic humates are well wetted by hydrocarbons (apolar liquid) and water (polar liquid). By wetting with hydrocarbons low heats of immersion (or wetting) are registered, whereas by wetting with water high heats of immersion are registered and colloidal solutions are formed. Humic acid is well wetted by hydrocarbons, producing low heats. It floats on the water surface, but once wetted by water it produces the heat of immersion. Studies of the properties of humic acid and humate permit to conclude that their surfaces are covered by hydrophilic and hydrophobic sites. By adsorption of butanol molecules it is established that humic acid and humate contain nearly two hydrophobic sites per 100 Å 2 .