Premium
Comparison of Liquid Retention Curves with Polar and Nonpolar Liquids
Author(s) -
Lenhard Robert J.,
Brooks Royal H.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
soil science society of america journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1435-0661
pISSN - 0361-5995
DOI - 10.2136/sssaj1985.03615995004900040005x
Subject(s) - illite , montmorillonite , kaolinite , wetting , distilled water , saturation (graph theory) , capillary pressure , capillary action , contact angle , water retention , clay minerals , surface tension , chemistry , imbibition , mineralogy , geology , chromatography , porous medium , porosity , soil water , materials science , geotechnical engineering , soil science , thermodynamics , composite material , organic chemistry , mathematics , biology , germination , botany , physics , combinatorics
Capillary pressure‐saturation data obtained on unconsolidated porous media containing different clay minerals with different liquids are compared to evaluate the effect of clay‐water interactions on liquid retention characteristics. The clay minerals used were a well‐crystallized kaolinite, an illite, and a Ca‐montmorillonite. The wetting fluids were distilled water and a light hydrocarbon, soltrol, which was assumed not to interact with the clays. The hydraulic variables, capillary pressure and saturation, are transformed to account for differences in contact angle, density, and surface tension of the liquids. The liquid retention functions obtained from the different wetting fluids for the kaolinite samples are statistically similar. For Ca‐montmorillonite and illite, the retention functions are statistically different. The explanation for the difference in retention functions for Ca‐montmorillonite samples is the swelling that occurs with water. The difference in retention functions for illite samples can be accounted for by an immobile water layer.