CERTAIN ASPECTS OF THE MECHANISM OF AGGREGATE STABILITY IN WATER

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Abstract
Expts. were conducted in the laboratory to investigate the mechanism of the stability of aggregates in water. Qualitative study indicated that there was no relationship between dispersion of the soil, on the one hand, and the dipole and dielectric constants of the dispersing liquids, on the other. Pretreatment of soils rich in organic matter with ether and alcohol generally increased the stability of aggregates in water, whereas acetone pretreatment decreased aggregation. Aggregate stability was detd. in water to which different amts. of solid and liquid surface-active substances and also of thermal energy were added. Solid surface-active substance increased aggregate stability to some extent. Liquid surface-active substance, on the other hand, increased aggregate stability with increasing concn. of the sub-stance up to a certain point. Aggregate stability decreased with increasing addition of thermal energy to water, irrespective of the organic matter content of the soil.