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Received November 11, 2013; Revised November 30, 2013; Accepted December 2, 2013
ABSTRACT
A study was undertaken to optimize the parameters for particle size analysis through laser diffraction
techniques. Fifty soil samples with varying soil texture, organic matter, sesquioxide content and
calcareousness were collected and analyzed for soil texture by conventional (International Pipette
Method-IPm) and Instrumental (Particle Size Analyser-PSA) methods. The study reveals that PSA is
more accurate and preferable compared to IPm in determining the soil particle sizes. The clay content
of the different samples estimated by International Pipette method and by Particle size analyzer varied
from 0.9 to 48.4% and 0.35 to 41.2 %, respectively. PSA showed a good agreement (72% samples)
for silt size fractions, and a slight shift in the upper limit of clay from conventional size of 2 µm could
help in analysis of soil texture by PSA.
MATERIALS AND METHODS measures particle size over the range of 21 nm-2800
µm in wide angle range of nearly 160 degree.
Fifty numbers of surface soil samples were Microtrac employs three lasers to emit laser light
collected from different parts of Western Agro- into particles from the best angle. While many other
climatic Zone of Tamil Nadu representing various particle size analyzers are designed to detect
soil textures and having a wide range of organic particles at a point, the Microtrac detection
matter content, sesquioxide content and mechanism is designed to detect all the scattered
calcareousness. The samples were analyzed for light on an entire surface.
texture both by International pipette method (Piper Before analyzing samples in the instrument, the
1966) as well as by Laser diffraction technique in sample parameters viz., size and refractive index
Microtrac S3500 particle size analyzer. The samples were set up. Since the soil separates are irregular
were also analyzed for organic carbon content in shape, the particle parameters were set
(Walkley and Black 1934), sesquioxide content accordingly. Another important particle parameter
from HCl extract (Hesse 1973) and free calcium was Refractive Index (RI), which is a complex
carbonate by Rapid titration method (Piper 1966). number comprised of (i) a real part (nr ) which
The methodologies followed for particle size represents the change in the velocity of light in
determination are detailed below. vacuum; and (ii) an imaginary term (ni ) which
represents the transparency and absorptivity of that
International Pipette Method material. The values of the minerals commonly
Twenty grams of soil sample was treated with found in soil falls between 1.48 and 1.71, but for
60 ml of 6% hydrogen peroxide and kept over water minerals like hematite, the RI may reach values
bath for 30 minutes to oxidize the organic matter. from 2.9 to 3.2. Yet, for most minerals an nr value
To this 200ml of N/5 hydrochloric acid was added of approximately 1.52 was suitable. Thus, the RI
and kept overnight to destroy all the carbonates value input was set at 1.52 for the soil samples.
present in the samples. The contents were filtered Two grams of soil sample was taken in a 100ml
through Whatman No.50 filter paper and washed beaker. To this 50 ml of water and 1-2 drops of
with water till the filtrate ran free of chloride. The Triton X 100 dispersing agent was added. The
contents were transferred from filter paper to sample was subjected to ultrasonification and fed
another beaker and 400 ml water was added. To into particle size analyzer. Before feeding the
this 8 ml of 1N sodium hydroxide was added to sample to the instrument, samples were drained and
deflocculate the finer particles present in the filled twice followed by the flow of water. Samples
samples. The entire sample was stirred through were analyzed by setting the instrument parameter
mechanical stirrer for 10 minutes to disperse all viz., the rate of ultra-sonification at 0.5 cycles with
the soil separates. The volume was made up to 1.0 40% frequency for 5 minutes. A subset of randomly
litre using distilled water in a measuring cylinder selected samples, ten in number, was subjected to
without spout. The cylinder was tightly closed with different durations of sample cycling in the flow
a rubber stopper and the content was mixed cell. The soil textural classes for the above samples
thoroughly by repeated inversions holding the were identified using soil textural triangle of
rubber stopper tightly so as to avoid spilling of the International Society of Soil Science (ISSS scheme
soil water suspension. The clay fraction, silt fraction 1929).
and the sand fraction were determined using the Graphical examination of the data was
pipette method as described by Piper (1966). performed using Microsoft Excel spreadsheet
program. Calculating the percent deviation or
Laser Diffraction method relative difference between IPm and PSA method
Microtrac S3500 particle size analyzer with a for clay, silt and sand were done as per the following
780 nm wavelength laser beam was used for equation:
studying particle size distribution (PSD) of soil
samples. Microtrac FLEX software was used for (a - b)
calculation of the particle size distribution. The Per cent Deviation = ——— X 100
analysis was carried out in the laboratory of b
Metrohm India limited, Chennai. The instrument
Sl International Pipette Method (IPm) LASER Diffr action Technique through PSA
No
% Clay % Silt % Sand % Clay % Silt % Sand
Table 2: Comparative study of soil samples on pH comparing well between the methods of analysis
basis analyzed by IPm and PSA (Fig. 5), as also reported by Pieri et al. (2006).
I 12 6 50
II 12 2 17
III 19 7 37
IV 7 2 29
CONCLUSIONS
REFERENCES
Proceedings of International Society of Soil Science Piper CS (1966) Soil and Plant Analysis. Hans Publisher,
4:215–220 Bombay
Loizeau JL, Arbouille D, Santiago S, Vernet JP (1994). Walkley AJ, Black CA (1934). An estimation of method for
Evaluation of a wide range laser diffraction grain-size determining soil organic matter and proposed
analyser for use with sediments. Sedimentol 41: 353- modification of the chromic acid titration method. Soil
361 Sci 27:29–38
Pieri L, Bittelli M, Pisa PR (2006). Laser diffraction, Zobeck TM (2004). Rapid soil particle size analyses using laser
transmission electron microscopy and image analysis diffraction. Appl Engin Agric 20(5): 633-639
to evaluate a bimodal Gaussian model for particle size
distribution in soils. Geoderma 135: 118-132