Quantifying Capillary Action in a Variety of Clay Materials
Mentor 1
Shangping Xu
Location
Union Wisconsin Room
Start Date
28-4-2017 1:30 PM
End Date
28-4-2017 4:00 PM
Description
Ceramic materials with a spectrum ofpore sizes can be used to retain and release water under various soil moisture conditions. The use of carefully designed ceramic materials can thus help plants survive and grow during adrought.In our experiments, we create ceramicmaterials with a wide range ofpore sizes and examine theirwater retention/release capabilities. The ceramic materials aremade fromclays such askaolin, red art clay, bentonite, dolomite andfeldspar. These clays will be mixed with organics including starch, coffee grounds, and paper. We begin by mixing organic substances with our clays in pre-selected ratios. Once mixed and dried we fire the samples in a kiln to disintegrate the mixed organics leaving only a clay sample containing our desired pore size. Firstly the samples are saturated with water and then a negative pressure is applied tosimulate a scenario in which water would be released from the sample in nature. Creating a clay/organic combination with water retention rates exceeding that of soils currently used in agriculture operations may benefit during drought conditions by prolonging field capacity.
Quantifying Capillary Action in a Variety of Clay Materials
Union Wisconsin Room
Ceramic materials with a spectrum ofpore sizes can be used to retain and release water under various soil moisture conditions. The use of carefully designed ceramic materials can thus help plants survive and grow during adrought.In our experiments, we create ceramicmaterials with a wide range ofpore sizes and examine theirwater retention/release capabilities. The ceramic materials aremade fromclays such askaolin, red art clay, bentonite, dolomite andfeldspar. These clays will be mixed with organics including starch, coffee grounds, and paper. We begin by mixing organic substances with our clays in pre-selected ratios. Once mixed and dried we fire the samples in a kiln to disintegrate the mixed organics leaving only a clay sample containing our desired pore size. Firstly the samples are saturated with water and then a negative pressure is applied tosimulate a scenario in which water would be released from the sample in nature. Creating a clay/organic combination with water retention rates exceeding that of soils currently used in agriculture operations may benefit during drought conditions by prolonging field capacity.
