An Experimental Study on Effects of Entrapped Air and Solute Concentration on

Stability of Clay Fragments in Water

Noburo Haraguchi1), Katsuya Nakaishi2)

1) National Agricultural Research Center for Kyushu Okinawa Region, Kumamoto 861-1192, Japan
2) Ibaraki University, school of agriculture, Ibaraki 300-0393, Japan

Introduction
When dry soil fragments are immersed in water, most of them are broken with releasing the air entrapped in
them. This phenomenon is called slaking. Since it greatly affects the stability of natural or artificial slopes, soil
erodibility, water permeability and germination of crops in agricultural fields, many studies were conducted to
clarify the factors affecting it. These studies focused on the factors such as, soil water content, soil cementing
material, adsorbed cations, etc. However, in most of these studies, the mixed effect of several factors on slaking
was observed and the effect of each factor on slaking was not fully understood. Thus, this study was conducted to
clarify the effects of entrapped air and solute concentration on slaking of typical clay minerals with an improved
experiment, and to examine the effects of these on slaking time.
Materials and Methods
Dry fragments made of Bujyun bentonite and Iriki kaolinite saturated with Na+ were used in this experiment.
These fragments were made of the air-dried clay particles using a hand-made pressing device at the pressure of
about 1.1 x 107Pa to form the cylindrical shape with the diameter of 6mm and the height of 4.5mm. Then, to
examine the effect of an entrapped air on slaking, these fragments were enclosed in glass ampule under vacuum
(about 4Pa) and atmospheric (filled with pure N2 gas at about 105Pa) conditions to form “vacuum sample” and
“atmospheric sample”, respectively. Then the vacuum or the atmospheric sample was placed in the glass
container (the diameter of 9cm and the height of 6cm) filled with the NaCl concentration of 0, 0.001, 0.01, 0.1,
0.5, 1.5, 4.5mol/dm3 for Na-bentonite and of 0, 1.5, 4.5 mol/dm3 for Na-kaolinite for one day (Fig.1 (a)). The
immersion experiment was begun by breaking the ampule so that the fragments in the ampule were
instantaneously in touch with the NaCl solution (Fig.1 (b)). After immersion, the change of the fragments was
photographed at certain time intervals depending on the treatments and the time at which the fragments were no
more changed was recorded.
Results
Different slaking patterns of the fragments immersed in NaCl solution were observed. These patterns could
be classified into five groups: (A) dispersion, (B) broken into particles or powders, (C) split into several sheets,
(D) swelling, (E) no change (Fig.2). Using this classification, the results are summarized in tables.1 and 2.
Firstly, from Table.1, the results for slaking Na-bentonite fragments were as follows: (1) In all the NaCl
solutions, the slaking patterns and the slaking time of the fragments were quite similar regardless of the air
condition (vacuum or atmospheric). (2) In contrast to the air condition, the slaking patterns and the slaking time
were greatly influenced by the concentration of the NaCl solution. In the cases of NaCl solution of 0.01 mol/dm3
and smaller, the fragments were dispersed or swelled considerably and the slaking time was longer (3∼20hours),
whereas in the cases of solution of 0.5 mol/dm3 and greater, the fragments were broken into small particles or
powders and the slaking time was shorter (a few minutes). Secondly, from Table.2, the results for slaking of
Na-kaolinite fragments was as follows: In all the NaCl solutions, the fragments were split into several sheets in
atmospheric condition, but did not change in shape in vacuum condition.
In concluding, for Na-bentonite fragments, the main factor of slaking was solute concentration and the effect
of the entrapped air on slaking was very small. In contrast, for Na-kaolinite fragments, the main factor of slaking
was the entrapped air and the effect of solute concentration on slaking was very small.
 NaCl solution

Vacuum or Clay fragment

atmospheric Glass ampule

Support for
glass ampule

(a) (b)

Fig.1 Experimental setup for immersing clay fragment in NaCl solution

(a) before immerse experiment, (b) beginning of immerse experiment (just
after breaking the glass ampule)

(A) (B) (C) (D) (E)

Fig.2 Slaking patterns of clay fragment immersed in NaCl solution

(A) dispersion, (B) broken into particles or powders, (C) swelling,
(D) split into sheets, (E) no change

Table.1 Slaking pattern and slaking time for Na-bentonite fragments

Concentration of NaCl solution (mol･dm-3)
0 0.001 0.01 0.1 0.5 1.5 4.5
Slaking vacuum A A C B B B B
1)
Pattern atmospheric A A B B B B B
Slaking vacuum 6∼8.5 11∼20 4∼4.5 1∼2 0.05∼0.07 0.05∼0.1 0.12∼0.13

time(hours) atmospheric 6∼8.5 11∼16 3∼6 1.5∼2.5 0.08∼0.12 0.05∼0.1 0.12∼0.13

1) Symbols for slaking pattern are described in Fig.2

Table.2 Slaking pattern and slaking time for Na-kaolinite fragments

Concentration of NaCl solution (mol･dm-3)
0 1.5 4.5
Slaking vacuum E E E
Pattern1) atmospheric D D D
Slaking vacuum ― ― ―
time (hours) atmospheric 0.008∼0.16 0.008∼0.16 0.008∼0.16
1) Symbols for slaking pattern are described in Fig.2