Dynamic monitoring of soil bulk density and infiltration rate during coal mining in sandy land with different vegetation

To investigate the effects of coal mining on soil physical properties,sandy lands with three major vegetation types(Salix psammophila,Populus simonii,and Artemisia ordosica)were investigated by the ring knife method and double-ring infiltrometer.Specifically,variations in soil bulk density and water infiltration rate and the influences of coal mining and vegetation type on the properties during different subsidence stages were studied at the Shendong Bulianta mine.The results showed that,in the period before mining,soil bulk density occurred in the order A.ordosica>P.simonii>S.psammophila,with a negative correlation between the initial infiltration rate and steady infiltration rate being observed.In the period during mining and 3 months after mining,there were no significant differences in soil bulk density and water infiltration rate among vegetation types.At 1 year after mining,the soil bulk density occurred in the order A.ordosica>S.psammophila>P.simonii,having a negative correlation with the steady infiltration rate.The water infiltration depths of the S.psammophila,P.simonii and A.ordosica were 50,60,and 30 cm,respectively.The infiltration characters were simulated by the Kostiakov equations,and the simulated and experimental results were consistent.Linear regression revealed that vegetation types and soil bulk density had significant effects on soil initial infiltration rate during the four study periods,and the infiltration rate of the period 1 year after mining was mainly influenced by the soil bulk density of the period before mining.The results indicated that vegetation types had significant effects on soil bulk density,and that the tree-shrub-grass mode was better than one single plantation for water conversation and vegetation recovery in sandy land subjected to mining.

Diffusion of Chloride Ions in Soils:I.Influences of Soil Moisture, Bulk Density and Temperature

Diffusion coefficients of chloride ions in four soils of different texture with varying effective moisture content and varying bulk density from 1.1 to 1.6 g cm3 under three different temperatures were determined by the diffusion-cell method using 36Cl-labelled CaCl2 solution. The results showed that activation energy decreased with water content, which indicated that the threshold for diffusion was lower at a higher soil moisture rate. Therefore, the diffusion coefficient (D) of chloride ions in soil increased consistently with soil moisture. Although a near linear increase in the diffusion coefficient with increasing soil moisture or bulk density in all the soils was observed, the increase rate in different soils was not the same. The D value increased with temperature, and with temperature increased by 10℃ in the range from 5 "C to 45℃ theD valve increased by 10%～30%, averaging about 20%.

Monitoring of Soil Bulk Density in Context with Its Small-Scale Spatial Heterogeneity

The main aim of soil monitoring system is to obtain the knowledge of the most current state and development of soil properties according to concrete threats to soil. To determine the significant changes of soil properties in time, it is important to know spatial variability of concrete soil parameter for concrete site. Only those time changes of the soil parameter are significant, which exceed its spatial variability at the site. The main aim of the study has been focused on the evaluation of small-scale site heterogeneity of equilibrium soil bulk density and the integration of impact of this heterogeneity in evaluation of degradation process of soil compaction in time. As site variation coefficients have considerably varied at standard sampling with five repetitions during monitoring period, one-time detail spatial variability mapping of soil bulk density was realized at 17 repetitions on five selected monitoring sites with different soil type, texture and use. This increase in the number of sampling points helped us to specify and stabilize the values of variation coefficients (between minimum and maximum by standard sampling) as well as the extent of confidence intervals. Standard deviations at the chosen monitoring sites moved from 0.039 to 0.118 g·cm-3 in topsoil and from 0.031 to 0.067 g·cm-3 in subsoil and expressed as variation coefficient 2.9% - 9.2% and 2.0% - 4.9%, respectively. The intervals of significant time changes of soil bulk density for the sites and depths were determined on the base of its site confidence interval (95%) and uncertainty rate of its measure methodology. The time changes of bulk density values between single year-to-year sampling were overlapped by this interval of significant changes to obtain significant bulk density changes in time. This method allowed us to distinguish significant time changes in soil bulk density from insignificant ones. The bulk density value changes on the monitoring sites were significant in the range of six to nine years within observed period 2002-2014 in both depths.

Comparing Two Methods for Measuring Soil Bulk Density and Moisture Content

Soil bulk density and moisture content are dynamic properties that vary with changes in soil and field conditions and have many agricultural, hydrological and environmental implications. The main objective of this study was to compare between a soil core sampling method (core) and the CPN MC-3 EliteTM nuclear gauge method (radiation) for measuring bulk density (ρB) and volumetric moisture content (θv) in a clay loam soil. Soil ρB and θv measurements were determined using the core and radiation methods at 0 - 10 and 10 - 20 cm soil depths. The mean values of soil ρB obtained using the core method (1.454, 1.492 g·cm−3) were greater than those obtained using the radiation method (1.343, 1.476 g·cm−3) at the 0 - 10 and 10 - 20 cm depths, respectively. Mean ρB and θv values averaged across both depths (referred to as the 0 - 20 cm depth) measured by the core method were 4.47% and 22.74% greater, respectively, than those obtained by the radiation method. The coefficients of variation (CV) of soil ρB values measured by the core method were lower than the CV values of those measured by the radiation method at both depths;however, the CV’s of ρB values for both methods were larger at the 0 - 10 cm depth than those measured at the 10 - 20 cm depth. Similarly, the CV values of soil θv values measured by the core method were lower than the CV values of those measured by the radiation method at both depths. There were significant differences between two methods in terms of ρB and θv, with the core method generating greater values than the radiation method at the 0 - 20 cm depth. These discrepancies between the two methods could have resulted from soil compaction and soil disturbance caused by the core and radiation techniques, respectively, as well as by other sources of error. Nevertheless, the core sampling method is considered the most common one for measuring ρB for many agricultural, hydrological and environmental studies in most soils.

Variation of soil organic carbon and bulk density during afforestation regulates soil hydraulic properties

Grain to Green program on arable land has been conducted for decades in semi-arid regions of North China.However,it remains uncertain how afforestation practices affect soil hydraulic properties(SHP).Two afforestation types,i.e.shrubland(SL)and woodland(WL),and the adjacent cropland(CL)were investigated to determine afforestation effects on SHP in this area.Disturbed and undisturbed soil cores were collected in three experimental sites.Soil field capacity(FC),wilting point(WP),and available water capacity(AWC)increased in SL compared to the CL.Soil saturated water content,however,decreased significantly in both SL and WL.Correlation and redundancy analysis identified that bulk density(BD)and soil organic carbon(SOC)were the main factors regulating SHP across different land uses.Lower saturated water contents in afforestation sites were likely driven by the higher BD,compared to the adjacent cropland.FC,WP,and AWC were positively correlated to SOC content.While afforestation may not increase the saturated water content of a landscape,our results indicate that it can improve soil water retention and could be an effective practice for soil and water conservation.

Diesel oil infiltration in soils with selected antecedent water content and bulk density

The effects of soil texture, initial water content and bulk density on diesel oil infiltration in fine sand and silty clay loam materials were evaluated. Three physical and two empirical equations express diesel oil infiltration through soils with time, with coefficients of determination greater than 0.99. Diesel oil infiltrates more quickly in the fine sand than in the silty clay loam material. Diesel oil infiltration rates are found to decrease with increasing initial water content and bulk density for the silty clay loam material. The infiltration rate of diesel oil in the fine sand material increases slightly with increasing initial water content. The diesel oil saturated conductivity(Kdiesel) decreases with increasing bulk density for the silty clay loam column. Diesel oil sorptivity(S) decreases linearly with increased initial water content and bulk density of the silty clay loam material. Changes in empirical parameters relative to initial water content and bulk density are similar to the parameter S.

Dense Shaped Refractory Products——Determination of Bulk Density, Apparent Porosity and True Porosity

1 Scope This standard specifies the definition, prineiple, apparatus and materials, procedure, expression of resuits and test report of determination of bulk density, apparent porosity and true porosity of dense shaped refractory products.

Shaped Insulating Refractory Products——Determination of Bulk Density and True Porosity

1 Scope This standard specifies a method for the determination of the bulk density and true porosity of shaped insulating refractory products.

Bulk Density in Jack Bean’s Development Grown in Cerrado Oxisol

The use of cover plants promotes the recycling of nutrients and the increase in organic mass, and minimizes the effects of erosion. The objective was to evaluate the effect of bulk density in the development of jack bean (Canavalia ensiformis) in Cerrado Oxisol. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse at the Federal University of Mato Grosso, Rondonópolis-MT, in the period from June to September 2013. Oxisol was used from a Cerrado reserve area, collected at 0 - 0.20 m depth. The experimental design was completely randomized, corresponding to bulk density levels (1.0, 1.2, 1.4, 1.6 and 1.8 Mg&middotm-3), and five replications. The experimental plot consisted of three PVC rings (polyvinyl chloride) with 150 mm internal diameter, 300 mm total height, where the upper and lower rings of pots were filled with 1.0 Mg&middotm-3 density soil and intermediaries according to bulk density treatments. The results were submitted to variance analysis and, when significant, to regression analysis, both with a 5% probability, using SISVAR software. At 60 days after germination, number of leaves, stem diameter, plant height, dry mass of leaves, stem dry mass, dry mass of roots, dry mass of nodules, number of nodules and chlorophyll index (SPAD index) were evaluated. The increase in bulk density negatively influences the development of jack bean, showing little efficiency as a decompacting plant in Cerrado Oxisol.

Using Organic Matter and pH to Estimate the Bulk Density of Afforested/Reforested Soils in Northwest and Northeast China

Regression models for predicting soil bulk density(BD) have usually been related to organic matter content, but it remains unknown whether soil acidity modifies this relationship, particularly for afforested/reforested soils. We measured soil BD along with organic matter content and pH in an afforested/reforested area in Northwest and Northeast China. Using these measurements, we parameterized and validated three BD models: the Adams equation, and exponential and radical models. Model validation showed that the Adams equation failed to predict the BD of the afforested/reforested soils, producing a large overestimation. Incorporation of soil pH into the Adams equation significantly improved its performance. The exponential and radical models parameterized by the measured data simulated soil BD quite well, particularly when soil pH was incorporated. However, incorporation of soil texture variables into these models did not improve model performance compared with the pH-modified models. This led to the conclusion that the Adams equation, exponential, and radical models with pH modification are applicable to afforested/reforested soils with various acidities.

Effects of moisture content and dry bulk density on the thermal conductivity of compacted backfill soil

Soil backfilling and compaction are often involved in urban construction projects like the burying of power cables.The thermal conductance of backfill soil is therefore of great interest.To investigate the thermal conductivity variation of compacted backfill soil,10 typical soils sampled in Zhejiang Province of China with moisture contents of 0%–25%were fully compacted according to the Proctor compaction test method and then subjected to thermal conductivity measurement using the thermal probe method at 20℃.The particle size distribution and the chemical composition of the soil samples were characterized to analyze their effects on thermal conductivity.The results showed that the maximum thermal conductivity of fully compacted soils generally exceeds 1.9 W/(m·K)and is 20%–50%higher than that of uncompacted soils.With increasing moisture content,soil thermal conductivity and dry bulk density first increase and then remain unchanged or decrease slowly;the critical moisture content is greater than 20%in most cases.Overall,the critical moisture content of soils with large particle size is lower than that of those with small particle size.Quartz has the highest thermal conductivity in the soil solid phase,and the mass percentage of quartz for most soils in this study is more than 50%,while that for yellow soil is less than 30%,which leads to the thermal conductivity of the former being nearly twice as great as that of the latter in most circumstances.Based on regression analysis,with moisture content and dry bulk density as the independent parameters,the prediction formulae for the thermal conductivity of two categories of compacted backfill soils are proposed for practical applications.

Bulk density of mineral and organic soils in the Canada’s arctic and sub-arctic

Bulk density is an indicator of soil compaction subject to anthropogenic impact,essential to the interpretation of any nutrient budgets,especially to perform carbon inventories.It is so expensive to measure bulk density in arctic/sub-arctic and there are relatively very few field measurements are available.Therefore,to establish a bulk density and SOC empirical relationship in Canada’s arctic and sub-arctic ecosystems,compiled all the bulk density and SOC measurements that are available in Northern Canada.In addition an attempt has been made for bulk density and SOC field measurement in Yellowknife and Lupin,to develop an empirical relationship for Canada’s arctic and sub-arctic.Relationships between bulk density(BD)and soil organic carbon(SOC)for mineral soil and organic soils(0–100 cm depth)were described by exponential functions.The best fit model,predictive bulk density(BDp),for mineral soil,(BDp=0.701+0.952 exp(
0.29 SOC),n=702,R2=0.99);for organic soil(BDp=0.074+2.632 exp(
0.076 SOC),n=674,R2=0.93).Different soil horizons have different bulk densities and may require different predictive equations,therefore,developed predictive best fit exponential equation for both mineral and organic soils together(BDp=0.071+1.322 exp(
0.071 SOC),n=1376,R2=0.984),where X is a dummy variable with a value of 0 for surface peat(0–25 cm depth)and 1 for subsurface peat(25–175 cm).We recommend using the soil organic carbon density approach to estimate BD from SOC because it allows BD to be predicted without significant bias.

Computer programming for prediction of soil bulk density effect on trencher design parameters

A computer program was developed in C++language to predict the effect of soil bulk density on draft force on bottoms,share thickness,stresses distribution and maximum deflection on standards,bending stresses distribution on side plates,diameter of shear pins,and tensile stress on hitch bar.It was found that,as soil bulk density increased,stresses distribution and maximum deflection on standards,bending stresses distribution on side plates,diameter of shear pins,and tensile stress on hitch bar increased.The diameter of shear pin should be larger to meet wide range of soil density.

Effect of Crystallinity of Fullerene Derivatives on Doping Density in the Organic Bulk Heterojunction Layer in Polymer Solar Cells

Polymer solar cells （PSCs） based on poly（3-hexylthiophene） （P3HT） and [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester （PCBM） are fabricated by using 1,8-diiodooctane （DIO） as a solvent additive to control the doping density of the PSCs. It is shown that the processing of DIO does not change the doping density of the P3HT phase, while it causes a dramatic reduction of the doping density of the PCBM phase, which decreases the doping density of the whole blend layer from 3.7 × 10^16 cm-3 to 1.2 ×10^16 cm-3. The reduction of the doping density in the PCBM phase originates from the increasing crystallinity of PCBM with DIO addition, and it leads to a decreasing doping density in the blend film and improves the short circuit current of the PSCs.

Parkland trees on smallholder farms ameliorate soil physical-chemical properties in the semi-arid area of Tigray,Ethiopia

Proposed agroforestry options should begin with the species that farmers are most familiar with,which would be the native multipurpose trees that have evolved under smallholder farms and socioeconomic conditions.The African birch(Anogeissus leiocarpa(DC.)Guill.&Perr.)and pink jacaranda(Stereospermum kunthianum Cham.)trees are the dominant species in the agroforestry parkland system in the drylands of Tigray,Ethiopia.Smallholder farmers highly value these trees for their multifunctional uses including timber,firewood,charcoal,medicine,etc.These trees also could improve soil fertility.However,the amount of soil physical and chemical properties enhanced by the two species must be determined to maintain the sustainable conservation of the species in the parklands and to scale up to similar agroecological systems.Hence,we selected twelve isolated trees,six from each species that had similar dendrometric characteristics and were growing in similar environmental conditions.We divided the canopy cover of each tree into three radial distances:mid-canopy,canopy edge,and canopy gap(control).At each distance,we took soil samples from three different depths.We collected 216 soil samples(half disturbed and the other half undisturbed)from each canopy position and soil depth.Bulk density(BD),soil moisture content(SMC),soil organic carbon(SOC),total nitrogen(TN),available phosphorus(AP),available potassium(AK),p H,electrical conductivity(EC),and cation exchange capacity(CEC)were analysed.Results revealed that soil physical and chemical properties significantly improved except for soil texture and EC under both species,CEC under A.leiocarpus,and soil p H under S.kunthianum,all the studied soils were improved under both species canopy as compared with canopy gap.SMC,TN,AP,and AK under canopy of these trees were respectively 24.1%,11.1%,55.0%,and 9.3% higher than those soils under control.The two parkland agroforestry species significantly enhanced soil fertility near the canopy of topsoil through improving soil physical and chemical properties.These two species were recommended in the drylands with similar agro-ecological systems.

Effects of Biochar and Soil Organic Matter Levels on Physicochemical Properties of Mollisol and Soybean's Biomass

Long term tillage in mollisol of Northeast China has led to an inhomogeneous distribution of soil organic matter content.Biochar,a carbon material,changes the soil carbon pool and physical-chemical characteristics after adding to the soil.However,the mechanism remains unclear for the relation between the soil organic matter level and biochar amount.So,the soil physical and chemical properties and soybean growth in a two-year pot experiment were detected at three levels of soil organic matter and three biochar additions(0,1%and 10%).The difference was found in two biochar application rates.The 1%biochar addition had no positive effect on the soil chemical properties based the two-year experiment.However,10%biochar application significantly increased the soil water content(8.0%-39.7%),the total porosity(9.7%-21.3%),pH(0.26-0.84 unit),organic matter content(89.0%-261.2%),and the available potassium content(29.0%-109.1%).The biomass of soybean increased by 19.4%-78.1%after biochar addition,yet,the soil bulk density reduced at the range of 12.6%-26.0%by 10%biochar addition.Only the 100-grain weight was correlated to the interaction of biochar and the native soil organic matter.All the indicators showed that the interaction between biochar and soil organic matter level was weak in mollisol.The effects of biochar on the physical-chemical properties relied on its amount.When biochar is applied to the soil,the amount of biochar should be considered rather than the native soil organic matter level.

Effect of TiO_(2)Addition on Properties of Al_(2)O_(3)Ceramics Prepared by Digital Light Printing(DL.P)

Ceramic slurry of 78 mass%solid loading was prepared using photosensitive acrylic resin and dispersant SP-710 as the liquid phase,Al_(2)O_(3) powder(d50=2.38μm)and TiO_(2) powder additive as the solid phase.Alumina ceramics were prepared by DLP,sintering for 4 h at 1450,1500,1550 or 1600℃,respectively.The effects of the TiO_(2) addition(0,1%,2%,3%and 5%,by mass)on the properties of the ceramics were studied.The results show that the addition of TiO_(2) can improve the sintering of Al_(2)O_(3) ceramics,significantly improve the densification,and reduce the sintering temperature.With the optimum TiO_(2) addition of 3%and the optimum sintering temperature of 1600℃,the obtained Al_(2)O_(3) ceramics have shrinkage of 15.7%,15.8%and 23.8%at the x axis,the y axis,and the z axis,respectively,the porosity of 2.4%,the bulk density of 3.74 g·cm-3 and the three-point bending strength of 251.1 MPa.Compared with the undoped alumina ceramics,the doped alumina ceramic has increased bulk density by 0.56 g·cm-3,decreased apparent porosity from 20.2%to 2.4%,and the three-point bending strength increases by 2.5 times.Therefore,the density and the strength of DLP prepared ceramics can be improved effectively by adding an appropriate amount of TiO_(2),and the performance of the DLP prepared ceramics is close to that of the pressed samples.Thus,it is hopeful to apply DLP in refractories field.

Evaluation of Physicochemical Parameters of Biosorbents Produced from Groundnut Hull Using Microwave Assisted Irradiation Method

Samples of ground nut hull were converted to biosorbents using microwave assisted method [groundnut hull treated with hydrogen peroxide (HP-GH), groundnut hull treated with distilled water (W-GH) and raw groundnut hull (R-GH)]. The biosorbents were further characterized using physicochemical procedures (pH dependence, bulk density, surface area, ash content, and volatile matter, moisture content). The results show that HP-GH has pH = 8.9, W-GH pH = 8.4 and R-GH pH = 8.5 which is an indication that all the biosorbents have the appropriate pH values for the uptake of cationic species within aqueous systems. Surface area analysis revealed that HP-GH has the largest surface area (74.20 m2·g-1) while W-GH and R-GH have surface area values of 29.40 m2·g-1 and 21.40 m2·g-1 respectively. This suggests that modification of raw groundnut hull biomass with hydrogen peroxide possibly instigated delignification of the biomass which resulted in increased surface area for HP-GH. Results from Bulk density analysis also confirm the data obtained from surface area analysis. Accordingly, R-GH displayed the highest bulk density followed by W-GH with HP-GH showing the least bulk density. The variation in pH values among the biomass used in this study may be explained by the variation in their ash content as well because pH and ash content are positively correlated. Hence, HP-GH with a pH = 8.9 has high ash content (117.31%), W-GH with pH = 8.4 has 97.93% ash content and R-GH with pH = 8.5 has 94.26% ash content. Results from moisture content analysis show that HP-GH (99.95%), W-GH (99.97%) and R-GH (99.89%) may necessitate exposure of the biosorbents to moderate heat before use. The results obtained from this study suggest that modification of ground nut hull with either distilled water or Hydrogen peroxide by means of microwave irradiation improves physicochemical properties which may perhaps increase the adsorption capacity of the biomass.

Effect of additives on properties of aluminium titanate ceramics

The influence of some additives on bulk density,phase composition,mechanical strength and thermal shock resistance of aluminium titanate （AT） ceramics was investigated.AT ceramics with different additives of MgO,SiO2 and Fe2O3 were prepared by reaction sintering.Properties of AT ceramics were tested by using Archimedes,three-point bending and thermal cycling tests.It was found that additives of MgO,SiO2 and Fe2O3 or their compound additives are favorable to reduce the porosities of AT,enhance mechanical strength and thermal shock resistance.The role of additives can be rationalized in terms of promotion of sintering process,formation of new phases and influence on lattice constant c of AT ceramics.

Production of carbon anodes by high-temperature mould pressing

Laboratory-scale carbon anodes were produced by a new method of high temperature mould pressing, and their physico-chemical properties were studied. The influence of mould pressing conditions and coal pitch addition on the bulk density, crushing strength, and oxidation resistance was analyzed. The mierostructure of carbon anodes was investigated by scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, and the mechanism of producing carbon anodes by high-temperature mould pressing was analyzed. The results show that when the anodes are produced by high-temperature mould pressing, coal pitch can expand into the coke particles and fill the pores inside the particles, which is beneficial for improving the quality of prebaked anodes. The bulk density of carbon anodes is 1.64-1.66 g/cm3, which is 0.08-0.12 g/cm3 higher than that of industrial anodes, and the oxidation resistance of carbon anodes is also significantly improved.