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Cyclic Swelling of Superabsorbent Polymers in Soil Porous Media

Document Type : Research Paper

Abstract

Both arid and semi-arid regions, which make up the greatest portion of the earth, suffer from a lack of precipitation and unsuitable water distribution. The agricultural sector consumes most of the fresh water resources in comparison with other sectors. Thus, it is important to increase water use efficiency (WUE) and practical ways to maintain soil water. Superabsorbent polymers are water containers that absorb and retain large quantities of water when applied to the soil. These materials release the absorbed water, allowing the plants to consume adequate amounts of water at all growth stages. This study investigated the cyclic swelling behavior of superabsorbent polymers. Two polymers, TA-100 and TA-200, were applied to loamy and sandy soils. The treatment levels consisted of 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1 gr of both polymers per kg of dry-weighed soil in 3 replicates. The water content for each treatment was measured at 0, 100, 300, 500, 1000, 3000, 5000 and 15000 kPa and soil water retention curves (WRC) were obtained for each soil sample. The samples were then oven-dried and re-wetted five times and the WRCs were again obtained. The results indicated that, by applying more polymers to the soil, the water content at any soil water pressure head increased. However, this influence declined for the next four drying-wetting cycles. The most dominant influence of the superabsorbent polymers on water retention for each drying-wetting cycle appeared in the lower soil water pressure heads (0-5000 kPa). A comparison of the TA-100 and TA-200 polymers indicated that the TA-200 has a larger water retention capacity and also appeared to absorb more water than did the TA-100 during the subsequent four cycles. Parametric analysis of the retention curves indicated that qs و   n and qr parameters in all treatments increased when more polymer was applied. However, the variation of magnitude of qr was small. It was also observed that when any type of superabsorbent was applied, the α parameter decreased in sandy soil and increased in loamy soil.

Keywords

References
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Food Engineering Research
Volume 8, Issue 4 - Serial Number 4
January 0
Pages 1-18
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