Wetting angle and water sorptivity in mineral soils

Henryk Czachor, Maria Flis-Bujak, Marcin Kafarski and Andrzej Król
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Henryk Czachor: Deptartment of Microstructure and Mechanics of Biomaterials, Institute of Agrophysics Polish Academy of Sciences in Lublin, Lublin, Poland
Maria Flis-Bujak: Soil Science Department, Agriculture Academy in Lublin, Lublin, Poland
Marcin Kafarski: Deptartment of Microstructure and Mechanics of Biomaterials, Institute of Agrophysics Polish Academy of Sciences in Lublin, Lublin, Poland
Andrzej Król: Deptartment of Microstructure and Mechanics of Biomaterials, Institute of Agrophysics Polish Academy of Sciences in Lublin, Lublin, Poland

Soil and Water Research, 2008, vol. 3, issue SpecialIssue1, S52-S57

Abstract: Two simple models of a non-cylindrical (wavy) capillary have been applied to show the impact of pore shape and of wetting angle on water sorptivity in soils. Wetting angle derived from the Washburn approach gives an overestimated value because of pores are modelled as round capillary tubes, whereas in reality they are tortuous, wavy and interconnected. In wavy capillaries, the impact of wetting angle on water sorptivity and capillarity driven water transport can be much more pronounced in relation to Washburn approach. An observed wetting front movement can be seen as a superposition of micro jumps and rests. Experiments carried out with glass powder and two soils confirm the above predictions.

Keywords: sub-critical repellency; Washburn theory; wavy capillary (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2008
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:caa:jnlswr:v:3:y:2008:i:specialissue1:id:1201-swr

DOI: 10.17221/1201-SWR

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