Chemical soil conditioners and their effects on physical properties

Abstract

Two chemical soil conditioners, namely carboxymethyl cellulose at the dosage of 0,1% and 0.25% by weight, and sodium silicate (3.2 of silica-to-soda ratio) at the quantity of 0.6% and 1.2%. were studied in relation to their effects on physical indexes of both clayey and sandy loam soils employed in this work. The data were statistically analysed and the results led to the following conclusions: treatment 0.25% of carboxymethylcellulose diminished the dry density of the soils increasing consequently the void ratio and porosity; the effect of treatment 1.2% of sodium silicate and 0.1% of carboxymethylcellulose on the dry density of the clayey and sandy loam soils were respectively similar to that of the 0.25% of carboxymethylcellulose.