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The Apparent Swelling Behavior of Some Moderately Dispersed Bentonites¹

ABSTRACT

A study was conducted to measure the swelling rate of various dispersed bentonites. The purpose was to characterize the role of continued swelling of clay micelles in the sealing of irrigation conveyance channels with seepage-transported bentonite.

Centrifugal forces were used to separate hydrated, expanded bentonite micelles from the free water of a dispersed system. Eight bentonite samples were successfully settled and their hydrated volumes measured. Seven of the eight bentonites measured continued to swell with time, although most of the samples reached a large percentage of their total expansion within 15 minutes after dispersion. Some bentonites showed a substantial amount of continued swelling. The time required to reach maximum volume for the seven bentonites varied from 3 to 21 days.

The results suggest that the phenomenon of continued swelling of bentonites may have a role in the sealing of irrigation conveyance channels with seepage-transported bentonite.

¹ Contribution from Soil and Water Conservation Research Division, ARS, USDA, and Brigham Young University; Nevada Agr. Exp. Sta. cooperating. Part of a thesis submitted by the senior author at Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah. Presented before Div. VI, Soil Science Society of America Dec. 8, 1960, Chicago, Ill.

² Soil Scientist, Western Soil and Water Management Research Branch, SWCRD, ARS, USDA; Professor of Agronomy, Brigham Young University; and Irrigation Engineer, Western Soil and Water Management Research Branch, SWCRD, ARS, USDA.

Received for publication October 21, 1960. Accepted for publication May 11, 1961.