Electrical Potentials in Freezing Solutions and Their Effect on Migration (Elektricheskie Potentsialy v Zamerzayushchikh Rastvorakh i Ikh Vliyanie na Migratsiyu).

摘要

Electrical potential originating during gradual cooling of doubly distilled water, weak salt solutions, and clay suspensions was studied experimentally in relation to moisture migration in soil during freezing. The experimental procedure consisted in keeping the sample-filled flasks, insulated on all sides but the bottom, under definite minus temperature conditions and observating the variation of the magnitude and sign of potential in time. Curves relating these variations to the distance between the measuring electrode and the cooling surface, and to cooling time were plotted from the reading obtained. Interpretation of the results indicated that a change in water structure preceeding its freezing was the cause of origin of electrical potential and that this effect on water migration in freezing soil is dependent on the concentrations of salts dissolved in the soil moisture, the mineralogical composition of colloidal particles suspended in the solution, and the composition of exchange cations on the surface of these particles.