Rev. Bras. Ciênc. Solo.2021;45:e0210066.
Shaking settings to reduce the breakdown of Entisol fragile particles in texture analysis
Paulo Ivonir Gubiani 
, Thiago Assunsão de Almeida , Rodrigo Pivoto Mulazzani , Fabrício de Araújo Pedron , Luis Eduardo Akiyoshi Sanches Suzuki , Caroline Andrade Pereira
05/Nov/2021
DOI: 10.36783/18069657rbcs20210066
Graphical Abstract
Highlights
Sand of Entisols derived from volcanic rock had approximately 1/3 of saprolite fragments.
Most of the recommended shaking settings reduced the abundance of sand.
Clay content increased due to the decrease in sand content.
We recommend shaking for 1-2 h in a horizontal shaker.
ABSTRACT
Finding the proper shaking setting to ensure total particle dispersion without altering the content of sand, silt and clay in soils composed of fragile particles such as saprolite fragments is still a research gap. This study aimed to identify the best shaking setting to optimize particle dispersion and minimize particle change in samples of Entisol (Neossolos). Samples were dispersed using an electric mixer at 12,000 rpm for 5, 15, 30 and 60 min, a horizontal shaker at 150 cycles min-1 for 1, 2, 4, 8 and 16 h with and without the use of nylon spheres, and an ultrasonic shaker at 70 and 110 J mL-1 for approximately 20 and 30 min, respectively. All the treatments affected particle distribution. Coarse sand reduced up to 14 % and clay content increased up to 18 % with the horizontal shaker with nylon spheres and the electric mixer. These changes were attributed to the breakdown of saprolite fragments, which represented around 1/3 of the coarse sand. Our results showed that the best setting was the horizontal shaker at 150 cycles min-1 for 1 to 2 h without using nylon spheres. This option allowed optimizing particle dispersion and minimizing changes in particle size distribution.
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