What is clay bound water?

1. n. [Formation Evaluation] Water within the clay lattice or near the surface within the electrical double layer. This water does not move when fluid is flowed through the rock.

Does clay hold water?

Clay particles have the ability to physically and chemically “hold” water molecules to the particle more tightly than sands or silts. Sands “give up” the water between the pores much easier than silts or clays. A good portion of the water – upwards of 50% – in any soil remains unusable to the plant.

How does clay affect water?

(1) Hydration occurs as clay packets absorb water and swell. (2) Dispersion (or disaggregation) causes clay platelets to break apart and disperse into the water due to loss of attractive forces as water forces the platelets farther apart.

Which substance contains bound water?

Clayey soils such as smectite show a high content of bound water due to their high specific surface area.

How does clay retain water?

Clay Soil, because of its small particles and very tiny pore space, absorbs water at a rate of less than 1/4 inch per hour. Water, literally runs off this type of soil. Yet, clay soil can hold large amounts of water when it is absorbed.

Why can clay hold the most water?

The soil’s ability to retain water is strongly related to particle size; water molecules hold more tightly to the fine particles of a clay soil than to coarser particles of a sandy soil, so clays generally retain more water. Conversely, sands provide easier passage or transmission of water through the profile.

Does clay hold the most water?

How does clay soil hold water?

Clay Soil, because of its small particles and very tiny pore space, absorbs water at a rate of less than 1/4 inch per hour. Water, literally runs off this type of soil. Yet, clay soil can hold large amounts of water when it is absorbed. However, some of the water is held so tightly that plants cannot use it.

What is bound water?

In hydrology, bound water, is an extremely thin layer of water surrounding mineral surfaces. Water molecules have a strong electrical polarity, meaning that there is a very strong positive charge on one side of the molecule and a strong negative charge on the other.

What is bound water and free water?

Water that can be extracted easily from foods by squeezing or cutting or pressing is known as free water, whereas water that cannot be extracted easily is termed as bound water.

Why Does clay have a high water holding capacity?

Water storage and redistribution are a function of soil pore space and pore-size distribution, which are governed by texture and structure (Childs 1940). Generally speaking, clay-rich soils have the largest pore space, hence the greatest total water holding capacity.

Why is a clay soil good for holding water?

Water can be held tighter in small pores than in large pores. For this reason a clay loam with its many small pores can hold more water than a sand. The small pores allow the soil to hold more water by capillary forces.