ARS | Publication request: IMPACT OF CHARGE DENSITY OF POLYACRYLAMIDES ON CONTROLLING RILL EROSION

Submitted to: Managing Irrigation Induced Erosion and Infiltration with Polyacrylamide Co
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: April 30, 1996
Publication Date: N/A

Technical Abstract: There has been increased interest in the use of polyacrylamides (PAM) to stabilize the soil surface against crusting and erosion To this point only three or four commercially available PAM formulations have been used as soil conditioners. A study was designed to determine how polymer charge density and concentration impacted PAM's effectiveness for controlling rill erosion. Laboratory mini-rill flumes were used to examine the polymer effects. Alteration of polymer charge densities was achieved by carboxylation. The parent polymer has a molecular weight range of 5 to 6 * 10**6 g mol**-1. Maximum control of rill erosion was achieved when 25 to 30 percent of the PAM amide side groups were replaced by carboxyls. At that hydrolysis range, soil amended with a 0.3 ppm solution applied to the surface could withstand stream power forces up to 6.5 * 10**-1 Pa m s**-1. Soil surfaces amended with a 0.5 ppm solution withstood stream power forces up to 3.1 * 10**-4 Pa m s**-1.