THE USE OF AN ULTRASONIC PROBE IN SOIL DISPERSION AND IN THE BULK ISOLATION OF ORGANO-MINERAL COMPLEXES

Abstract

Conditions were investigated for using a Biosonic BP-III ultrasonic probe for reproducible soil dispersion. The importance of probe-tip conditions and an instrument rest period between successive dispersions is emphasized. A procedure for bulk isolation of particle size separates is described, based on ultrasonic dispersion and continuous flow centrifugation. For 500-g soil samples, average recovery of soil solids was 98%. The procedure is relatively rapid and should be useful where high yield of size separates is needed for characterization or mineralization studies on organo-mineral complexes.