Published online by Cambridge University Press: 01 January 2024
This paper presents a layer extraction method for obtaining a representative sample of clay-size material from a soil suspension. This method is especially advantageous in preparing a sample of relatively large size, and the procedure is simpler than that of the decantation method, a comparable method of extraction.
In the layer method, the position and the thickness of the layer to be extracted from a soil suspension can be varied and one or more extractions can be made. The effect of these variables on the size composition and the quantity of the extracted material is analyzed mathematically. Based upon such an analysis, the proper position and thickness of the layer and the desirable number of extractions can be determined to suit the requirements of a particular test.