Particle sorting by repeated freezing and thawing
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26485/BP/1966/15/19Keywords:
frost heaving, freezing plane, vertical sorting, lateral sorting, mchanical sortingAbstract
By means of laboratory experiments a principle of particle migration by freezing is presented. The migrating particles are sorted into uniform size groups. The movement of particles depends on the amount of water between the ice-water interface and the particle, the rate of freezing, the dfotribution of particles by size and the orientation of the freeze-thaw plane. According to this principle sorting by freezing is accomplished in three different mechanisms: (1) sorting by uplifting (frost heaving), (2) sorting by migration in front of a moving freezing plane, and (3) mechanical sorting. Type (1) occurs when freezing and thawing.are from the top; type (2) when freezing and thawing are from either (the top and sides); type (3) occurs when freezing is from the bottom and thawing is from the top, accompanied by mound formation.
When freezing and thawing occurs from the top, coarse particles move to the top and fines to the bottom of the freeze-thaw layer. Such sorting has been observed in laboratory experiments, in man deposited materials and under natural conditions. The resulting arrangement of particles is termed vertical sorting.
When freezing and thawing occurs from the sides, particles move away from the cooling front leaving the coarsest near the cooling side. Such sorting has been demonstrated experimentally and is observed in natural materials. The resulting arrangement of particles is proposed to be called lateral sorting.
Mechanical sorting occurs when mounds are formed. Another form of mechanical sorting occurs when freezing from the bottom up.
It has been demonstrated experimentally that once vertical sorting has been developed, lateral sorting can occur if the freezing direction is changed.
As a result of sorting the freeze-thaw layer shows an increase of volume which is due to rearangement of the particles. Volume changes produced by sieving, without freezing and thawing of well graded samples are a function of the uniformity coefficient. ,
The following model for sorting is proposed which can explain some naturally sorted features of cold regions: (1) Areas offines can be an initial stage in the process of vertical sorting. (2) During the development of vertical sorting increase in volume can take place with a resulting production of mounds. From such mound mechanical sorting takes place; conditions 1-2 can be enhanced by lateral migration if side freezing takes place.
It is proposed also that the practical aplications of this sorting principle be determided.
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