ISHS Acta Horticulturae 342: International Symposium on Horticultural Substrates other than Soil in situ
SHRINKAGE, POROSITY CHARACTERIZATION, AND COMPUTER SIMULATION OF HORTICULTURAL SUBSTRATES |
| Authors: | S. Bures, F. A. Pokorny, David P. Landau, Mark A. Farmer, Alan M. Ferrenberg |
| Abstract:
Monte Carlo computer simulation has been applied to characterize volume shrinkage that occurs when container medium components of different particle sizes are mixed. The method consists of placing particles at random inside a container, and allowing them to settle to its bottom, which simulates the process of pouring a substrate into a container. Experimental shrinkage of mixtures of sand-sand and pine bark-sand was thus reproduced by means of computer simulation. Scanning electron microscopy was used to determine interparticle pore space from cross-sections of pine bark-sand mixtures. Good agreement for total porosity was obtained between cross-sections from the experimental system and those generated by means of computer simulation. | |
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