SOIL Studies

SOIL Studies

2015, Vol 4, Num, 3     (Pages: 024-028)

Pressure calcimeter as a simple method for measuring the CaCO3 content of soil and comparison with Scheibler calcimeter

Ali Şenlikci 1 ,Mustafa Doğu 1 ,Emel Eren 1 ,Ebru Çetinkaya 1 ,Sevinç Karadağ 1

1 Mir Arastirma ve Gelistirme A.S., Istanbul, Turkey

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A pressure calcimeter was made as an alternative to Scheibler calcimeter which is the conventional method of soil CaCO3 content analyses. Since the measurement of CaCO3 content of soil with Scheibler calcimeter is a slow and labor intensive method, the accuracy and presicion of the results are based on labor experience. The pressure calcimeter gives fast and accurate results by eliminating these disadvantages. The measurement of CaCO3 by pressure calcimeter, as in Scheibler, is done by measuring pressure of CO2 gas produced from reaction of soil with HCl. The gas pressure, formed by the chemical reaction in a gasproof chamber was measured by a digital manometer on the cap. The results were converted to % CaCO3 by calculations. Excellent correlation (R2=0,998) was obtained in calibration carried out with pure CaCO3. 46 soil samples contain CaCO3 between % 1–30 were analysed by Scheibler calcimeter and the results were compared with pressure calcimeter. It can be concluded that pressure calcimeter has given satisfactory results and can be used as an alternative to conventional Scheibler calcimeter in soil CaCO3 content analysis.


Keywords : Pressure calcimeter, Calcium carbonate (CaCO3), soil analysis, Scheibler calcimeter