Effect of Different Synthetic Resins on Soil Nano-and Microstructure

The use of synthetic and natural resins in the fixation of organic-mineral matter for further studies is common, e.g. in the micromorphological study of soils, since the procedure of making thin sections includes the impregnation of the sample with aggregates. At the same time, their effect on the soil structure has not been known until now. In this article, an experiment to study the effect of synthetic and natural resins on the nano-and microstructure of soil during impregnation is set up for the first time. Using small-angle X-ray scattering and computed tomography techniques, the first data are obtained on the characteristics of resins frequently used in laboratories, as well as on their effects on the structure of soil samples. The X-ray “transparency” of fixing materials was detected. Subsequent impregnation of AU horizon fraction from Haplic Chernozems of Kursk region by them allowed to establish the influence of epoxy resin on the change of size of nanostructural heterogeneities of soil. The experiment with different horizons of Protosalic Solonetz allowed to establish an increase in the size of nanoheterogeneities with depth in the trend of native soil in relation to the trend of impregnated soil. At the micro level, a decrease in microporosity within the first per cent after polymerisation of the curing agent was proved. The nanostructure of soil monoliths and separate fractions were investigated for the first time at this station. The above results can be used in sample preparation and further analysis of organic-mineral objects (soil, rock, ground) for a number of studies that require fixation of the substance structure at different dimensional levels.