Physical and Zeta Potential Characteristics of Erodible Lateritic Soils

Abstract

Physical, mineralogical, and zeta potential studies were conducted on selected erodible lateritic soils from Belo Horizonte, Brazil. These soils are residual and highly weathered, and they have a very low amount of organic matter and an acid-soil solution natural pH in the range of 4.8–5.3. Engineers consider similar soils to cover 65% of the Brazilian surface. Soil sampling was performed at representative geological sites underlain by gneiss, dolomitic-itabiritic phyllites, and phyllites as parent materials. The soil erosion susceptibility was in the following decreasing order: MA-2 (soil developed from standard gneiss, more coarse materials)