Intrinsic and model polymer hydrogel-induced soil structural stability of a silty sand soil as affected by soil moisture dynamics

• Silty sand soil revealed a higher rheological stability after polymer treatment.
• Structural stability reacted dynamically, but not reversibly on moisture dynamics and water re-distribution.
• Structural stability was affected by the proportion of hydrogel-associated water assessed by 1H NMR relaxometry.
• Swelling–shrinking processes of the incorporated gel can explain the hysteretic and time-dependent nature of hydrogel-induced soil structural stabilization.

Moisture dynamics can favour the formation of stable soil structure by reorientation of soil particles and their gluing by organic structures. While soils are naturally exposed to moisture dynamics, structural stabilization is rather low if the soil organic matter (SOM) or clay content is insufficient. Although it is accepted that hydrogel-forming, swellable organic substances can enhance structural stabilization, the underlying mechanisms are not yet fully understood due to the lack of appropriate testing methods. The objective of our study was to understand the impact of soil moisture dynamics on the swelling properties of an incorporated hydrogel and their implications for soil structural properties. A physically unstable, silty sand soil was treated with polyacrylic acid (PAA) as highly swellable model polymer and subjected either to drying/remoistening cycles or to constant moisture. At certain measurement points, we investigated swelling processes and water binding using 1H nuclear magnetic resonance relaxometry (1H NMR relaxometry) in order to characterize the state of water entrapped in the hydrogel and soil pores and combined this information with rheological characteristics of the soil sample. Contrary to the untreated soil, the polymer-treated soil revealed both higher deformation (γ) at the yield point and higher maximum shear stress (τmax), which reacted dynamically, but not reversibly on moisture dynamics and water redistribution. Structural stability clearly increased with the proportion of PAA-associated water assessed by 1H NMR relaxometry. This relation suggests that swelling–shrinking processes in the hydrogel could explain the hysteretic and time-dependent nature of hydrogel-induced soil structural stabilization. All in all, the combination of 1H NMR relaxometry and rheology will help to investigate mechanisms governing the development of soil structural stability and SOM-associated water in dependence of environmental dynamics.