Do you use or do you know someone who uses this air pycnometer to determine the volume of solid soil mass? Recently we got this instrument to our lab, but I am not satisfied with the results we got. I have tried to measure the volume of undisturbed soil samples just after drying in the oven, but I did not get similar results. So I'm searching for someone with experience. Thanks for any advice.
My suggestion is ask Prof. Nilton Curi at Soil Department in the Federal University of Lavras, MG - Brazil.
Dr. Kondrlova.
Two years ago we bought an air pycnometer Eijkelkamp, aiming to replace the "old fashion methodology" with volumetric balloon.
Let me tell you, we got some troubles with this device, some similar as you said.
First, the calibration cylinder didn't reach 60 cubic centimeters as owner´s manual pointed.
Then we got problems with the device, because results of samples didn't correlate with obtained with the other method, using the same samples.
Since that time we couldn't get accurate results.
Dr. Forsythe (our Soil Physicist) has criticized the device, and he doesn't recommend its use to determine particle density in soils in Costa Rica.
It´s a shame, because the device was very expensive.
Greetings from Costa Rica.
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Manuel Camacho
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