Water diffusion through pottery discs of varying porosity

Abstract

Pottery sheets of disparate diffusion rates were produced by altering the particle size distribution of sand (500 to 2000 m diameter) in the clay-sand mix and by mixing organic matter (sawdust) with clay in variable proportions (1 to 15% by weight). It was used for evaluating the nature of interrelationships between water diffusion rates and the fabrication parameters. Results show that water diffusion is more consistent for the organic matter-mixed pottery samples than the sand-mixed ones. Uniform porosities of organic matter-mixed pottery discs, as evidenced by optical micrographs, further exemplify that. Pots/pottery sheets produced through this process can thus be used for controlling water release in pitcher irrigation of tree saplings.