ISO 11465 Soil Quality - Determination of Dry Matter and Water Content by Mass - Gravimetric Method

EUROLAB, with its state-of-the-art accredited laboratories and expert team, provides precise and fast testing services within the scope of ISO 11465 testing. The specified method can be applied to any soil sample. Different procedures are specified for air-dried soil samples, e.g. samples pretreated to ISO 11464, and moist soil samples in the field.

Its principle is to dry the soil samples to constant mass at 105°C and to use some soil mass difference before and after the drying procedure to calculate the dry matter and water content on a mass basis.

The dry matter content of the soil refers to the mass of the soil sample after all water has been removed. The water content represents the proportion of water present in the soil sample.

The gravimetric method outlined in ISO 11465 includes the following steps:

• Sample Collection: Representative soil samples are collected from desired locations following appropriate sampling protocols to ensure sample representativeness.
• Sample Preparation: Collected soil samples are transported to the laboratory and prepared for testing. This may include removing any visible plant material, rocks or debris and homogenizing the sample to ensure homogeneity.
• Weighing: A portion of the soil sample is weighed accurately using a balance. This weight represents the initial mass of the soil sample.
• Drying: The weighed soil sample is then dried in an oven at a specific temperature, typically between 105-110 degrees Celsius (221-230 degrees Fahrenheit). The drying process continues until a constant mass is obtained, which indicates that all the water has evaporated.
• Weighing After Drying: After drying, the soil sample is taken from the oven, left to cool in the desiccator and weighed again. The final weight represents the mass of dry soil.
• Calculation: The water content is calculated by subtracting the dry mass from the initial mass and expressing it as a percentage. Dry matter content is calculated by subtracting the water content from 100%.

ISO 11465 provides specific requirements and details on equipment, temperature, sample handling and calculations to enable standardized and accurate determination of dry matter and water content in soil samples.

By following the procedures outlined in this standard, researchers, environmental scientists and soil analysts can obtain consistent and reliable results for assessing soil quality and understanding moisture characteristics.

EUROLAB assists manufacturers with ISO 11465 test compliance. Our test experts, with their professional working mission and principles, provide you, our manufacturers and suppliers, the best service and controlled testing process in our laboratories. Thanks to these services, businesses receive more effective, high-performance and quality testing services and provide safe, fast and uninterrupted service to their customers.