Potassium Availability from Biotite, Muscovite, Greensand and Microcline as Determined by the Growth of Aspergillus niger

105 Pages·9.106 MB·English

by  Eno, Charles Franklin

I
PURDUE UNIVERSITY
THIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT THE THESIS PREPARED UNDER MY SUPERVISION
by Charles Franklin Eno_____________________________
en titled Potassium Availability from Biotite, Muscovite, Green-
sand and Microcline As Determined by the Growth of Aspergillus
aiger.
COMPLIES WITH THE UNIVERSITY REGULATIONS ON GRADUATION THESES
AND IS APPROVED BY ME AS FULFILLING THIS PART OF THE REQUIREMENTS
FOR THE DEGREE OF
Doctor of Philosophy
- -
--------"-------
Professor in Charge of Thesis
y-
iiî.... Head of School or Department
CiXyUr- txX ig-£y
TO THE LIBRARIAN
■a
THIS THESIS IS NOT TO BE REGARDED AS CONFIDENTIAL.
PBOFBSflOB DB’ OHASfOB
GBAD, SCHOOL FORM 9

POTASSIUM AVAILABILITY FROM BIOTITE, MUSCOVITE,
GREENSAND AND MICROCLINE AS DETERMINED BY THE GROWTH OF
ASPERGILLUS NIGER
A Thesis
Submitted to the Faculty
of
Purdue University
by
Charles Franklin Eno
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
of
Doctor of Philosophy
January, 1951
ProQuest Number: 27714143
All rights reserved
INFORMATION TO ALL USERS
The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted.
In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript
and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed,
a note will indicate the deletion.
uest
ProQuest 27714143
Published by ProQuest LLC (2019). Copyright of the Dissertation is held by the Author.
All rights reserved.
This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code
Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC.
ProQuest LLC.
789 East Eisenhower Parkway
P.O. Box 1346
Ann Arbor, Ml 48106 - 1346
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Appreciation is expressed to all those who made this
research and educational advancement possible for the
author.
The author especially wishes to express his gratitude
to Dr. Herbert W. Reuszer for his direction and helpful
suggestions concerning the research and aid in preparing
the manuscript.
To his wife, Fern, the author expresses his grate­
fulness for her encouragement and inspiration during the
course of this work.
i
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
VITA.................................................... vi
ABSTRACT................................................ viii
INTRODUCTION............................................ 1
REVIEW OF LITERATURE ♦ ♦ . 3
METHODS................................................. 15
Preparation of the Minerals......................... 15
Analytical Procedures for Potassium................. 15
Total Potassium............ 15
Neutral Normal Ammonium Acetate Exchangeable
Potassium. ........... 16
Normal Calcium Chloride Exchangeable Potassium... 17
Sterilization Procedures. .......... 18
Non-sterilized Mineral........................... 18
Steam Sterilized Mineral......................... 18
Dry Heat Sterilized Mineral...................... 18
Ethylene Oxide Sterilized Mineral................ 18
G-rowth Studies with A. niger........................ 19
General........................................... 19
The Effect of Sterilization upon Potassium
Release as Indicated by A. niger Growth and
Exchangeable Potassium. ...................... 20
Growth of A. niger at Various Levels of
Potassium................ 22
Growth of A. niger on the Silt Fraction of the
Minerals After Removal of the Exchangeable
Potassium with Normal Calcium Chloride
Solution.............. 24
Continuous Culture of A. niger on the Silt
Fraction of Muscovite, Greensand and
Microcline................... 24
Release of Potassium to A. niger at Various pH
Levels......................................... 26
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION................................. 28
The Nature and Occurence of the Minerals........ 28
The Effect of Sterilization on Potassium Release.... 34
il
G-rowth of A. nip;er at Various Levels of Potassium. .. 37
G-rowth of A. nifser on the Silt Fraction of the
Minerals After Removal of the Exchangeable
Potassium......................................... 62
Continuous Culture of A. niger on the Silt Fraction
of Muscovite, Œre en sand and Microcline.......... 65
Release of Potassium from Minerals to A. niger at
Various Initial pH Levels....................... 74
SUMMARY. ............................................. 80
APPENDIX................................................ 84
LITERATURE CITED........................................ 90
ill
LISTS OF TABLES AND FIGURES
List of Tables
Table Page
1. Total and exchangeable potassium content of the
minerals after grinding to less than 177
microns in diameter expressed as percentages... 33
2. Exchangeable potassium content of the different
size fractions of the minerals expressed as
percentages..................................... 33
3. Pad weights of A. niger grown on the minerals
after several types of sterilization.......... 36
4. Exchangeable potassium on the minerals after
several types of sterilization................. 36
5. Effect of mineral particle size and amount of
potassium added in the mineral form upon the
pad weight of A. niger......................... 38
6. Milligrams of potassium in the pads and filtrates
and the pad weights of A. niger grown on var­
ious minerals............. 49
50
51
52
7. Effect of particle size and amount of potassium
added in mineral form upon the percent potas­
sium in the mycelial pads of A. niger. 61
8. Comparison of the percent exchangeable potassium
on the silt fraction of the minerals as indi­
cated by normal calcium chloride and neutral
normal ammonium acetate extractions........... 62
9. Comparison of the pad weights of A. niger and the
milligrams of potassium released from the silt
fraction of the minerals before and after re­
moval of the exchangeable potassium........... 64
10. Milligrams of potassium in the pads and filtrates
and pad weights of A. niger by 5-day intervals. 66
iv
Table Page
11. Release of potassium from the silt fraction of
the minerals during 65 days of incubation with
A. niger as compared to uninoculated controls.. 70
12. The effect of pH on the growth of A. niger and
the release of potassium from the various min­
erals .................................... 75
13. Milligrams of potassium released from the min­
erals by ammonium acetate extraction at three
pH levels....................................... 79
List of Figures
Figure Page
1. Pad weights of A. niger at various levels of
potassium supplied by the sand, silt and clay
fractions of microcline........................ 40
2. Pad weights of A. niger at various levels of
potassium supplied by the sand, silt and clay
fractions of greensand......................... 41
3. Pad weights of A. niger at various levels of
potassium supplied by the sand, silt and clay
fractions of muscovite.............. 42
4. Pad weights of A. niger at various levels of
potassium supplied by the sand, silt and clay
fractions of biotite........................... 43
5. Weight of pads produced by A. niger on the sand
fraction of the minerals at various levels of
total potassium................................ 45
6. Weight of pads produced by A. niger on the silt
fraction of the minerals at various levels of
total potassium.............. 46
7. Weight of pads produced by A. niger on the clay
fraction of the minerals at various levels of
total potassium............. 47
V
Figure Page
8. Distribution of the potassium from the cultures
of A. niger and controls on biotite........... 53
9. Distribution of the potassium from the cultures
of A» niger and controls on muscovite........ 54
10. Distribution of the potassium from the cultures
- of A. niger and controls on greensand.......... 55
11. Distribution of the potassium from the cultures
of A. niger and controls on microcline......... 55
12. Pad weights of A. niger as related to the final
pH of the culture filtrates.................. 59
15. Pad weights of A. niger at thirteen successive
five-day intervals of growth on the silt frac­
tion of muscovite, greensand and microcline.... 67
14. The effect of pH on the release of potassium by
A. niger growth and extraction by the nutrient
solution and ammonium acetate................ ?8
List of Appendix Figures
Figure Page
I. Growth of A. niger on potassium supplied by the
sand, silt and clay fractions of biotite...... 85
II. Growth of A. niger on potassium supplied by the
sand, silt and clay fractions of muscovite 86
III. Growth of A. niger on potassium supplied by the
sand, silt and clay fractions of greensand 87
IV. Growth of A# niger on potassium supplied by the
sand, silt and clay fractions of microcline.,.. 88
V. Growth of A. niger on the silt fraction of the
minerals and on the nutrient solution only at
three pH levels.............................. 89