Abstract:Application of nano-materials to soil physics is a new breakthrough in the field, and its effects are significant in reducing soil water loss and improving soil water and fertilizer utilization efficiency and soil physical structure. A one-dimensional water infiltration experiment was carried out in disturbed loessal soil columns in laboratory for analysis of effects of content of nano-carbon (0 g g-1, 0.001 g g-1, 0.005 g g-1, 0.007 g g-1 and 0.01g g-1) on soil water infiltration process and saturated hydraulic conductivity. Results show that (1) the influence of nano-carbon on water infiltration in the disturbed loessal soil was significant, and within a certain infiltration time period, cumulative infiltration and wetting front moving rate tended to decrease with the increasing content of nano-carbon; (2) Kostiakov formula and Philip equation could both be used to describe how cumulative water infiltration varied with time in the disturbed loessal soil treated with nano-carbon and the former fitted better; (3) variation of the wetting front with time demonstrated a power function relationship; and (4) nano-carbon also affected significantly saturated mass water content and saturated hydraulic conductivity in the disturbed loessal soil, and with the increasing content of nano-carbon, the former tended to increase,while the later decrease, which fitted well the binomial expression and exponential function, respectively. Key words Nano-carbon; Cumulative infiltration; Wetting front; Saturated mass water content; Saturated hydraulic conductivity