Hydraulic Conductivity of Sand/Biopolymer-Amended Bentonite Backfills in Vertical Cutoff Walls Permeated with Lead Solutions
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 148, Issue 2
Abstract
This study investigated the hydraulic conductivity and microscopic properties of two backfills, conventional sand/bentonite (SB) and sand/xanthan gum (XG)-amended bentonite/sand (XG-SB), for use in vertical cutoff walls for controlling lateral migration of lead-contaminated groundwater. A series of laboratory experiments were conducted on the two backfills to assess slump height, specific gravity, liquid limit, and hydraulic conductivity using distilled water, tap water, and lead nitrate solutions at different concentrations. The results showed that the moisture content corresponding to the target slump height was higher for XG-amended backfill as compared with unamended backfill. XG amendment slightly decreased specific gravity (), but substantially increased liquid limit () of the backfill. An increase in concentration of solution increased , but decreased for both unamended and XG-amended backfills. The hydraulic conductivity () of both backfills increased with increasing concentrations of solutions. XG-amended backfill hydraulic conductivity () was found to be less than regardless of type of permeating liquid, whereas unamended backfill was found to be higher than when permeated with solutions. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy-dispersive spectrometry (EDS) analyses indicated that XG hydrogels filled the intergranular pores of XG-amended backfill and formed a thin coating over the bentonite particles and bentonite-coated sand granules. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) results showed no intercalation of XG into montmorillonite platelets. The zeta potential of XG-amended bentonite was higher negative relative to unamended bentonite. The microscopic properties elucidated the mechanisms for superior hydraulic performance of XG-amended backfill. A comprehensive comparison of for conventional backfill and polymer-amended backfills based on this study and previously published studies revealed that the bentonite content, bentonite type, effective confining stress, and cation concentration of a permeating liquid can significantly affect the of the backfills.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
Financial support for this project was provided by the National Key R&D Program of China (Grant Nos. 2018YFC1803100, 2018YFC1802300, and 2019YFC1806000), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 41877248 and 42177133), and the Postgraduate Research & Practice Innovation Program of Jiangsu Province (Grant No. KYCX21_0122).
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Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 148 • Issue 2 • February 2022
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© 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Received: Apr 26, 2021
Accepted: Oct 21, 2021
Published online: Dec 8, 2021
Published in print: Feb 1, 2022
Discussion open until: May 8, 2022
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