Thermal Conductivity of Stabilized Loess with Different Types of Lignin
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 36, Issue 10
Abstract
Lignin, an abundant biopolymer derived from plants, is a green binder for stabilizing soil. This study investigates the thermal conductivity of lignin [e.g., sodium ignosulfonate (SL), calcium lignosulfonate (CL), and lignin fiber (LF)] and lignin-stabilized loess. The effects of the source of loess samples, lignin content, curing time, water content, and dry density on the thermal conductivity of the stabilized soils were experimentally evaluated. Furthermore, mineralogy and microstructure of the stabilized loess were investigated using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and mercury intrusion porosimetry tests to provide insights into the mechanisms of lignin-based soil stabilization. The test results showed that lignin had a lower thermal conductivity than water and soil minerals. The addition of lignin reduced the thermal conductivity of loess, with CL and SL causing a slightly greater reduction than LF. Mixing lignin with loess did not generate new crystalline material. The incorporation of CL and SL altered the microstructure of loess, resulting in a densely packed structure with distinct particle bonds and intra-aggregate pores. In contrast, LF provide microscale reinforcement for the soil particles, presenting a loose structure with dominant interaggregate pores.
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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
This work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 52168054) and the Science and Technology Cooperation Special Project of Qinghai Province (No. 2023-HZ-806). These financial sources are gratefully acknowledged.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 36 • Issue 10 • October 2024
Copyright
© 2024 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Aug 7, 2023
Accepted: Mar 8, 2024
Published online: Jul 23, 2024
Published in print: Oct 1, 2024
Discussion open until: Dec 23, 2024
ASCE Technical Topics:
- Bodies of water (by type)
- Coasts, oceans, ports, and waterways engineering
- Engineering fundamentals
- Engineering materials (by type)
- Engineering mechanics
- Geomechanics
- Geotechnical engineering
- Hydraulic engineering
- Hydraulic structures
- Loess
- Material mechanics
- Material properties
- Materials characterization
- Materials engineering
- Microstructure
- Particles
- River engineering
- Sediment
- Soil dynamics
- Soil mechanics
- Soil properties
- Soil stabilization
- Soil tests
- Soil water
- Structural engineering
- Structures (by type)
- Tests (by type)
- Thermal properties
- Thermodynamics
- Water and water resources
- Water management
- Waterways
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