An appraisal of the hydro-mechanical behaviour of polysaccharides, xanthan gum, guar gum and β-glucan amended soil

Abstract

The study aims to investigate the hydro-mechanical behaviour of the polysaccharide amended sand-clay mixture and analyse the soil - biopolymer interaction. Parameters like permeability, strength and heavy metal attenuation capacity of the amended soil were characterized and studied particularly for its use in landfill applications. The permeability of the soil was investigated for a period of one year. The results of the investigation show that all the selected polysaccharides significantly reduce the permeability and improve the heavy metal adsorption capacity of the sand-clay mixtures. The biopolymer also contributes to the increase in the strength of the soil. The improved mechanical properties of the amended soil can be ascribed to the bio-clogging through gel plug formation and bonding action of the biopolymers. Xanthan gum amended soil showed the least permeability, highest strength and adsorbed the selected heavy metals almost entirely, showing the best performance as a liner material.

Keywords: Bio-clogging; Gel-plug; Heavy metal attenuation; Permeability; Polysaccharide; Sustainability.