Gellan Gum for Strengthening Bentonite-Sand Slurry

Abstract

The strengthening ability associated with adding a gellan gum as an additive to bentonite slurry for use in coating soil surfaces was studied. Bentonite powder was mixed with hot gellan gum hydrogel (i.e., at 200 Degree Centigrade) to different gellan gum concentrations (i.e., 0, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7% of the mass of distilled water). A series of unconfined compressive strength tests were conducted on gellan gum-bentonite mixtures subjected to various thermal curing conditions. The shrinkage behavior was observed during the thermal curing process. The research also studied the sand size particle effect on the strength and volume change of the dried gellan gum-modified bentonite. The test results showed the soil-strengthening effect of adding gellan gum to bentonite slurry which was then added it to bentonite/silica sand
mixtures.