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Conventional geotechnical engineering soil binders such as ordinary cement or lime have environmental issues in terms of sustainable development Thus, environmentally friendly materials have attracted considerable interest in modem geotechnical engineering. Microbial biopolymers are being actively developed in order to improve geotechnical engineering properties such as aggregate stability, strength, and hydraulic conductivity of various soil types. This study evaluates the geotechnical engineering shear behavior of sand treated with xanthan gum biopolymer through laboratory direct shear testing. Xanthan gum-sand mixtures with various xanthan gum content (percent to the mass of sand) and gel phases (initial, dried, and re-submerged) were considered. Xanthan gum content of 1.0% sufficiently improves the inter-particle cohesion of cohesionless sands 3.8 times and more (up to 14 times for dried state) than in the untreated (natural) condition, regardless of the xanthan gum gel condition. In general, the strength of xanthan gum-treated sand shows dependency with the rheology and phase of xanthan gum gels in inter-granular pores, which decreases in order as dried (biofilm state), initial (uniform hydrogel), and re-submerged (swollen hydrogel after drying) states. As xanthan gum hydrogels are pseudo-plastic, both inter-particle friction angle and cohesion of xanthan gum-treated sand decrease with water adsorbed swelling at large strain levels. However, for 2% xanthan gum-treated sands, the re-submerged state shows a higher strength than the initial state due to die gradual and non-uniform swelling behavior of highly concentrated biofilms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biopolymer treatment of geomaterials to develop sustainable geotechnical systems is an important step towards the reduction of global warming. The cutting edge technology of biopolymer treatment is not only environment friendly but also has widespread application. This paper presents the strength and slake durability characteristics of biopolymer-treated sand sampled from Al-Sharqia Desert in Oman. The specimens were prepared by mixing sand at various proportions by weight of xanthan gum biopolymer. To make a comparison with conventional methods of ground improvement, cement treated sand specimens were also prepared. To demonstrate the effects of wetting and drying, standard slake durability tests were also conducted on tire specimens. According to the results of strength tests, xanthan gum treatment increased the unconfined strength of sand, similar to the strengthening effect of mixing cement in sand. The slake durability test results indicated that the resistance of biopolymer-treated sand to disintegration upon interaction with water is stronger than that of cement treated sand. The percentage of xanthan gum to treat sand is proposed as 2-3% for optimal performance in terms of strength and durability. SEM analysis of biopolymer-treated sand specimens also confirms that the sand particles are linked through the biopolymer, which has increased shear resistance and durability. Results of this study imply xanthan gum biopolymer treatment as an eco-friendly technique to improve tire mechanical properties of desert sand. However, the strengthening effect due to tire biopolymer treatment of sand can be weakened upon interaction with water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to numerous environmental concerns in recent years, tire search for and the development of sustainable technologies have been pursued. In particular, environmentally friendly methods of soil improvement, such as the potential use of biopolymers, have been researched. Previous studies on the use of biopolymers in soil improvement have shown that they can provide substantial strengthening efficiencies. However, in order to fully understand die applicability of biopolymer treated soils, various properties of these soils such as their dynamic properties must be considered. In this study, the dynamic properties of gel-type biopolymer treated soils were observed through the use of resonant column tests. Gellan gum and Xanthan gums were the target gel-type biopolymers used in this study, and tine target soil for this study was jumunjin sand, the standard sand of Korea. Through this study it was demonstrated that biopolymers can be used to enhance the dynamic properties of the soil, and that they offer possibilities of reuse to reduce earthquake related soil failures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coagulation or flocculation of cohesive clay suspensions is one of the most widely used treatment technologies for contaminated water. Flocculated clay can transport pollutants and nutrients in ground water. Coagulants are used to accelerate these mechanisms. However, existing coagulants (e.g., polyacrylamide, polyaluminum chloride) are known to have harmful effects in the environment and on human health. As an alternative, eco-friendly coagulant, this study suggests ε-polylysine, a cationic biopolymer fermented by Streptomyces. A series of sedimentation experiments for various ε-polylysine concentrations were performed, and tire efficiency of sedimentation with ε-polylysine was estimated by microscopic observation and light absorbance measurements. Two types of sedimentation were observed in the experiments: accumulation sedimentation (at 0.15%, 0.20%, 0.25% ε-polylysine) and flocculation sedimentation (at 0%, 0.1%, 0.5%, 1.0%, 2.0% ε-polylysine). These sedimentation types occur as a result of the concentration of counter ions. Additionally, the performance of ε-polylysine was compared with that of a previously used environmentally friendly coagulant, chitosan. The obtained results indicate that flocculation sedimentation is appropriate for contamination removal and that e-polylysine functions more efficiently for clay removal than chitosan. From the experiments and analysis, this paper finds that polylysine is an alternative eco-friendly coagulant for removing chemical contaminants in groundwater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]