Hydrate-Bearing Clayey Sediments: Morphology, Physical Properties, Production and Engineering/Geological Implications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dai, Sheng; Santamarina, J. Carlos

Fine-grained sediments host more than 90 percent of global gas hydrate accumulation. However, hydrate formation in clay-dominated sediments is less understood and characterized than other types of hydrate occurrence. There is an inadequate understanding of hydrate formation mechanisms, segregation structures, hydrate lens topology, system connectivity, and physical macro-scale properties of clay-dominated hydrate-bearing sediments. This situation hinders further analyses of the global carbon budget as well as engineering challenges/solutions related to hydrate instability and production. This project studies hydrate-bearing clay-dominated sediments with emphasis on the enhanced fundamental understanding of hydrate formation and resulting morphology, the development laboratory techniques to emulate naturalmore » hydrate formations, the assessment of analytical tools to predict physical properties, the evaluation of engineering and geological implications, and the advanced understanding of gas production potential from finegrained sediments.« less

Geotechnical characterization of mined clay from Appalachian Ohio: challenges and implications for the clay mining industry.

PubMed

Moran, Anthony R; Hettiarachchi, Hiroshan

2011-07-01

Clayey soil found in coal mines in Appalachian Ohio is often sold to landfills for constructing Recompacted Soil Liners (RSL) in landfills. Since clayey soils possess low hydraulic conductivity, the suitability of mined clay for RSL in Ohio is first assessed by determining its clay content. When soil samples are tested in a laboratory, the same engineering properties are typically expected for the soils originated from the same source, provided that the testing techniques applied are standard, but mined clay from Appalachian Ohio has shown drastic differences in particle size distribution depending on the sampling and/or laboratory processing methods. Sometimes more than a 10 percent decrease in the clay content is observed in the samples collected at the stockpiles, compared to those collected through reverse circulation drilling. This discrepancy poses a challenge to geotechnical engineers who work on the prequalification process of RSL material as it can result in misleading estimates of the hydraulic conductivity of the samples. This paper describes a laboratory investigation conducted on mined clay from Appalachian Ohio to determine how and why the standard sampling and/or processing methods can affect the grain-size distributions. The variation in the clay content was determined to be due to heavy concentrations of shale fragments in the clayey soils. It was also concluded that, in order to obtain reliable grain size distributions from the samples collected at a stockpile of mined clay, the material needs to be processed using a soil grinder. Otherwise, the samples should be collected through drilling.

Geotechnical Characterization of Mined Clay from Appalachian Ohio: Challenges and Implications for the Clay Mining Industry

PubMed Central

Moran, Anthony R.; Hettiarachchi, Hiroshan

2011-01-01

Clayey soil found in coal mines in Appalachian Ohio is often sold to landfills for constructing Recompacted Soil Liners (RSL) in landfills. Since clayey soils possess low hydraulic conductivity, the suitability of mined clay for RSL in Ohio is first assessed by determining its clay content. When soil samples are tested in a laboratory, the same engineering properties are typically expected for the soils originated from the same source, provided that the testing techniques applied are standard, but mined clay from Appalachian Ohio has shown drastic differences in particle size distribution depending on the sampling and/or laboratory processing methods. Sometimes more than a 10 percent decrease in the clay content is observed in the samples collected at the stockpiles, compared to those collected through reverse circulation drilling. This discrepancy poses a challenge to geotechnical engineers who work on the prequalification process of RSL material as it can result in misleading estimates of the hydraulic conductivity of the samples. This paper describes a laboratory investigation conducted on mined clay from Appalachian Ohio to determine how and why the standard sampling and/or processing methods can affect the grain-size distributions. The variation in the clay content was determined to be due to heavy concentrations of shale fragments in the clayey soils. It was also concluded that, in order to obtain reliable grain size distributions from the samples collected at a stockpile of mined clay, the material needs to be processed using a soil grinder. Otherwise, the samples should be collected through drilling. PMID:21845150

Reconstructing a hydrogen-driven microbial metabolic network in Opalinus Clay rock.

PubMed

Bagnoud, Alexandre; Chourey, Karuna; Hettich, Robert L; de Bruijn, Ino; Andersson, Anders F; Leupin, Olivier X; Schwyn, Bernhard; Bernier-Latmani, Rizlan

2016-10-14

The Opalinus Clay formation will host geological nuclear waste repositories in Switzerland. It is expected that gas pressure will build-up due to hydrogen production from steel corrosion, jeopardizing the integrity of the engineered barriers. In an in situ experiment located in the Mont Terri Underground Rock Laboratory, we demonstrate that hydrogen is consumed by microorganisms, fuelling a microbial community. Metagenomic binning and metaproteomic analysis of this deep subsurface community reveals a carbon cycle driven by autotrophic hydrogen oxidizers belonging to novel genera. Necromass is then processed by fermenters, followed by complete oxidation to carbon dioxide by heterotrophic sulfate-reducing bacteria, which closes the cycle. This microbial metabolic web can be integrated in the design of geological repositories to reduce pressure build-up. This study shows that Opalinus Clay harbours the potential for chemolithoautotrophic-based system, and provides a model of microbial carbon cycle in deep subsurface environments where hydrogen and sulfate are present.

Reconstructing a hydrogen-driven microbial metabolic network in Opalinus Clay rock

PubMed Central

Bagnoud, Alexandre; Chourey, Karuna; Hettich, Robert L.; de Bruijn, Ino; Andersson, Anders F.; Leupin, Olivier X.; Schwyn, Bernhard; Bernier-Latmani, Rizlan

2016-01-01

The Opalinus Clay formation will host geological nuclear waste repositories in Switzerland. It is expected that gas pressure will build-up due to hydrogen production from steel corrosion, jeopardizing the integrity of the engineered barriers. In an in situ experiment located in the Mont Terri Underground Rock Laboratory, we demonstrate that hydrogen is consumed by microorganisms, fuelling a microbial community. Metagenomic binning and metaproteomic analysis of this deep subsurface community reveals a carbon cycle driven by autotrophic hydrogen oxidizers belonging to novel genera. Necromass is then processed by fermenters, followed by complete oxidation to carbon dioxide by heterotrophic sulfate-reducing bacteria, which closes the cycle. This microbial metabolic web can be integrated in the design of geological repositories to reduce pressure build-up. This study shows that Opalinus Clay harbours the potential for chemolithoautotrophic-based system, and provides a model of microbial carbon cycle in deep subsurface environments where hydrogen and sulfate are present. PMID:27739431

Admixing dredged marine clay with cement-bentonite for reduction of compressibility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahilman, Nur Nazihah Nur; Chan, Chee-Ming

2017-11-01

Cement-based solidification/stabilization is a method that is widely used for the treatment of dredged marine clay. The key objective for solidification/stabilization is to improve the engineering properties of the originally soft, weak material. Dredged materials are normally low in shear strength and bearing capacity while high incompressibility. In order to improve the material's properties for possible reuse, a study on the one-dimensional compressibility of lightly solidified dredged marine clay admixed with bentonite was conducted. On the other hand, due to the viscous nature, particularly the swelling property, bentonite is a popular volumising agent for backfills. In the present study, standard oedometer test was carried out to examine the compressibility of the treated sample. Complementary strength measurements were also conducted with laboratory vane shear setup on both the untreated and treated dredged marine clay. The results showed that at the same binder content, the addition of bentonite contributed significantly to the reduction of compressibility and rise in undrained shear strength. These improved properties made the otherwise discarded dredged marine soils potentially reusable for reclamation works, for instance.

Atomistic Structure of Mineral Nano-aggregates from Simulated Compaction and Dewatering.

PubMed

Ho, Tuan Anh; Greathouse, Jeffery A; Wang, Yifeng; Criscenti, Louise J

2017-11-10

The porosity of clay aggregates is an important property governing chemical reactions and fluid flow in low-permeability geologic formations and clay-based engineered barrier systems. Pore spaces in clays include interlayer and interparticle pores. Under compaction and dewatering, the size and geometry of such pore spaces may vary significantly (sub-nanometer to microns) depending on ambient physical and chemical conditions. Here we report a molecular dynamics simulation method to construct a complex and realistic clay-like nanoparticle aggregate with interparticle pores and grain boundaries. The model structure is then used to investigate the effect of dewatering and water content on micro-porosity of the aggregates. The results suggest that slow dewatering would create more compact aggregates compared to fast dewatering. Furthermore, the amount of water present in the aggregates strongly affects the particle-particle interactions and hence the aggregate structure. Detailed analyses of particle-particle and water-particle interactions provide a molecular-scale view of porosity and texture development of the aggregates. The simulation method developed here may also aid in modeling the synthesis of nanostructured materials through self-assembly of nanoparticles.

Atomistic Structure of Mineral Nano-aggregates from Simulated Compaction and Dewatering

DOE PAGES

Ho, Tuan Anh; Greathouse, Jeffery A.; Wang, Yifeng; ...

2017-11-10

The porosity of clay aggregates is an important property governing chemical reactions and fluid flow in low-permeability geologic formations and clay-based engineered barrier systems. Pore spaces in clays include interlayer and interparticle pores. Under compaction and dewatering, the size and geometry of such pore spaces may vary significantly (sub-nanometer to microns) depending on ambient physical and chemical conditions. Here we report a molecular dynamics simulation method to construct a complex and realistic clay-like nanoparticle aggregate with interparticle pores and grain boundaries. The model structure is then used to investigate the effect of dewatering and water content on micro-porosity of themore » aggregates. The results suggest that slow dewatering would create more compact aggregates compared to fast dewatering. Furthermore, the amount of water present in the aggregates strongly affects the particle-particle interactions and hence the aggregate structure. Detailed analyses of particle-particle and water-particle interactions provide a molecular-scale view of porosity and texture development of the aggregates. The simulation method developed here may also aid in modeling the synthesis of nanostructured materials through self-assembly of nanoparticles.« less

Performance of Kaolin Clay on the Concrete Pavement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdullah, M. E.; Jaya, R. P.; Shahafuddin, M. N. A.; Yaacob, H.; Ibrahim, M. H. Wan; Nazri, F. M.; Ramli, N. I.; Mohammed, A. A.

2018-05-01

This paper investigates the performance of concrete pavement containing kaolin clay with their engineering properties and to determine the optimum kaolin clay content. The concrete used throughout the study was designed as grade 30 MPa strength with constant water to cement ratio of 0.49. The compressive strength, flexural strength and water absorption test was conducted in this research. The concrete mix designed with kaolin clay as cement replacement comprises at 0%, 5%, 10% and 15% by the total weight of cement. The results indicate that the strength of pavement concrete decreases as the percentage of kaolin clay increases. It also shows that the water absorption increases with the percentage of cement replacement. However, 5% kaolin clay is found to be the optimum level to replace cement in a pavement concrete.

Engineered clay-shredded tyre mixtures as barrier materials

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Al-Tabbaa, A.; Aravinthan, T.

1997-12-31

An engineered clay consisting of kaolin and bentonite was mixed with shredded tyre in various weight percentages and examined for use as a constituent in a landfill liner. The clay-tyre mixtures properties in terms of compaction, unconfined compressive strength, permeability to water and paraffin, leachability, stress-strain behaviour, free swell behaviour and swelling pressure were investigated. The results show that the dry density and strength reduced with the addition of tyre and also with increased tyre content but that good interaction was developed between the clay and tyre. The strain at failure increased showing reinforcing effect of the tyre. The permeabilitymore » to paraffin was considerably reduced compared to that to water due to the presence of the tyre which caused high swelling pressures to develop. The leachability results indicate initial high concentrations leaching out of the soil-tyre mixtures which will be subjected to dilution in the environment. This work adds evidence to the potential advantages of using soil-tyre mixtures as a landfill liner material.« less

California Bearing Ratio (CBR) test on stabilization of clay with lime addition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hastuty, I. P.; Roesyanto; Limbong, M. N.; Oberlyn, S. J.

2018-02-01

Clay is a type of soil with particles of certain minerals giving plastic properties when mixed with water. Soil has an important role in a construction, besides as a building material in a wide variety of civil engineering works, soil is also used as supporting foundation of the building. Basic properties of clay are rock-solid in dry and plastic with medium water content. In high water content, clay becomes sticky like (cohesive) and soften. Therefore, clay stabilization is necessary to repair soil’s mechanical properties. In this research, lime is use as a stabilizer that contains the Ca+ element to bond bigger particles. Lime used is slaked lime Ca(OH)2. Clay used has liquid limitation (LL) value of 47.33%, plasticity index of 29.88% and CBR value 6.29. The results explain about 10% lime mixture variation gives the optimum stabilized clay with CBR value of 8.75%.

ELECTRICAL TECHNIQUES FOR ENGINEERING APPLICATIONS.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bisdorf, Robert J.

1985-01-01

Surface electrical geophysical methods have been used in such engineering applications as locating and delineating shallow gravel deposits, depth to bedrock, faults, clay zones, and other geological phenomena. Other engineering applications include determining water quality, tracing ground water contaminant plumes and locating dam seepages. Various methods and electrode arrays are employed to solve particular geological problems. The sensitivity of a particular method or electrode array depends upon the physics on which the method is based, the array geometry, the electrical contrast between the target and host materials, and the depth to the target. Each of the available electrical methods has its own particular advantages and applications which the paper discusses.

Evaluation of Rhizobium tropici-derived Biopolymer for Erosion Control of Protective Berms. Field Study: Iowa Army Ammunition Plant

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-06-01

for several cyanobacteria (Hu et al. 2003) as well as for EPS in clay soil (Nugent et al. 2009). The adhesion, water retention, and protective...exopolymers on the liquid limit of clays and its engineering applications. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research...Development of progressive failure in sensitive clay slopes. Canadian Geotechnical Journal 49: 782-795. Rushing, J. F., and J. K. Newman., 2010

Effect of Ionic Soil Stabilizers on Soil-Water Characteristic of Special Clay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cui, D.; Xiang, W.

2011-12-01

The engineering properties of special clay are conventionally improved through the use of chemical additive such as ionic soil stabilizer (ISS). Such special clays are often referred to as stabilized or treated clays. The soil-water characteristic curves (SWCC) of special clays from Henan province and Hubei province were measured both in natural and stabilized conditions using the pressure plate apparatus in the suction range of 0-500 kPa. The SWCC results are used to interpret the special clays behavior due to stabilizer treatment. In addition, relationships were developed between the basic clay and stabilized properties such as specific surface area and pore size distribution. The analysis showed that specific surface area decreases, cumulative pore volume and average pore size diameter decrease, dehydration rate slows and the thickness of water film thins after treatment with Ionic Soil Stabilizer. The research data and interpretation analysis presented here can be extended to understand the water film change behaviors influencing the mechanical and physical properties of stabilized special clay soils. KEY WORDS: ionic soil stabilizer, special clay, pore size diameter, specific surface area, soil water characteristic curve, water film

Engineering Properties of Clay Shales. Report 5. Strength and Deformation Properties of Pepper and Del Rio Clay Shales from Waco Dam.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-04-01

DOwe Entered) Unclassified SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF THIS PAGIMCe. Deja Na006 20. ABSTRACT (Continued). "standard soil testing techniques on the...0 *a .J - to >C 4*4 .4 W ( 0 0 .4) .4 aoCC 0n- y 0 5w 4 C7%C 00 ’A 0V fa vU eq I CORPS OF ENGINEERS 0/ .0 0 A 󈧄,0 0ioto 50200 A 25;C A 3O,00 A ON

Stabilization Of Marine Clay Using Biomass Silica-Rubber Chips Mixture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marto, Aminaton; Ridzuan Jahidin, Mohammed; Aziz, Norazirah Abdul; Kasim, Fauziah; Zurairahetty Mohd. Yunus, Nor

2016-11-01

Marine clay is found widely along the coastal area and had caused expensive solutions in the construction of coastal highways. Hence, soil stabilization was suggested by some consultant to increase the strength of this soil in order to meet the highway construction requirement and also to achieve the specification for the development. Biomass Silica (BS), particularly the SH85 as a non-traditional stabilisation method, has been gaining more interest from the engineers recently. Rubber chips (RC), derived from waste rubber tyres, are considered ‘green’ element and had been used previously in some geotechnical engineering works. This paper presents the effect of using BS and RC as a mixture (BS-RC mixture), to increase the strength of marine clay for highway construction. Samples of marine clay, obtained from the West Coast Expressway project at Teluk Intan, Perak, were oven dried and grind to fine-grained sized. The marine clay was mixed with 9 % by weight proportion of BS- RC; that were 8%-l% and 7%-2%, respectively. For comparison purposes the result of BS-RC was compared to the result of stabilization by using 9% BS only. Laboratory tests were then carried out to determine the Atterberg limits and compaction characteristics of the untreated and treated marine clay. The Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS) of the untreated and treated marine clays, compacted at the optimum moisture content was later obtained. The treated marine clay was tested at 0, 3 and 7 days curing periods. The results show that the Plasticity Index of BS-RC treated marine clay was lower than the untreated marine clay. From the UCS test results, it is shown that BS-RC mixtures had significantly improved the strength of marine clay. With the same percentage of 9% BS-RC, the increased of BS from 7% to 8% increased the UCS further to about six times more than untreated marine clay soils in 7 days curing period. The strength gained by using BS-RC at 8%-1% is slightly below the strength by using 9% BS only. From the experimental results, it is shown that BS, in the form of SH85, admixed with rubber chips could significantly improve the strength of marine clay soils.

Application of artificial neural network to predict clay sensitivity in a high landslide prone area using CPTu data- A case study in Southwest of Sweden

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shahri, Abbas; Mousavinaseri, Mahsasadat; Naderi, Shima; Espersson, Maria

2015-04-01

Application of Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) in many areas of engineering, in particular to geotechnical engineering problems such as site characterization has demonstrated some degree of success. The present paper aims to evaluate the feasibility of several various types of ANN models to predict the clay sensitivity of soft clays form piezocone penetration test data (CPTu). To get the aim, a research database of CPTu data of 70 test points around the Göta River near the Lilli Edet in the southwest of Sweden which is a high prone land slide area were collected and considered as input for ANNs. For training algorithms the quick propagation, conjugate gradient descent, quasi-Newton, limited memory quasi-Newton and Levenberg-Marquardt were developed tested and trained using the CPTu data to provide a comparison between the results of field investigation and ANN models to estimate the clay sensitivity. The reason of using the clay sensitivity parameter in this study is due to its relation to landslides in Sweden.A special high sensitive clay namely quick clay is considered as the main responsible for experienced landslides in Sweden which has high sensitivity and prone to slide. The training and testing program was started with 3-2-1 ANN architecture structure. By testing and trying several various architecture structures and changing the hidden layer in order to have a higher output resolution the 3-4-4-3-1 architecture structure for ANN in this study was confirmed. The tested algorithm showed that increasing the hidden layers up to 4 layers in ANN can improve the results and the 3-4-4-3-1 architecture structure ANNs for prediction of clay sensitivity represent reliable and reasonable response. The obtained results showed that the conjugate gradient descent algorithm with R2=0.897 has the best performance among the tested algorithms. Keywords: clay sensitivity, landslide, Artificial Neural Network

Mineralogy of selected sedimentary interbeds at or near the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Idaho

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reed, Michael F.; Bartholomay, Roy C.

1994-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Project Office at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL), in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy and Idaho State University, analyzed 66 samples from sedimentary interbed cores during a 38-month period beginning in October 1990 to determine bulk and clay mineralogy. These cores had been collected from 19 sites in the Big Lost River Basin, 2 sites in the Birch Creek Basin, and 1 site in the Mud Lake Basin, and were archived at the USGS lithologic core library at the INEL. Mineralogy data indicate that the core samples from the Big Lost River Basin have larger mean and median percentages of quartz, total feldspar, and total clay minerals, but smaller mean and median percentages of calcite than the core samples from the Birch Creek Basin. Core samples from the Mud Lake Basin have abundant quartz, total feldspar, calcite, and total clay minerals.

Heteroaggregation of titanium dioxide nanoparticles with natural clay colloids.

PubMed

Labille, Jérôme; Harns, Carrie; Bottero, Jean-Yves; Brant, Jonathan

2015-06-02

To better understand and predict the fate of engineered nanoparticles in the water column, we assessed the heteroaggregation of TiO2 nanoparticles with a smectite clay as analogues for natural colloids. Heteroaggregation was evaluated as a function of water salinity (10(-3) and 10(-1) M NaCl), pH (5 and 8), and selected nanoparticle concentration (0-4 mg/L). Time-resolved laser diffraction was used, coupled to an aggregation model, to identify the key mechanisms and variables that drive the heteroaggregation of the nanoparticles with colloids. Our data show that, at a relevant concentration, nanoparticle behavior is mainly driven by heteroaggregation with colloids, while homoaggregation remains negligible. The affinity of TiO2 nanoparticles for clay is driven by electrostatic interactions. Opposite surface charges and/or high ionic strength favored the formation of primary heteroaggregates via the attachment of nanoparticles to the clay. The initial shape and dispersion state of the clay as well as the nanoparticle/clay concentration ratio also affected the nature of the heteroaggregation mechanism. With dispersed clay platelets (10(-3) M NaCl), secondary heteroaggregation driven by bridging nanoparticles occurred at a nanoparticle/clay number ratio of greater than 0.5. In 10(-1) M NaCl, the clay was preaggregated into larger and more spherical units. This favored secondary heteroaggregation at lower nanoparticle concentration that correlated to the nanoparticle/clay surface area ratio. In this latter case, a nanoparticle to clay sticking efficiency could be determined.

27. RAILROAD, RR. BRIDGE MISSISSIPPI, CLAY CO. WAVERLY 1.5 mi. ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

27. RAILROAD, RR. BRIDGE MISSISSIPPI, CLAY CO. WAVERLY 1.5 mi. S of MS. 50 Stress Sheet of 1888 Bridge: Conroy & Sinks, Consulting Engineers, Chicago. July 21, 1910. DWG #978. Act. size around border: 18x11 in. Credit: Columbus and Greenville RR, Columbus, Ms. Sarcone Photography, Columbus, Ms. Sep 1978. - Bridges of the Upper Tombigbee River Valley, Columbus, Lowndes County, MS

Development of high temperature liquid lubricants for low-heat rejection heavy duty diesel engines

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wiczynski, T.A.; Marolewski, T.A.

1993-03-01

Objective was to develop a liquid lubricant that will allow advanced diesel engines to operate at top ring reversal temperatures approaching 500 C and lubricant sump temperatures approaching 250 C. Base stock screening showed that aromatic esters and diesters has the lowest deposit level, compared to polyol esters, poly-alpha-olefins, or refined mineral oil of comparable viscosity. Classical aryl and alkyl ZDP antiwear additives are ineffective in reducing wear with aromatic esters; the phosphate ester was a much better antiwear additive, and polyol esters are more amenable to ZDP treatment. Zeolites and clays were evaluated for filtration.

Micromechanical Properties of Nanostructured Clay-Oxide Multilayers Synthesized by Layer-by-Layer Self-Assembly.

PubMed

Hou, Dongwei; Zhang, Guoping; Pant, Rohit Raj; Wei, Zhongxin; Shen, Shuilong

2016-11-08

Clay-based nanostructured multilayers, such as clay-polymer multilayers and clay-oxide multilayers, have attracted growing attention owing to their remarkable mechanical properties and promising application in various fields. In this paper, synthesis of a new kind of nanostructured clay-oxide multilayers by layer-by-layer self-assembly was explored. Nano-mechanical characterization of 18 clay-based multilayer samples, prepared under as-deposited (i.e., air-dried) and annealing conditions at 400 °C/600 °C with different precursor cations and multilayer structure, were carried out using nanoindentation testing, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The influencing factors, including as-deposited and annealing conditions and clay concentrations on the mechanical properties were analyzed. Results show that all of the multilayers exhibit high bonding strength between interlayers. Higher modulus and hardness of clay-based multilayers were obtained with lower clay concentrations than that with higher clay concentrations. Different relationships between the modulus and hardness and the annealing temperature exist for a specific type of clay-oxide multilayer. This work offers the basic and essential knowledge on design of clay-based nanostructured multilayers by layer-by-layer self-assembly.

U.S. Navy Harbor Maintenance Dredging Atlas.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-12-01

the ocean’s surf zone. Energy is so high that mud size (clay and silt) sediments are washed away leaving deposits of sand. Sand is rarely contaminated...Figure 11). Dredging is contracted for by the Atlantic Division, Naval Facilities Engineering Command (LANTNAVFACENGCOM). The hydraulically dredged spoil...by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the St. Johns River on the north. The Mayport Naval Station is a major base, homeporting over 30 ships including

Adsorption of Dissolved Gases (CH4, CO2, H2, Noble Gases) by Water-Saturated Smectite Clay Minerals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bourg, I. C.; Gadikota, G.; Dazas, B.

2016-12-01

Adsorption of dissolved gases by water-saturated clay minerals plays important roles in a range of fields. For example, gas adsorption in on clay minerals may significantly impact the formation of CH4 hydrates in fine-grained sediments, the behavior of CH4 in shale, CO2 leakage across caprocks of geologic CO2 sequestration sites, H2 leakage across engineered clay barriers of high-level radioactive waste repositories, and noble gas geochemistry reconstructions of hydrocarbon migration in the subsurface. Despite its importance, the adsorption of gases on clay minerals remains poorly understood. For example, some studies have suggested that clay surfaces promote the formation of CH4 hydrates, whereas others indicate that clay surfaces inhibit the formation of CH4 hydrates. Here, we present molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of the adsorption of a range of gases (CH4, CO2, H2, noble gases) on clay mineral surfaces. Our results indicate that the affinity of dissolved gases for clay mineral surfaces has a non-monotone dependence on the hydrated radius of the gas molecules. This non-monotone dependence arises from a combination of two effects: the polar nature of certain gas molecules (in particular, CO2) and the templating of interfacial water structure by the clay basal surface, which results in the presence of interfacial water "cages" of optimal size for intermediate-size gas molecules (such as Ne or Ar).

Atom exchange between aqueous Fe(II) and structural Fe in clay minerals.

PubMed

Neumann, Anke; Wu, Lingling; Li, Weiqiang; Beard, Brian L; Johnson, Clark M; Rosso, Kevin M; Frierdich, Andrew J; Scherer, Michelle M

2015-03-03

Due to their stability toward reductive dissolution, Fe-bearing clay minerals are viewed as a renewable source of Fe redox activity in diverse environments. Recent findings of interfacial electron transfer between aqueous Fe(II) and structural Fe in clay minerals and electron conduction in octahedral sheets of nontronite, however, raise the question whether Fe interaction with clay minerals is more dynamic than previously thought. Here, we use an enriched isotope tracer approach to simultaneously trace Fe atom movement from the aqueous phase to the solid ((57)Fe) and from the solid into the aqueous phase ((56)Fe). Over 6 months, we observed a significant decrease in aqueous (57)Fe isotope fraction, with a fast initial decrease which slowed after 3 days and stabilized after about 50 days. For the aqueous (56)Fe isotope fraction, we observed a similar but opposite trend, indicating that Fe atom movement had occurred in both directions: from the aqueous phase into the solid and from the solid into aqueous phase. We calculated that 5-20% of structural Fe in clay minerals NAu-1, NAu-2, and SWa-1 exchanged with aqueous Fe(II), which significantly exceeds the Fe atom layer exposed directly to solution. Calculations based on electron-hopping rates in nontronite suggest that the bulk conduction mechanism previously demonstrated for hematite1 and suggested as an explanation for the significant Fe atom exchange observed in goethite2 may be a plausible mechanism for Fe atom exchange in Fe-bearing clay minerals. Our finding of 5-20% Fe atom exchange in clay minerals indicates that we need to rethink how Fe mobility affects the macroscopic properties of Fe-bearing phyllosilicates and its role in Fe biogeochemical cycling, as well as its use in a variety of engineered applications, such as landfill liners and nuclear repositories.

Investigation of mechanical properties of hemp/glass fiber reinforced nano clay hybrid composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Unki, Hanamantappa Ningappa; Shivanand, H. K.; Vidyasagar, H. N.

2018-04-01

Over the last twenty to thirty years composite materials have been used in engineering field. Composite materials possess high strength, high strength to weight ratio due to these facts composite materials are becoming popular among researchers and scientists. The major proportion of engineering materials consists of composite materials. Composite materials are used in vast applications ranging from day-to-day household articles to highly sophisticated applications. In this paper an attempt is made to prepare three different composite materials using e-glass and Hemp. In this present investigation hybrid composite of Hemp, Glass fiber and Nano clay will be prepared by Hand-layup technique. The glass fiber used in this present investigation is E-glass fiber bi-directional: 90˚ orientation. The composite samples will be made in the form of a Laminates. The wt% of nanoclay added in the preparation of sample is 20 gm constant. The fabricated composite Laminate will be cut into corresponding profiles as per ASTM standards for Mechanical Testing. The effect of addition of Nano clay and variation of Hemp/glass fibers will be studied. In the present work, a new Hybrid composite is developed in which Hemp, E glass fibers is reinforced with epoxy resin and with Nano clay.

Properties of the Loess Sediments in Ostrava Region (Czech Republic) and Comparison with Some Other Loess Sediments

PubMed Central

Marschalko, Marian; Yilmaz, Işık; Fojtova, Lucie; Lamich, David; Bednarik, Martin

2013-01-01

This study deals with a methodical identification and evaluation of physical-mechanical properties of one genetic type of geological structure. This is represented by an engineering-geological zone of eolian sediments, which is regionally rather abundant. The paper contributes to a need to identify typical soil properties for widespread geological environments in a particular region and thus add to good engineering geologists and geotechnical engineers' awareness in the region. Such information is much required as it permits comparing results of newly conducted engineering-geological investigations and research with the results characteristic for the region in question. It is vital for engineering geologists and geotechnical engineers to be sufficiently informed on the foundation soil properties of widespread geological environments because of professionalism and higher quality of their work results. Comparing other loess sediment studies worldwide it was discovered that the physical properties of the most abundant clays of low to medium plasticity, sandy clays, and sands as foundation soils vary as for the plasticity index, porosity, natural water content, and bulk density to a certain extent but not as significantly as once expected. PMID:24391464

77 FR 55787 - Proposed Flood Elevation Determinations for Clay County, FL, and Incorporated Areas

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-11

..., identified by Docket No. FEMA-B- 1222, to Luis Rodriguez, Chief, Engineering Management Branch, Federal..., DC 20472, (202) 646-4064, or (email) Luis[email protected] . FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Luis Rodriguez, Chief, Engineering Management Branch, Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration...

Transport and fate of engineered silver nanoparticles in aquifer media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adrian, Y.; Schneidewind, U.; Azzam, R.

2016-12-01

Engineered silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are used in various consumer and medical products due to their antimicrobial properties. Their transport behavior in the environment is still under investigation. Previous studies have been focusing on the transport of AgNPs in test systems with pure quartz sand or top soil materials, but studies investigating aquifer material are rare. However, the protection of groundwater resources is an important part in the protection of human health and the assurance of future economic activities. Therefore, expert knowledge regarding the transport, behavior and fate of engineered nanoparticles as potential contaminants in aquifers is essential. The transport and retention behavior of two commercially available engineered AgNPs (one stabilized with a polymere and one with a surfactant) in natural silicate-dominated aquifer material was investigated in saturated laboratory columns. For the experiments a mean grain size diameter of 0.7 mm was chosen with varying silt and clay contents to investigate their effect on the transport behavior of the AgNPs. Typical flow velocities were chosen to represent natural conditions. Particle concentration in the effluent was measured using ICP-MS and the finite element code HYDRUS-1D was used to model the transport and retention processes. The size of the silver nanoparticles in the effluent was analyzed using Flow Field-Flow Fractionation. The obtained results show that silt and clay contents as well as the stabilization of the AgNPs control the transport and retention of AgNPs. Increasing breakthrough was observed with decreasing clay and silt content.

Transport and retention of surfactant- and polymer-stabilized engineered silver nanoparticles in silicate-dominated aquifer material

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Packed column experiments were conducted to investigate the transport and blocking behavior of surfactant- and polymer-stabilized engineered silver nanoparticles (Ag-ENPs) in saturated natural aquifer material with varying silt and clay content, background solution chemistry, and flow velocity. Brea...

A minimalistic microbial food web in an excavated deep subsurface clay rock.

PubMed

Bagnoud, Alexandre; de Bruijn, Ino; Andersson, Anders F; Diomidis, Nikitas; Leupin, Olivier X; Schwyn, Bernhard; Bernier-Latmani, Rizlan

2016-01-01

Clay rocks are being considered for radioactive waste disposal, but relatively little is known about the impact of microbes on the long-term safety of geological repositories. Thus, a more complete understanding of microbial community structure and function in these environments would provide further detail for the evaluation of the safety of geological disposal of radioactive waste in clay rocks. It would also provide a unique glimpse into a poorly studied deep subsurface microbial ecosystem. Previous studies concluded that microorganisms were present in pristine Opalinus Clay, but inactive. In this work, we describe the microbial community and assess the metabolic activities taking place within borehole water. Metagenomic sequencing and genome-binning of a porewater sample containing suspended clay particles revealed a remarkably simple heterotrophic microbial community, fueled by sedimentary organic carbon, mainly composed of two organisms: a Pseudomonas sp. fermenting bacterium growing on organic macromolecules and releasing organic acids and H2, and a sulfate-reducing Peptococcaceae able to oxidize organic molecules to CO(2). In Opalinus Clay, this microbial system likely thrives where pore space allows it. In a repository, this may occur where the clay rock has been locally damaged by excavation or in engineered backfills. © FEMS 2015. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Degradation of Nylon-6/Clay Nanocomposites in NO(x)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shelley, J. S.; Devries, K. L.

2000-04-01

Nylon-6 is an important engineering polymer that, in its fully spherulitic (bulk) form, has many applications in gears, rollers, and other long life cycle components. In 1993, Toyota commercialized a nylon-6/clay nanocomposite out of which it produced the timing belt cover for the 1993 Camry. Although these hybrid nanocomposites show significant improvements in their mechanical response characteristics, including yield strength and heat distortion temperature, little is known about the degradation of these properties due to environmental pollutants like NOx. Nylon-6 fibers are severely degraded by interaction with NOx and other pollutants, showing a strong synergism between applied load and environmental degradation. While the nanocomposites show a significant reduction in permeability of gases and water due to the incorporation of lamellar clay, their susceptibility to non-diffusional mechano-chemical degradation is unknown. The fracture toughness of these nylon-6/day nanocomposites increases, not as a function of clay content, but as a function of the volume of nylon-6 polymer chains influenced by the clay lamellar surfaces. Both the clay and the constrained volume offer the nanocomposites some protection from the deleterious effects of NOx. The time-to-failure at a given stress intensity factor as a function of clay content and constrained volume will be discussed along with fracture toughness of the materials.

Bioremediating Oil Spills in Nutrient Poor Ocean Waters Using Fertilized Clay Mineral Flakes: Some Experimental Constraints

PubMed Central

Warr, Laurence N.; Friese, André; Schwarz, Florian; Schauer, Frieder; Portier, Ralph J.; Basirico, Laura M.; Olson, Gregory M.

2013-01-01

Much oil spill research has focused on fertilizing hydrocarbon oxidising bacteria, but a primary limitation is the rapid dilution of additives in open waters. A new technique is presented for bioremediation by adding nutrient amendments to the oil spill using thin filmed minerals comprised largely of Fullers Earth clay. Together with adsorbed N and P fertilizers, filming additives, and organoclay, clay flakes can be engineered to float on seawater, attach to the oil, and slowly release contained nutrients. Our laboratory experiments of microbial activity on weathered source oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico show fertilized clay treatment significantly enhanced bacterial respiration and consumption of alkanes compared to untreated oil-in-water conditions and reacted faster than straight fertilization. Whereas a major portion (up to 98%) of the alkane content was removed during the 1 month period of experimentation by fertilized clay flake interaction; the reduced concentration of polyaromatic hydrocarbons was not significantly different from the non-clay bearing samples. Such clay flake treatment could offer a way to more effectively apply the fertilizer to the spill in open nutrient poor waters and thus significantly reduce the extent and duration of marine oil spills, but this method is not expected to impact hydrocarbon toxicity. PMID:23864952

Bioremediating oil spills in nutrient poor ocean waters using fertilized clay mineral flakes: some experimental constraints.

PubMed

Warr, Laurence N; Friese, André; Schwarz, Florian; Schauer, Frieder; Portier, Ralph J; Basirico, Laura M; Olson, Gregory M

2013-01-01

Much oil spill research has focused on fertilizing hydrocarbon oxidising bacteria, but a primary limitation is the rapid dilution of additives in open waters. A new technique is presented for bioremediation by adding nutrient amendments to the oil spill using thin filmed minerals comprised largely of Fullers Earth clay. Together with adsorbed N and P fertilizers, filming additives, and organoclay, clay flakes can be engineered to float on seawater, attach to the oil, and slowly release contained nutrients. Our laboratory experiments of microbial activity on weathered source oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico show fertilized clay treatment significantly enhanced bacterial respiration and consumption of alkanes compared to untreated oil-in-water conditions and reacted faster than straight fertilization. Whereas a major portion (up to 98%) of the alkane content was removed during the 1 month period of experimentation by fertilized clay flake interaction; the reduced concentration of polyaromatic hydrocarbons was not significantly different from the non-clay bearing samples. Such clay flake treatment could offer a way to more effectively apply the fertilizer to the spill in open nutrient poor waters and thus significantly reduce the extent and duration of marine oil spills, but this method is not expected to impact hydrocarbon toxicity.

Electrical properties of multiphase composites based on carbon nanotubes and an optimized clay content

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Egiziano, Luigi; Lamberti, Patrizia; Spinelli, Giovanni; Tucci, Vincenzo; Guadagno, Liberata; Vertuccio, Luigi

2016-05-01

The experimental results concerning the characterization of a multiphase nanocomposite systems based on epoxy matrix, loaded with different amount of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and an optimized Hydrotalcite (HT) clay content (i.e. 0.6 wt%), duly identified by an our previous theoretical study based on Design of Experiment (DoE), are presented. Dynamic-mechanical analysis (DMA) reveal that even the introduction of higher HT loading (up to 1%wt) don't affect significantly the mechanical properties of the nanocomposites while morphological investigations show an effective synergy between clay and carbon nanotubes that leads to peculiar micro/nanostructures that favor the creation of the electrical conductive network inside the insulating resin. An electrical characterization is carried out in terms of DC electrical conductivity, percolation threshold (EPT) and frequency response in the range 10Hz-1MHz. In particular, the measurements of the DC conductivity allow to obtain the typical "percolation" curve also found for classical CNT-polymer mixtures and a value of about 2 S/m for the electrical conductivity is achieved at the highest considered CNTs concentration (i.e. 1 wt%). The results suggest that multiphase nanocomposites obtained incorporating dispersive nanofillers, in addition to the conductive one, may be a valid alternative to the polymer blends, to improve the properties of the polymeric materials thus able to meet high demands, particularly concerning their mechanical and thermal stability and electrical features required in the aircraft engineering.

Evaluation of subsoil competence for foundation studies at site III of the Delta State University, Nigeria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ofomola, M. O.; Iserhien-Emekeme, R. E.; Okocha, F. O.; Adeoye, T. O.

2018-06-01

An integrated geophysical and geotechnical investigation has been carried out at site III of the Delta State University, Abraka, Nigeria. This took place in a bid to generate information on the competence of the soil in withstanding stress and strain emanating from overburden or pore pressure, swelling, cracking and other anthropogenic activity in relation to civil engineering and building structures. An electromagnetic method employing the very low frequency (VLF) technique, and electrical resistivity employing the Wenner and the vertical electrical sounding techniques were used for this study. Soil samples were also collected at depth for geotechnical analysis. Isoresistivity slices generated from the data of 33 VES stations at 1 m showed generally low resistivity values of subsurface earth materials, classified as clayey sand, sandy clay or clay, and ranging from 60-300 Ωm. However, at depths of 3 and 5 m, the result showed a generally high resistivity distribution with values ranging from 500-6000 Ωm, which is an indication of competent Earth materials of fine to coarse grain sand. The results of the liquid limit, plastic limit, plasticity index, cohesion, angle of internal friction and clay content of the soil samples vary from 10%-17%, 18%-29%, 3%-15%, 45-95 KN m-2, 31°-35° and 14%-22% respectively. The low cohesion, low clay content and high angle of internal friction of the soil at the encountered depth makes it competent for engineering foundation. It is concluded that the subsoil in the area, starting at a depth of 3 m, is a competent material for hosting engineering structures.

Reverse engineering the ancient ceramic technology based on X-ray fluorescence spectromicroscopy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sciau, Philippe; Leon, Yoanna; Goudeau, Philippe

2011-07-06

We present results of X-ray fluorescence (XRF) microprobe analyses of ancient ceramic cross-sections aiming at deciphering the different firing protocols used for their production. Micro-focused XRF elemental mapping, Fe chemical mapping and Fe K-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy were performed on pre-sigillata ceramics from southern Gaul, and terra Sigillata vessels from Italy and southern Gaul. Pieces from the different workshops and regions showed significant difference in the starting clay material, clay conditioning and kiln firing condition. By contrast, sherds from the same workshop exhibited more subtle differences and possible misfirings. Understanding the precise firing conditions and protocols wouldmore » allow recreation of kilns for various productions. Furthermore, evolution and modification of kiln design would shed some light on how ancient potters devised solutions to diverse technological problems they encountered.« less

Mechanical properties of biocompatible clay/P(MEO2MA-co-OEGMA) nanocomposite hydrogels.

PubMed

Xiang, Hengxue; Xia, Mengge; Cunningham, Alexander; Chen, Wei; Sun, Bin; Zhu, Meifang

2017-08-01

The effects of crosslinking density, polymer concentration and monomer ratio on the mechanical properties (tensile and compressive properties) of biocompatible clay/P(MEO 2 MA-co-OEGMA) nanocomposite (NC) hydrogels were investigated. These novel NC hydrogels, composed of inorganic/organic networks, were prepared via in-situ free radical polymerization. The results showed that with increasing inorganic crosslinking agent, i.e. clay concentration, an increase in the tensile strength, elongation at break and compressive strength was observed. Similarly, with increasing polymer concentration, the tensile strength and compressive strength of the NC hydrogels increased while the elongation at break decreased. Increasing the molar concentration of OEGMA in the comonomer led to an increase in the tensile strength of the NC hydrogels but a reduction in the compressive strength. Moreover, clay/P(MEO 2 MA-co-OEGMA) NC hydrogels presented good biocompatibility bolstering their application as tissue engineering scaffolds. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Clay particles as binder for earth buildings materials: a fresh look into rheology of dense clay suspensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Landrou, Gnanli; Brumaud, Coralie; Habert, Guillaume

2017-06-01

In the ceramic industry and in many sectors, clay minerals are widely used. In earthen construction technique, clay plays a crucial role in the processing. The purpose of this research is to understand and modify the clay properties in earth material to propose an innovative strategy to develop a castable earth-based material. To do so, we focused on the modification of clay properties at fresh state with inorganic additives. As the rheological behaviour of clays is controlled by their surface charge, the addition of phosphate anion allows discussing deep the rheology of concentrated clay suspensions. We highlighted the thixotropic and shear thickening behaviour of a dispersed kaolinite clay suspensions. Indeed, by adding sodium hexametaphosphate the workability of clay paste increases and the behaviour is stable during time after a certain shear is applied. Moreover, we stress that the aging and the shift in critical strain in clay system are due to the re-arrangement of clay suspension and a decrease of deformation during time. The understanding of both effect: thixotropy and aging are crucial for better processing of clay-based material and for self-compacting clay concrete. Yet, studies need to pursue to better understand the mechanism.

Monitoring water content in Opalinus Clay within the FE-Experiment: Test application of dielectric water content sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sakaki, T.; Vogt, T.; Komatsu, M.; Müller, H. R.

2013-12-01

The spatiotemporal variation of water content in the near field rock around repository tunnels for radioactive waste in clay formations is one of the essential quantities to be monitored for safety assessment in many waste disposal programs. Reliable measurements of water content are important not only for the understanding and prediction of coupled hydraulic-mechanic processes that occur during tunnel construction and ventilation phase, but also for the understanding of coupled thermal-hydraulic-mechanical (THM) processes that take place in the host rock during the post closure phase of a repository tunnel for spent fuel and high level radioactive waste (SF/HLW). The host rock of the Swiss disposal concept for SF/HLW is the Opalinus Clay formation (age of approx. 175 Million years). To better understand the THM effects in a full-scale heater-engineered barrier-rock system in Opalinus Clay, a full-scale heater test, namely the Full-Scale Emplacement (FE) experiment, was initiated in 2010 at the Mont Terri underground rock laboratory in north-western Switzerland. The experiment is designed to simulate the THM evolution of a SF/HLW repository tunnel based on the Swiss disposal concept in a realistic manner during the construction, emplacement, backfilling, and post-closure phases. The entire experiment implementation (in a 50 m long gallery with approx. 3 m diameter) as well as the post-closure THM evolution will be monitored using a network of several hundred sensors. The sensors will be distributed in the host rock, the tunnel lining, the engineered barrier, which consists of bentonite pellets and blocks, and on the heaters. The excavation is completed and the tunnel is currently being ventilated. Measuring water content in partially saturated clay-rich high-salinity rock with a deformable grain skeleton is challenging. Therefore, we use the ventilation phase (before backfilling and heating) to examine the applicability of commercial water content sensors and to design custom-made TDR sensors. The focus of this study is mainly on dielectric-based commercial water content sensors. Unlike soils for which the sensors were originally designed, it requires significantly more attention to properly install it onto rock (i.e., a good contact with the sensor and rock). The results will be used to select and design the instrumentation set-up for monitoring water content during the heating phase where sensors have to withstand harsh conditions (high salinity, high temperature, high pressures, high clay content and long term monitoring up to 10 years). The sensor tests are beneficial also in the sense that the water content data generated during these tests provide insights into drainage processes after tunnel construction and seasonal water content variations in the near field rock around the test gallery. We will present results from the tests and measurements performed during the first year.

Fe-SAPONITE and Chlorite Growth on Stainless Steel in Hydrothermal Engineered Barrier Experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheshire, M. C.; Caporuscio, F. A.; McCarney, M.

2012-12-01

The United States recently has initiated the Used Fuel Disposition campaign to evaluate various generic geological repositories for the disposal of high-level, spent nuclear fuel within environments ranging from hard-rock, salt/clay, to deep borehole settings. Previous work describing Engineered Barrier Systems (EBS) for repositories focused on low temperature and pressure conditions. The focus of this experimental work is to characterize the stability and alteration of a bentonite-based EBS with different waste container materials in brine at higher heat loads and pressures. All experiments were run at ~150 bar and 125 to 300 C for ~1 month. Unprocessed bentonite from Colony, Wyoming was used in the experiments as the clay buffer material. The redox conditions for each system were buffered along the magnetite-iron oxygen fugacity univariant curve using Fe3O4 and Feo filings. A K-Na-Ca-Cl-based salt solution was chosen to replicate deep groundwater compositions. The experimental mixtures were 1) salt solution-clay; 2) salt solution -clay-304 stainless steel; and 3) salt solution -clay-316 stainless steel with a water/bentonite ratio of ~9. Mineralogy and aqueous geochemistry of each experiment was evaluated to monitor the reactions that took place. No smectite illitization was observed in these reactions. However, it appears that K-smectite was produced, possibly providing a precursor to illitization. It is unclear whether reaction times were sufficient for bentonite illitization at 212 and 300 C or whether conditions conducive to illite formation were obtained. The more notable clay mineral reactions occurred at the stainless steel surfaces. Authigenic chlorite and Fe-saponite grew with their basal planes near perpendicular to the steel plate, forming a 10 - 40 μm thick 'corrosion' layer. Partial dissolution of the steel plates was the likely iron source for chlorite/saponite formation; however, dissolution of the Feo/Fe3O4 may also have acted as an iron source, with the steel plates acting as a substrate for chlorite/saponite growth. Trace amounts of pyrite in the bentonite appeared to have reacted to form H2S gas and pentlandite ((Ni,Fe)8S9). Mineral growth on the waste containers was influenced by the container, buffer, and fluid compositions, in addition to pressure and temperature conditions. No significant mineralogical changes were apparent away from the steel-smectite interface. Results of this research show that the waste container may act as a substrate for mineral growth in response to corrosion. However, it is presently unknown whether chlorite and Fe-saponite will act as passivating agents or whether their presence will facilitate further corrosion of the waste containers. The role of these Fe-rich minerals on the stability of steel canisters at elevated heat loads is currently under investigation. LA-UR-12-23845

Water-assisted extrusion of bio-based PETG/clay nanocomposites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Naeun; Lee, Sangmook

2018-02-01

Bio-based polyethylene terephthalate glycol-modified (PETG)/clay nanocomposites were prepared using the water-assisted extrusion process. The effects of different types of clay and clay mixing methods (with or without the use of water) and the resulting nanocomposites properties were investigated by measuring the rheological and tensile properties and morphologies. The valuable properties were achieved when Cloisite 30B was mixed in a slurry state. The results of the X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies showed that the nano-clay was well dispersed within the PETG matrix. This shows that the slurry process could be an effective exfoliation method for many nanocomposites systems as well as for bio-based PETG/clay nanocomposites.

Flocculation of Clay Colloids Induced by Model Polyelectrolytes: Effects of Relative Charge Density and Size.

PubMed

Sakhawoth, Yasine; Michot, Laurent J; Levitz, Pierre; Malikova, Natalie

2017-10-06

Flocculation and its tuning are of utmost importance in the optimization of several industrial protocols in areas such as purification of waste water and civil engineering. Herein, we studied the polyelectrolyte-induced flocculation of clay colloids on a model system consisting of purified clay colloids of well-defined size fractions and ionene polyelectrolytes presenting regular and tunable chain charge density. To characterize ionene-induced clay flocculation, we turned to the combination of light absorbance (turbidity) and ζ-potential measurements, as well as adsorption isotherms. Our model system allowed us to identify the exact ratio of positive and negative charges in clay-ionene mixtures, the (c+/c-) ratio. For all samples studied, the onset of efficient flocculation occurred consistently at c+/c- ratios significantly below 1, which indicated the formation of highly ionene-deficient aggregates. At the same time, the ζ-potential measurements indicated an apparent zero charge on such aggregates. Thus, the ζ-potential values could not provide the stoichiometry inside the clay-ionene aggregates. The early onset of flocculation in clay-ionene mixtures is reminiscent of the behavior of multivalent salts and contrasts that of monovalent salts, for which a large excess amount of ions is necessary to achieve flocculation. Clear differences in the flocculation behavior are visible as a function of the ionene charge density, which governs the conformation of the ionene chains on the clay surface. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Diffusion, sorption, and retardation processes of anions in bentonite and organo-bentonites for multibarrier systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schampera, Birgit; Dultz, Stefan

2013-04-01

The low permeability, high cation exchange capacity (CEC) and plasticity of bentonites favor their use in multibarrier systems of waste deposits [1]. Bentonites have a high CEC but their ability to sorb anions is very low. There is, however, need for retardation of anions and organic pollutants in many applications. Bentonites, modified with certain organic cations, have the capacity to sorb anions and non-polar organic compounds in addition to cations. Investigations on organically modified clays address a wide variety of applications including immobilization of pollutants in contaminated soils, waste water treatment and in situ placement for the protection of ground water [2]. Many experiments on anion and cation sorption of organo-clays were conducted in the batch mode which does not reflect solid-liquid ratios and material densities in barrier systems. Diffusion experiments on compacted clays allow the evaluation of transport processes and sorption of pollutants at conditions relevant for repositories. For organo-clays only few diffusion studies are published e.g. [3] measured the diffusion of tritium and [4] the diffusion of H2O in bentonite and organo-bentonites. The organic cation hexadecylpyridinium (HDPy) was added to Wyoming bentonite (MX-80) in amounts corresponding to 2-400 % of the CEC. The uptake of organic cations was determined by the C-content, XRD and IR-spectroscopy. Wettability was analyzed by the contact angle. Physical, chemical and mineralogical properties of clays were characterized. Diffusion experiments were carried out in situ in a cell attached to the ATR-unit of a FTIR-spectrometer. For H2O-diffusion the compacted organo-clays are saturated first with D2O, afterwards H2O is supplied to the surface at the top of the clay platelet. Anion-diffusion was conducted with NO3--solution instead of H2O only having characteristic IR band positions at 1350 cm-1. Three different concentrations (0.25M, 0.5M and 1M) were used. Additional batch experiments with NO3- will support the understanding of sorption behavior of the anions. All hydrophilic samples have a higher retardation capacity, indicated by diffusion coefficients of 2.44 x 10-11 m/s2 for original bentonite and ˜2.1 x 10-11m/s2 for hydrophilic organo-clays. For hydrophobic organo-clays the H2O diffusion can be higher and is increased at high bulk density (1-1.5 g/m3) up to 2.76 x 10-10m2/s. Experiments with NO3- at bulk density of 1.5 g/m3 reveal that the apparent diffusion coefficients of nitrate are with results up to 5.61 x 1012 m2/s distinctively lower than free diffusion of nitrate in pure water (6.46 x 1010 m2/s at experimental conditions) and nitrate diffusion in natural bentonite (2.63 x 1011 m2/s). The measurements allow the interpretation of the different sorption mechanisms, retardation capacity and diffusion behavior of the analyzed clays at different anion concentrations. Ongoing molecular dynamic simulations will contribute understanding of diffusion processes in organo-clays including the conditions at the interface of the clay minerals and in solution. References: [1] Shackelford, C.D., Moore S.M. (2013) Fickian diffusion of radionuclides for engineered containment barriers: Diffusion coefficients, porosities, and complicating issues. Engineering Geology, 152, 133-147. [2] Rytwo, G., Nir, S., Shuali, U. (2012) Clay and water treatment. Applied Clay Science, 67-68, 117-118. [3] Lorenzetti, R.L., Bartelt-Hunt, S.L., Burns, S.E., Smith, J.A. (2005) Hydraulic conductivities and effective diffusion coefficients of geosynthetic clay liners with organobentonite amendments. Geotextiles and Geomembranes, 23, 385-400. [4] Schampera, B., Dultz, S. (2011) H2O self-diffusion in compacted clays as influenced by surface charge and wettability - obstruction effects of bound H2O layers. Clay and Clay Minerals,59, 42-57.

Assessment of the Effectiveness of Clay Soil Covers as Engineered Barriers in Waste Disposal Facilities with Emphasis on Modeling Cracking Behavior

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-06-01

escaping the clay and keeping its compacted conditions constant. Other stabilizing additives such as surfactants or cement and applications such as foamed ...not a local phenomenon. Once a crack is formed, increasing the width of the crack at the surface by additional shrinkage will also extend the depth...at the surface, increasing the width of the crack by additional shrinkage will drive the crack deeper into the soil mass, expos- ing new surfaces to

Novel Biocompatible Thermoresponsive Poly(N-vinyl Caprolactam)/Clay Nanocomposite Hydrogels with Macroporous Structure and Improved Mechanical Characteristics.

PubMed

Shi, Kun; Liu, Zhuang; Yang, Chao; Li, Xiao-Ying; Sun, Yi-Min; Deng, Yi; Wang, Wei; Ju, Xiao-Jie; Xie, Rui; Chu, Liang-Yin

2017-07-05

Poly(N-vinyl caprolactam) (PVCL) hydrogels usually suffer from the imporous structure and poor mechanical characteristics as well as the toxicity of cross-linkers, although PVCL itself is biocompatible. In this paper, novel biocompatible thermoresponsive poly(N-vinyl caprolactam)/clay nanocomposite (PVCL-Clay) hydrogels with macroporous structure and improved mechanical characteristics are developed for the first time. The macroporosity in the hydrogel is introduced by using Pickering emulsions as templates, which contain N-vinyl caprolactam (VCL) monomer as dispersed phase and clay sheets as stabilizers at the interface. After polymerization, macropores are formed inside the hydrogels with the residual unreacted VCL droplets as templates. The three-dimensional PVCL polymer networks are cross-linked by the clay nanosheets. Due to the nanocomposite structure, the hydrogel exhibits better mechanical characteristics in comparison to the conventional PVCL hydrogels cross-linked by N,N'-methylene diacrylamide (BIS). The prepared PVCL-Clay hydrogel possesses remarkable temperature-responsive characteristics with a volume phase transition temperature (VPTT) around 35 °C, and provides a feasible platform for cell culture. With macroporous structure and good mechanical characteristics as well as flexible assembly performance, the proposed biocompatible thermoresponsive PVCL-Clay nanocomposite hydrogels are ideal material candidates for biomedical, analytical, and other applications such as entrapment of enzymes, cell culture, tissue engineering, and affinity and displacement chromatography.

Preparation and properties of recycled HDPE/clay hybrids

Treesearch

Yong Lei; Qinglin Wu; Craig M. Clemons

2007-01-01

Hybrids based on recycled high density polyethylene (RHDPE) and organic clay were made by melt compounding. The influence of blending method, compatibilizers, and clay content on clay intercalation and exfoliation, RHDPE crystallization behavior, and the mechanical properties of RHDPE/clay hybrids were investigated. Both maleated polyethylene (MAPE) and titanate could...

Seismic Velocities Contain Information About Depth, Lithology, Fluid Content, and Microstructure

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Berge, P A; Bonner, B P

2002-01-03

Recent advances in field and laboratory methods for measuring elastic wave velocities provide incentive and opportunity for improving interpretation of geophysical data for engineering and environmental applications. Advancing the state-of-the-art of seismic imaging requires developing petrophysical relationships between measured velocities and the hydrogeology parameters and lithology. Our approach uses laboratory data and rock physics methods. Compressional (Vp) and shear (Vs) wave velocities, Vp/Vs ratios, and relative wave amplitudes show systematic changes related to composition, saturation, applied stress (analogous to depth), and distribution of clay for laboratory ultrasonic measurements on soils. The artificial soils were mixtures of Ottawa sand and amore » second phase, either Wyoming bentonite or peat moss used to represent clay or organic components found in natural soils. Compressional and shear wave velocities were measured for dry, saturated, and partially-saturated conditions, for applied stresses between about 7 and 100 kPa, representing approximately the top 5 m of the subsurface. Analysis of the results using rock physics methods shows the link between microstructure and wave propagation, and implications for future advances in seismic data interpretation. For example, we found that Vp in dry sand-clay mixtures initially increases as clay cements the sand grains and fills porosity, but then Vp decreases when the clay content is high enough that the clay matrix controls the elastic response of the material. Vs decreases monotonically with increasing clay content. This provides a method for using Vp/Vs ratios to estimate clay content in a dry soil.« less

Reconstruction of a digital core containing clay minerals based on a clustering algorithm.

PubMed

He, Yanlong; Pu, Chunsheng; Jing, Cheng; Gu, Xiaoyu; Chen, Qingdong; Liu, Hongzhi; Khan, Nasir; Dong, Qiaoling

2017-10-01

It is difficult to obtain a core sample and information for digital core reconstruction of mature sandstone reservoirs around the world, especially for an unconsolidated sandstone reservoir. Meanwhile, reconstruction and division of clay minerals play a vital role in the reconstruction of the digital cores, although the two-dimensional data-based reconstruction methods are specifically applicable as the microstructure reservoir simulation methods for the sandstone reservoir. However, reconstruction of clay minerals is still challenging from a research viewpoint for the better reconstruction of various clay minerals in the digital cores. In the present work, the content of clay minerals was considered on the basis of two-dimensional information about the reservoir. After application of the hybrid method, and compared with the model reconstructed by the process-based method, the digital core containing clay clusters without the labels of the clusters' number, size, and texture were the output. The statistics and geometry of the reconstruction model were similar to the reference model. In addition, the Hoshen-Kopelman algorithm was used to label various connected unclassified clay clusters in the initial model and then the number and size of clay clusters were recorded. At the same time, the K-means clustering algorithm was applied to divide the labeled, large connecting clusters into smaller clusters on the basis of difference in the clusters' characteristics. According to the clay minerals' characteristics, such as types, textures, and distributions, the digital core containing clay minerals was reconstructed by means of the clustering algorithm and the clay clusters' structure judgment. The distributions and textures of the clay minerals of the digital core were reasonable. The clustering algorithm improved the digital core reconstruction and provided an alternative method for the simulation of different clay minerals in the digital cores.

Epoxy based nanocomposites with fully exfoliated unmodified clay: mechanical and thermal properties.

PubMed

Li, Binghai; Zhang, Xiaohong; Gao, Jianming; Song, Zhihai; Qi, Guicun; Liu, Yiqun; Qiao, Jinliang

2010-09-01

The unmodified clay has been fully exfoliated in epoxy resin with the aid of a novel ultrafine full-vulcanized powdered rubber. Epoxy/rubber/clay nanocomposites with exfoliated morphology have been successfully prepared. The microstructures of the nanocomposites were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. It was found that the unmodified clay was fully exfoliated and uniformly dispersed in the resulting nanocomposite. Characterizations of mechanical properties revealed that the impact strength of this special epoxy/rubber/clay nanocomposite increased up 107% over the neat epoxy resin. Thermal analyses showed that thermal stability of the nanocomposite was much better than that of epoxy nanocomposite based on organically modified clay.

Controlling Properties of Agglomerates for Chemical Processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Halt, Joseph A.

Iron ore pellets are hard spheres made from powdered ore and binders. Pellets are used to make iron, mainly in blast furnaces. Around the time that the pelletizing process was developed, starch was proposed as a binder because it's viscous, adheres well to iron oxides, does not contaminate pellets and is relatively cheap. In practice, however, starch leads to weak pellets with rough surfaces - these increase the amount of dust generated within process equipment and during pellet shipping and handling. Thus, even though the usual binder (bentonite clay) contaminates pellets, pelletizers prefer it to starch or other organics. This dissertation describes three ways to make good starch-based binders for pellets. Importantly, they solve the usual problems of weak rough pellets and lots of dust. The three approaches are: (1) Addition of clay to starch. This is not a novel idea. In fact, it is the standard method used for their improvement. However, it has not been tested extensively with starch. This approach was expected to be - and indeed was - successful. (2) Addition of a clay-rich layer to green ball surfaces. This approach is a novel idea. The coating's purpose was to mimic the good surface properties of standard bentonite-clay bonded pellets; as a benefit, clay consumption was significantly reduced. This approach was successful. (3) Addition of dispersants to starch. This approach was a novel idea. The intent of the dispersants was to enable pelletization to occur at lower moisture contents, thus leading to denser particle packing and lower porosity. The dispersants resulted in significantly stronger, smoother pellets without contaminating them with silica. Using approaches 1 and 3, starch can be used directly in traditional pelletizing operations, and importantly, in new pelletizing processes for new iron making operations. For approach 2, new application methods must be developed. Future engineering work is suggested as follows: design better dispersants for magnetic magnetite ores; incorporate the dispersing agent and starch into bead form for easy use; design a simple way to add coatings in existing drum-based pelletizing circuits; and optimize the coating composition to decrease both abrasion losses and pellet clustering (for new Direct Reduction pellets).

Selective Clay Placement Within a Silicate-Clay Epoxy Blend Nanocomposite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, Sandi G (Inventor)

2013-01-01

A clay-epoxy nanocomposite may be prepared by dispersing a layered clay in an alkoxy epoxy, such as a polypropylene oxide based epoxide before combining the mixture with an aromatic epoxy to improve the nanocomposite's thermal and mechanical properties.

Common clay and shale

USGS Publications Warehouse

Virta, R.L.

2011-01-01

The article discusses the latest developments in the global common clay and shale industry, particularly in the U.S. It claims that common clay and shale is mainly used in the manufacture of heavy clay products like brick, flue tile and sewer pipe. The main producing states in the U.S. include North Carolina, New York and Oklahoma. Among the firms that manufacture clay and shale-based products are Mid America Brick & Structural Clay Products LLC and Boral USA.

Fracture behavior of polypropylene/clay nanocomposites.

PubMed

Chen, Ling; Wang, Ke; Kotaki, Masaya; Hu, Charmaine; He, Chaobin

2006-12-01

Polypropylene (PP)/clay nanocomposites have been prepared via a reactive compounding approach with an epoxy based masterbatch. Compared with PP and common PP/organoclay nanocomposites, the PP/clay nanocomposites based on epoxy/clay masterbatch have higher impact strength. The phenomenon can be attributed to the epoxy phase dispersed uniformly in the PP matrix, which may act as impact energy absorber and helps to form a large damage zone, thus a higher impact strength value is achieved.

Polymer based nanocomposites with nanofibers and exfoliated clay

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meador, Michael A.; Reneker, Darrell H.

2005-01-01

Polymer solutions, containing clay sheets, were electrospun into nanofibers and microfibers that contained clay sheets inside. Controllable removal of polymer by plasma etching from the surface of fibers revealed the arrangement of clay. The shape, flexibility, size distribution and arrangement of clay sheets were observed by transmission and scanning electron microscopy. The clay sheets were partially aligned in big fibers with normal direction of clay sheets perpendicular to fiber axis. Crumpling of clay sheets inside fibers was observed when the fiber diameter was comparable to the lateral size of clay sheets. Single sheets of clay were observed both by catching clay sheets dispersed in water with electrospun nanofiber mats and by the deliberate removal of most of the polymer in the fibers. Thin, flexible gas barrier films, that are reasonably strong, were assembled from clay sheets and polymer nanofibers. Structure of composite films was characterized with scanning electron microscopy. Continuous film of clay sheets were physically attached to the surface of fiber mats. Spincoating film of polymer and clay sheets was reinforced by electrospun fiber scaffold. Certain alignment of clay sheets was observed in the vicinity of fibers.

Optimal Design of Sheet Pile Wall Embedded in Clay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Das, Manas Ranjan; Das, Sarat Kumar

2015-09-01

Sheet pile wall is a type of flexible earth retaining structure used in waterfront offshore structures, river protection work and temporary supports in foundations and excavations. Economy is an essential part of a good engineering design and needs to be considered explicitly in obtaining an optimum section. By considering appropriate embedment depth and sheet pile section it may be possible to achieve better economy. This paper describes optimum design of both cantilever and anchored sheet pile wall penetrating clay using a simple optimization tool Microsoft Excel ® Solver. The detail methodology and its application with examples are presented for cantilever and anchored sheet piles. The effects of soil properties, depth of penetration and variation of ground water table on the optimum design are also discussed. Such a study will help professional while designing the sheet pile wall penetrating clay.

Geological Engineering Characteristics of the Residual Soil: Implementation for Soil Bearing Capacity at Gayungan, Surabaya, East Java

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rukmana, Y. Y.; Ridwan, M.

2018-01-01

This paper presents the results of soil investigation on the residual soil at Gayungan Surabaya. The methodology of the research consists of Drilling + Standard Penetration Test (ASTM D1586-99), sampling and laboratory test for index properties & mechanical of soil, then analyzed for Soil Bearing Capacity (Meyerhoff, 1976). Field test analysis data showed that Bore Hole.01(BH.01) and Bore Hole.03 (BH.03) were dominated by Sand / Sandy clay layer with Standart Penetration Test (SPT) values: 6-68, whereas in BH.02 was dominated by Clayey sand layer with Standard Penetration Test (SPT) values: 32-68. Based on Soil classification according to Unified Soil Classification System (USCS), the soil type at the research area consisted of ML (Silt with Low plasticity), CL ( Clay with low plasticity), MH (Silt with High plasticity), and SP (Sand with Poor gradation). Based on the borlog data and soil bearing capacity analysis of the research area is recommended: for The Deep foundation to reaches at least 16 meters depth with Qa = 1160.40-2032.80 kN / m2, and Shallow foundation reaches at least 1-2 meters deep with Qa = 718.25 kN / M2.

Ziegler-Natta Catalyst Based on MgCl₂/Clay/ID/TiCl₄ for the Synthesis of Spherical Particles of Polypropylene Nanocomposites.

PubMed

Cardoso, Renata da Silva; Oliveira, Jaqueline da Silva; Ramis, Luciana Bortolin; Marques, Maria de Fátima V

2018-07-01

In the present work, we have designed MgCl2/clay/internal donor (ID)/TiCl4 based bisupported Ziegler-Natta catalysts containing varying amounts of organoclay (montmorillonite) in order to synthesize spherical particles of polypropylene/clay nanocomposites (PCN). The organoclay was introduced into the catalyst support formulation and PCN was obtained using the in situ polymerization technique. Decreasing the reaction time, it was possible to obtain nanocomposites with high concentrations of clay (masterbatches). Micrographs of SEM confirmed the spherical morphology of the catalysts. In addition, XRD patterns show that the active sites for polymerization were inserted in the clay galleries. The catalytic performance was evaluated in slurry propylene polymerization using triethylaluminium as cocatalyst and silane as external electron donor at 70 °C, 4 bar, and different reaction times. The PCNs obtained containing different clay amounts were characterized by X-ray diffraction, thermal analyses, transmission electronic microscopy, and extractables in heptane. The results revealed that the synthesized PP/clay particles were also spherical showing that the morphological control is possible even using catalysts containing high amounts of clay. The PCN presented high degradation temperature (459 °C). The XRD peak related to the clay interlamellar distance has shifted to lower angles, and TEM images confirmed the formation of exfoliated/intercalated clay on the PP matrix and absence of microparticles of clay.

Clarification of olive mill and winery wastewater by means of clay-polymer nanocomposites.

PubMed

Rytwo, Giora; Lavi, Roy; Rytwo, Yuval; Monchase, Hila; Dultz, Stefan; König, Tom N

2013-01-01

Highly polluted effluents from olive mills and wineries, among others, are unsuitable for discharge into standard sewage-treatment plants due to the large amounts of organic and suspended matter. Efficiency of all management practices for such effluents depends on an effective pretreatment that lowers the amount of suspended solids. Such pretreatments are usually based on three separate stages, taking a total of 2 to 6h: coagulation-neutralizing the colloids, flocculation-aggregating the colloids into larger particles, and separation via filtration or decanting. Previous studies have presented the concept of coagoflocculation based on the use of clay-polymer nanocomposites. This process adds a higher density clay particle to the flocs, accelerating the process to between 15 and 60 min. This study examined suitable nanocomposites based on different clays and polymers. The charge of the compounds increased proportionally to the polymer-to-clay ratio. X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements indicated that in sepiolite-based nanocomposites there is no change in the structure of the mineral, whereas in smectite-based nanocomposites, the polymer intercalates between the clay layers and increases the spacing depending on the polymer-to-clay ratio. Efficiency of the coagoflocculation process was studied with a dispersion analyzer. Sequential addition of olive mill or winery effluents with a boosting dose of nanocomposites may yield a very efficient and rapid clarification pretreatment. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Investigation on the cohesive silt/clay-particle sediment via the coupled CFD-DEM simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, S.; Sun, H.; Sun, R.

2017-12-01

Sedimentation of silt/clay particles happens ubiquitously in nature and engineering field. There have been abundant studies focusing on the settling velocity of the cohesive particles, while studies on the sediment deposited from silt/clay irregular particles, including the vertical concentration profile of sediment and the various forces among the deposited particles are still lacking. This paper aims to investigate the above topics by employing the CFD-DEM (Computational Fluid Dynamics-Discrete Element Method) simulations. In this work, we simulate the settling of the mono- and poly- dispersed silt/clay particles and mainly study the characteristics of the deposited cohesive sediment. We use the bonded particles to simulate the irregular silt/clay aggregates at the initial state and utilize the van der Waals force for all micro-particles to consider the cohesive force among silt/clay particles. The interparticle collision force and the fluid-particle interaction forces are also considered in our numerical model. The value of the mean structural density of cohesive sediment obtained from simulations is in good agreement with the previous research, and it is obviously smaller than no-cohesive sediment because of the existence of the silt/clay flocs. Moreover, the solid concentration of sediment increases with the growth of the depth. It is because the silt/clay flocs are more easily to break up due to the gradually increased submerged gravity of the deposited particles along the depth. We also obtain the noncontacted cohesive force and contact force profiles during the sedimentation and the self-weight consolidation process. The study of the concentration profile and the forces among silt/clay sediment will help to give an accurate initial condition for calculating the speed of the reconsolidation process by employing the artificial loads, which is necessary for practical designs of the land reclamation projects.

Corrosion Monitoring Research of New York City Bridges : TechBrief

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-12-01

Understanding unsaturated expansive soil has always been a major challenge for soil scientists and engineers. Due to presence of high quantity of montmorillonite mineral in the Moreland clay in northern Louisiana, structural damage due to soil heave/...

Micro-fabric damages in Boom Clay inferred from cryo-BIB-SEM experiment: recent results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Desbois, Guillaume; Schmatz, Joyce; Klaver, Jop; Urai, Janos L.

2017-04-01

The Boom Clay is considered as a potential host rock in Belgium for nuclear waste disposal in a deep geological formation. One of the keys to understand the long-term performance of such a host rock is the fundamental understanding of coupling between microstructural evolution, poromechanical behaviour and the state of hydration of the system. At in situ conditions, Boom Clay is a nearly water-saturated (>94%) clay-rich geomaterial. Subsequently, for measurement of mechanical and transport properties in laboratory, cores of Boom Clay are vacuum-packed in Al-coated-poly-ethylene barrier foil to be best preserved at original hydric state. Because clay microstructures are very sensitive to dehydration, the validity of investigations done on such preserved or/and dried samples is often questionable. Desbois et al. (2009, 2013, 2014) showed the possibility to image fluid-filled porosity in Boom Clay, by using the FIB-cryo-SEM (FIB: Focussed Ion Beam) and FIB-cryo-SEM (BIB: Broad Ion Beam) techniques. However, surprisingly in Desbois et al. (2014), BIB-cryo-SEM experiments on Boom Clay, shown that the majority of the pores were fluid-free, contrasting with result in Desbois et al. (2009). In Desbois et al. (2014), several reasons were discussed to explain such discrepancies. The likely ones are the sealing efficiency of the Al-barrier foil at long term and the volume expansion due to the release of in-situ stress after core extraction, contributing both to dehydration and microfabric damage. This contribution presents the newest results based on cryo-BIB-SEM. Small pieces (30 mm3) of Boom Clay were preserved in liquid nitrogen after the core extraction at the MOL/Dessel Underground Research Laboratory in Belgium. A maximum of ten minutes time span was achieved between opening the core, the sub-sample extraction and the quenching of sub-samples in liquid nitrogen. First results show that all pores visible at cryo-SEM resolution are water saturated. However, water-filled micro-cracks are also present and they are interpreted to result from the releasing of in-situ stress after the core extraction. Moreover, the comparison of the clay micro-fabrics in the same preserved and dried sample suggests collapsing of the clay aggregates' pores in dried sample. These newest results are still preliminary and they need to be analysed in more details. However, if they are confirmed they may be important input to discuss about the validity of measurement of mechanical and transport properties done in laboratory. Desbois G., Urai J.L. and Kukla P.A. (2009). Morphology of the pore space in claystones - evidence from BIB/FIB ion beam sectioning and cryo-SEM observations. E-Earth, 4 :15-22. Desbois G., J.L. Urai, F. Pérez-Willard, Z. Radi, S. van Offern, I. Burkart, P.A. Kukla, U. Wollenberg (2013). Argon broad ion beam tomography in a cryogenic scanning electron microscope: a novel tool for the investigation of representative microstructures in sedimentary rocks containing pore fluid. Journal of Microscopy, 249(3): 215-235. Desbois G., Urai J.L., Hemes S., Brassinnes S., De Craen M., Sillen X. (2014). Nanometer-scale pore fluid distribution and drying damage in preserved clay cores from Belgian clay formations inferred by BIB-cryo-SEM. Engineering Geology, 170:117-131.

STS-118 Astronauts Rick Mastracchio and Clay Anderson Perform EVA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2007-01-01

As the construction continued on the International Space Station (ISS), STS-118 astronaut and mission specialist Rick Mastracchio was anchored on the foot restraint of the Canadarm2 as he participated in the third session of Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA) for the mission. Assisting Mastracchio was Expedition 15 flight engineer Clay Anderson (out of frame). During the 5 hour, 28 minute space walk, the two relocated the S-band Antenna Sub-Assembly from the Port 6 (P6) truss to the Port 1 (P1) truss, installed a new transponder on P1 and retrieved the P6 transponder.

Swelling properties of montmorillonite and beidellite clay minerals from molecular simulation: Comparison of temperature interlayer cation, and charge location effects

DOE PAGES

Teich-McGoldrick, Stephanie L.; Greathouse, Jeffery A.; Jove-Colon, Carlos F.; ...

2015-08-27

In this study, the swelling properties of smectite clay minerals are relevant to many engineering applications including environmental remediation, repository design for nuclear waste disposal, borehole stability in drilling operations, and additives for numerous industrial processes and commercial products. We used molecular dynamics and grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations to study the effects of layer charge location, interlayer cation, and temperature on intracrystalline swelling of montmorillonite and beidellite clay minerals. For a beidellite model with layer charge exclusively in the tetrahedral sheet, strong ion–surface interactions shift the onset of the two-layer hydrate to higher water contents. In contrast, for amore » montmorillonite model with layer charge exclusively in the octahedral sheet, weaker ion–surface interactions result in the formation of fully hydrated ions (two-layer hydrate) at much lower water contents. Clay hydration enthalpies and interlayer atomic density profiles are consistent with the swelling results. Water adsorption isotherms from grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations are used to relate interlayer hydration states to relative humidity, in good agreement with experimental findings.« less

Electrospun composite matrices of poly(ε-caprolactone)-montmorillonite made using tenside free Pickering emulsions.

PubMed

Samanta, Archana; Takkar, Sonam; Kulshreshtha, Ritu; Nandan, Bhanu; Srivastava, Rajiv K

2016-12-01

The production of composite electrospun matrices of poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) using an emulsifier-free emulsion, made with minimal organic solvent, as precursor is reported. Pickering emulsions of PCL were prepared using modified montmorillonite (MMT) clay as the stabilizer. Hydrophobic tallow group of the modified MMT clay resulted in analogous interaction of clay with oil and aqueous phase and its adsorption at the interface to provide stability to the resultant emulsion. Composite fibrous matrices of PCL and MMT were produced using electrospinning under controlled conditions. The fiber fineness was found to alter with PCL concentration and volume fraction of the aqueous and oil phases. A higher tensile strength and modulus was obtained with inclusion of MMT in PCL electrospun matrix in comparison to a matrix made using neat PCL. The presence of clay in the fibrous matrix did not change the cell proliferation efficiency in comparison to neat PCL matrix. Composite fibrous matrices of PCL/MMT bearing enhanced tensile properties may find applications in areas other than tissue engineering for example food packaging and filtration. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fundamentals of gas flow in shale; What the unconventional reservoir industry can learn from the radioactive waste industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cuss, Robert; Harrington, Jon; Graham, Caroline

2013-04-01

Tight formations, such as shale, have a wide range of potential usage; this includes shale gas exploitation, hydrocarbon sealing, carbon capture & storage and radioactive waste disposal. Considerable research effort has been conducted over the last 20 years on the fundamental controls on gas flow in a range of clay-rich materials at the British Geological Survey (BGS) mainly focused on radioactive waste disposal; including French Callovo-Oxfordian claystone, Belgian Boom Clay, Swiss Opalinus Clay, British Oxford Clay, as well as engineered barrier material such as bentonite and concrete. Recent work has concentrated on the underlying physics governing fluid flow, with evidence of dilatancy controlled advective flow demonstrated in Callovo-Oxfordian claystone. This has resulted in a review of how advective gas flow is dealt with in Performance Assessment and the applicability of numerical codes. Dilatancy flow has been shown in Boom clay using nano-particles and is seen in bentonite by the strong hydro-mechanical coupling displayed at the onset of gas flow. As well as observations made at BGS, dilatancy flow has been shown by other workers on shale (Cuss et al., 2012; Angeli et al. 2009). As well as experimental studies using cores of intact material, fractured material has been investigated in bespoke shear apparatus. Experimental results have shown that the transmission of gas by fractures is highly localised, dependent on normal stress, varies with shear, is strongly linked with stress history, is highly temporal in nature, and shows a clear correlation with fracture angle. Several orders of magnitude variation in fracture transmissivity is seen during individual tests. Flow experiments have been conducted using gas and water, showing remarkably different behaviour. The radioactive waste industry has also noted a number of important features related to sample preservation. Differences in gas entry pressure have been shown across many laboratories and these may be attributed to different core preparation techniques. Careful re-stressing of core barrels and sealing techniques also ensure that experiments are conducted on near in situ condition. The construction of tunnels within shale clearly aids our understanding of the interaction of engineered operations (borehole drilling or tunnelling) on the behaviour of the rock. References: Angeli, M., Soldal, M., Skurtveit, E. and Aker, E., (2009) Experimental percolation of supercritical CO2 through a caprock. Energy Procedia 1, 3351-3358 Cuss, R.J., Harrington, J.F., Giot, R., and Auvray, C. (2012) Experimental observations of mechanical dilation at the onset of gas flow in Callovo-Oxfordian Claystone. Poster Presentation 5th International Meeting Clays in Natural and Engineered Barriers for Radioactive Waste Confinement, Montpellier, France October 22nd - 25th 2012.

Advanced applications of numerical modelling techniques for clay extruder design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kandasamy, Saravanakumar

Ceramic materials play a vital role in our day to day life. Recent advances in research, manufacture and processing techniques and production methodologies have broadened the scope of ceramic products such as bricks, pipes and tiles, especially in the construction industry. These are mainly manufactured using an extrusion process in auger extruders. During their long history of application in the ceramic industry, most of the design developments of extruder systems have resulted from expensive laboratory-based experimental work and field-based trial and error runs. In spite of these design developments, the auger extruders continue to be energy intensive devices with high operating costs. Limited understanding of the physical process involved in the process and the cost and time requirements of lab-based experiments were found to be the major obstacles in the further development of auger extruders.An attempt has been made herein to use Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) based numerical modelling techniques to reduce the costs and time associated with research into design improvement by experimental trials. These two techniques, although used widely in other engineering applications, have rarely been applied for auger extruder development. This had been due to a number of reasons including technical limitations of CFD tools previously available. Modern CFD and FEA software packages have much enhanced capabilities and allow the modelling of the flow of complex fluids such as clay.This research work presents a methodology in using Herschel-Bulkley's fluid flow based CFD model to simulate and assess the flow of clay-water mixture through the extruder and the die of a vacuum de-airing type clay extrusion unit used in ceramic extrusion. The extruder design and the operating parameters were varied to study their influence on the power consumption and the extrusion pressure. The model results were then validated using results from experimental trials on a scaled extruder which seemed to be in reasonable agreement with the former. The modelling methodology was then extended to full-scale industrial extruders. The technical and commercialsuitability of using light weight materials to manufacture extruder components was also investigated. The stress and deformation induced on the components, due to extrusion pressure, was analysed using FEA and suitable alternative materials were identified. A cost comparison was then made for different extruder materials. The results show potential of significant technical and commercial benefits to the ceramic industry.

Radioactive Demonstration Of Mineralized Waste Forms Made From Hanford Low Activity Waste (Tank Farm Blend) By Fluidized Bed Steam Reformation (FBSR)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jantzen, C. M.; Crawford, C. L.; Bannochie, C. J.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of River Protection (ORP) is responsible for the retrieval, treatment, immobilization, and disposal of Hanford’s tank waste. A key aspect of the River Protection Project (RPP) cleanup mission is to construct and operate the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP). The WTP will separate the tank waste into high-level and low-activity waste (LAW) fractions, both of which will subsequently be vitrified. The projected throughput capacity of the WTP LAW Vitrification Facility is insufficient to complete the RPP mission in the time frame required by the Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order,more » also known as the Tri-Party Agreement (TPA), i.e. December 31, 2047. Supplemental Treatment is likely to be required both to meet the TPA treatment requirements as well as to more cost effectively complete the tank waste treatment mission. The Supplemental Treatment chosen will immobilize that portion of the retrieved LAW that is not sent to the WTP’s LAW Vitrification facility into a solidified waste form. The solidified waste will then be disposed on the Hanford site in the Integrated Disposal Facility (IDF). Fluidized Bed Steam Reforming (FBSR) offers a moderate temperature (700-750°C) continuous method by which LAW can be processed irrespective of whether the waste contain organics, nitrates, sulfates/sulfides, chlorides, fluorides, volatile radionuclides or other aqueous components. The FBSR technology can process these wastes into a crystalline ceramic (mineral) waste form. The mineral waste form that is produced by co-processing waste with kaolin clay in an FBSR process has been shown to be comparable to LAW glass, i.e. leaches Tc-99, Re and Na at <2g/m 2 during ASTM C1285 (Product Consistency) durability testing. Monolithing of the granular FBSR product was investigated to prevent dispersion during transport or burial/storage. Monolithing in an inorganic geopolymer binder, which is amorphous, macro-encapsulates the granules, and the monoliths pass ANSI/ANS 16.1 and ASTM C1308 durability testing with Re achieving a Leach Index (LI) of 9 (the Hanford Integrated Disposal Facility, IDF, criteria for Tc-99) after a few days and Na achieving an LI of >6 (the Hanford IDF criteria for Na) in the first few hours. The granular and monolithic waste forms also pass the EPA Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) for all Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) components at the Universal Treatment Standards (UTS). Two identical Benchscale Steam Reformers (BSR) were designed and constructed at SRNL, one to treat non-radioactive simulants and the other to treat actual radioactive wastes. The results from the non-radioactive BSR were used to determine the parameters needed to operate the radioactive BSR in order to confirm the findings of non-radioactive FBSR pilot scale and engineering scale tests and to qualify an FBSR LAW waste form for applications at Hanford. Radioactive testing commenced using SRS LAW from Tank 50 chemically trimmed to look like Hanford’s blended LAW known as the Rassat simulant as this simulant composition had been tested in the non-radioactive BSR, the non-radioactive pilot scale FBSR at the Science Applications International Corporation-Science and Technology Applications Research (SAIC-STAR) facility in Idaho Falls, ID and in the TTT Engineering Scale Technology Demonstration (ESTD) at Hazen Research Inc. (HRI) in Denver, CO. This provided a “tie back” between radioactive BSR testing and non-radioactive BSR, pilot scale, and engineering scale testing. Approximately six hundred grams of non-radioactive and radioactive BSR product were made for extensive testing and comparison to the non-radioactive pilot scale tests performed in 2004 at SAIC-STAR and the engineering scale test performed in 2008 at HRI with the Rassat simulant. The same mineral phases and off-gas species were found in the radioactive and non-radioactive testing. The granular ESTD and BSR products (radioactive and non-radioactive) were analyzed for total constituents and durability tested as a granular waste form. A subset of the granular material was stabilized in a clay based geopolymer matrix at 42% and 65% FBSR loadings and durability tested as a monolith waste form. The 65 wt% FBSR loaded monolith made with clay (radioactive) was more durable than the 67-68 wt% FBSR loaded monoliths made from fly ash (non-radioactive) based on short term PCT testing. Long term, 90 to 107 day, ASTM C1308 testing (similar to ANSI/ANS 16.1 testing) was only performed on two fly ash geopolymer monoliths at 67-68 wt% FBSR loading and three clay geopolymer monoliths at 42 wt% FBSR loading. More clay geopolymers need to be made and tested at longer times at higher FBSR loadings for comparison to the fly ash monoliths. Monoliths made with metakaolin (heat treated) clay are of a more constant composition and are very reactive as the heat treated clay is amorphous and alkali activated. The monoliths made with fly ash are subject to the inherent compositional variation found in fly ash as it is a waste product from burning coal and it contains unreactive components such as mullite. However, both the fly ash and the clay based monoliths perform well in long term ASTM C1308 testing.« less

Fire clay

USGS Publications Warehouse

Virta, R.L.

2013-01-01

Four companies mined fire clay in three states in 2012. Production, based on a preliminary survey of the fire clay industry, was estimated to be 230 kt (254,000 st) valued at $6.98 million, an increase from 215 kt (237,000 st) valued at $6.15 million in 2011. Missouri was the leading producing state, followed by Colorado and Texas, in decreasing order by quantity. The number of companies mining fire clay declined in 2012 because several common clay producers that occasionally mine fire clay indicated that they did not do so in 2012.

Heteroaggregation of Silver Nanoparticles with Clay Minerals in Aqueous System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, J.; Burrow, E.; Hwang, Y.; Lenhart, J.

2013-12-01

Nanoparticles are increasingly being used in industrial processes and consumer products that exploit their beneficial properties and improve our daily lives. Nevertheless, they also attract attention when released into natural environment due to their potential for causing adverse effects. The fate and transport of nanoparticles in aqueous systems have been the focus of intense study. However, their interactions with other natural particles have received only limited attention. Clay minerals are ubiquitous in most aquatic systems and their variably charged surfaces can act as deposition sites that can alter the fate and transport of nanoparticles in natural aqueous environments. In this study, we investigated the homoaggregation of silver nanoparticles with different coating layers and their heteroaggregation behavior with clay minerals (illite, kaolinite, montmorillonite) in neutral pH solutions. Silver nanoparticles with a nominal diameter of 80 nm were synthesized with three different surface coating layers: uncoated, citrate-coated and Tween-coated. Illite (IMt-2), kaolinite (KGa-2), and montmorillonite (SWy-2) were purchased from the Clay Mineral Society (Indiana) and pretreated to obtain monocationic (Na-clay) and dicationic (Ca-clay) suspensions before the experiments. The change in hydrodynamic diameter as a function of time was monitored using dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements in order to evaluate early stage aggregation as a function of electrolyte concentration in both the homo- and heteroaggregation scenarios. A shift in the critical coagulation concentration (CCC) values to lower electrolyte concentrations was observed in binary systems, compared to single silver nanoparticle and clay systems. The results also suggest more rapid aggregation in binary system during the early aggregation stage when compared to the single-particle systems. The behavior of citrate-coated silver nanoparticles was similar to that of the bare particles, while the Tween-coated silver nanoparticles showed high stability in both single and binary systems. There were no significant differences in early stage aggregation kinetics observed inthe Na-clay-nanoparticle or Ca-clay-nanoparticle systems, which suggested that the CCC values of the single Na- or Ca-clay suspensions depend only on the electrolyte concentration, not the original cations on the clay surface. These results provide a basic idea for understanding the heteroaggregation of different silver nanoparticles and clays, which can be utilized in further study of fate and transport of engineered nanoparticles in natural aqueous system.

Interaction between the Bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens strain CHA0, its genetic derivatives and vermiculite: Effects on chemical, mineralogical and mechanical properties of vermiculite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mueller, Barbara

2016-04-01

Using bacteria of the strain Pseudomonas fluorescens wild type CHA0 and its genetic derivative strains CHA77, CHA89, CHA400, CHA631 and CHA661 (which differ in one gene only) the changes in chemical, mineralogical and rheological properties of the clay mineral vermiculite affected by microbial activity were studied in order to test whether the individually different production of metabolites by the genetically engineered strains may alter the clay mineral vermiculite in distinct ways. With the novel strategy of working with living wild type bacteria, their genetic derivatives and clay, the following properties of the mineral altered by the various strains of Pseudomonas fluorescens were determined: grain size, X-Ray diffraction pattern, intercrystalline swelling with glycerol, layer charge, CEC, BET surface and uptake of trace elements. Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) was used to determine the changes in major, minor and trace elements of the clay vermiculite affected by microbial activity. Among all analyzed trace elements, Fe, Mn and Cu are the most interesting. Fe and Mn are taken up from the clay mineral by all bacterial strains whereas Cu is only removed from vermiculite by strains CHA0, CHA77, CHA400 and CHA661. The latter mentioned strains all produce the antibiotics 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol and monoacetylphloroglucinol which can complex Cu efficiently. Therefore the alteration of only one gene of the bacteria is causing significant effects on the clay mineral.

Role of Interfaces in Elasticity and Failure of Clay-Organic Nanocomposites: Toughening upon Interface Weakening?

PubMed

Hantal, György; Brochard, Laurent; Pellenq, Roland J-M; Ulm, Franz-Joseph; Coasne, Benoit

2017-10-24

Synthetic organic-inorganic composites constitute a new class of engineering materials finding applications in an increasing range of fields. The interface between the constituting phases plays a pivotal role in the enhancement of mechanical properties. In exfoliated clay-organic nanocomposites, individual, high aspect ratio clay sheets are dispersed in the organic matrix providing large interfaces and hence efficient stress transfer. In this study, we aim at elucidating molecular-scale reinforcing mechanisms in a series of model clay-organic composite systems by means of reactive molecular simulations. In our models, two possible locations of failure initiation are present: one is the interlayer space of the clay platelet, and the other one is the clay-organic interface. We systematically modify the cohesiveness of the interface and assess how the failure mechanism changes when the different model composites are subjected to a tensile test. Besides a change in the failure mechanism, an increase in the released energy at the interface (meaning an increased overall toughness) are observed upon weakening the interface by bond removal. We propose a theoretical analysis of these results by considering a cohesive law that captures the effect of the interface on the composite mechanics. We suggest an atomistic interpretation of this cohesive law, in particular, how it relates to the degree of bonding at the interface. In a broader perspective, this work sheds light on the importance of the orthogonal behavior of interfaces to nanocomposites.

Conceptual model analysis of interaction at a concrete-Boom Clay interface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Sanheng; Jacques, Diederik; Govaerts, Joan; Wang, Lian

In many concepts for deep disposal of high-level radioactive waste, cementitious materials are used in the engineered barriers. For example, in Belgium the engineered barrier system is based on a considerable amount of cementitious materials as buffer and backfill in the so-called supercontainer embedded in the hosting geological formation. A potential hosting formation is Boom Clay. Insight in the interaction between the high-pH pore water of the cementitious materials and neutral-pH Boom Clay pore water is required. Two problems are quite common for modeling of such a system. The first one is the computational cost due to the long timescale model assessments envisaged for the deep disposal system. Also a very fine grid (in sub-millimeter), especially at interfaces has to be used in order to accurately predict the evolution of the system. The second one is whether to use equilibrium or kinetic reaction models. The objectives of this paper are twofold. First, we develop an efficient coupled reactive transport code for this diffusion-dominated system by making full use of multi-processors/cores computers. Second, we investigate how sensitive the system is to chemical reaction models especially when pore clogging due to mineral precipitation is considered within the cementitious system. To do this, we selected two portlandite dissolution models, i.e., equilibrium (fastest) and diffusion-controlled model with precipitation of a calcite layer around portlandite particles (diffusion-controlled dissolution). The results show that with shrinking core model portlandite dissolution and calcite precipitation are much slower than with the equilibrium model. Also diffusion-controlled dissolution smooths out dissolution fronts compared to the equilibrium model. However, only a slight difference with respect to the clogging time can be found even though we use a very small diffusion coefficient (10-20 m2/s) in the precipitated calcite layer.

DEMONSTRATION BULLETIN: HYDRAULIC FRACTURING OF CONTAMINATED SOIL

EPA Science Inventory

Hydraulic fracturing is a physical process that creates fractures in silty clay soil to enhance its permeability. The technology, developed by the Risk Reduction Engineering Laboratory (RREL) and the University of Cincinnati, creates sand-filled horizontal fractures up to 1 in. i...

Resilient modulus testing of materials from MN/Road : phase 1

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1996-09-01

The U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) conducted resilient modulus tests on materials from the MN/ROAD test site for the Minnesota Department of Transportation. Materials tested included samples of the lean clay subgra...

Detection of sinkholes or anomalies using full seismic wave fields : phase II [summary].

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-09-01

Florida geology with its non-uniform rock and soil layers, variable deposits of poor soils (clay, organics, etc.), and weathered (and possibly voided) limestone is a major concern for design engineers, contractors, and maintenance personnel. However,...

Retention of contaminants Cd and Hg adsorbed and intercalated in aluminosilicate clays: A first principles study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crasto de Lima, F. D.; Miwa, R. H.; Miranda, Caetano R.

2017-11-01

Layered clay materials have been used to incorporate transition metal (TM) contaminants. Based on first-principles calculations, we have examined the energetic stability and the electronic properties due to the incorporation of Cd and Hg in layered clay materials, kaolinite (KAO) and pyrophyllite (PYR). The TM can be (i) adsorbed on the clay surface as well as (ii) intercalated between the clay layers. For the intercalated case, the contaminant incorporation rate can be optimized by controlling the interlayer spacing of the clay, namely, pillared clays. Our total energy results reveal that the incorporation of the TMs can be maximized through a suitable tuning of vertical distance between the clay layers. Based on the calculated TM/clay binding energies and the Langmuir absorption model, we estimate the concentrations of the TMs. Further kinetic properties have been examined by calculating the activation energies, where we found energy barriers of ˜20 and ˜130 meV for adsorbed and intercalated cases, respectively. The adsorption and intercalation of ionized TM adatoms were also considered within the deprotonated KAO surface. This also leads to an optimal interlayer distance which maximizes the TM incorporation rate. By mapping the total charge transfers at the TM/clay interface, we identify a net electronic charge transfer from the TM adatoms to the topmost clay surface layer. The effect of such a charge transfer on the electronic structure of the clay (host) has been examined through a set of X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) simulations, characterizing the changes of the XANES spectra upon the presence of the contaminants. Finally, for the pillared clays, we quantify the Cd and Hg K-edge energy shifts of the TMs as a function of the interlayer distance between the clay layers and the Al K-edge spectra for the pristine and pillared clays.

Development of High Capacity Enterosorbents for Aflatoxin B1 and Other Hazardous Chemicals.

PubMed

Wang, Meichen; Maki, Cody R; Deng, Youjun; Tian, Yanan; Phillips, Timothy D

2017-09-18

Previously, a calcium montmorillonite clay (NovaSil) included in the diet of animals has been shown to bind aflatoxin B1 (AfB1) and reduce the symptoms of aflatoxicosis. To investigate and improve the capacity and efficacy of clay-based materials as aflatoxin sorbents, we developed and tested calcium and sodium montmorillonite clays amended with nutrients including l-carnitine and choline. Also, we determined the sorption of AfB1 by isothermal analysis and tested the ability of these amended sorbents to protect adult hydra from AfB1 toxicity. The results showed that exchanging montmorillonite clays with l-carnitine and choline inhibited swelling of the clays and increased the sorption capacity and efficacy of clay surfaces for AfB1. Results from dehydroxylated and heat-collapsed clays suggested that AfB1 was primarily adsorbed in the clay interlayer, as predicted from thermodynamic calculations and computational modeling. The hydra bioassay further indicated that the modified clays can significantly protect adult hydra from AfB1 with as low as 0.005% clay inclusion. This enterosorbent therapy may also be applied to screen hazardous chemicals such as pesticides and PAHs based on similar sorption mechanisms. Taken together, enterosorbent therapy could be delivered in nutritional supplements, foods that are vulnerable to aflatoxin contamination, flavored liquids and animal feeds during emergencies and outbreaks of acute aflatoxicosis, and as a screening model for hazardous environmental chemicals.

Glowing clay: Real time tracing using a suite of novel clay based fluorescent tracers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hardy, Robert; Quinton, John; Pates, Jackie; Coogan, Mike

2015-04-01

Clay is one of the most mobile fractions of soil due to its small particle size. It is also known to sorb many chemicals, such as nutrients (notably phosphorus), agrochemicals and heavy metals. The movement of clay is therefore linked with the transport and fate of these substances. A novel fluorescent clay tracing suite has been produced, together with an imaging technique. This suite consists of qualitative clay tracers, using rhodamine based fluorophores, and quantitative clay tracers, using metal based fluorophores. Efforts have also been made to allow integration of commercially available tracers, which are silt and sand sized. The clay tracers exploit the high affinity that montmorillonite has for Rhodamine B and Ru(bpy)3. This allows for an extremely thin layer of the fluorophore to be sorbed onto the clay's surface, in much that same way as materials in the natural environment will bind to clay. The tracer that is produced retains key chemical and physical properties of clay, such as size, shape and density. The retention of these micro-properties results in the retention of macro-properties, such as tendency to aggregate and cracking on drying. Imaging techniques have been developed to analyse these tracers. The imaging system uses diffused laser light to excite the tracer and a modified DSLR camera to image the soil surface. The images have been compiled into a time lapse video showing the movement of clay over the course of a rainfall event. This is the first time that the quantitative movement of clay has been recorded over a soil surface in real time. 4D data can be extracted from the images allowing the spatial location and intensity of tracer to be monitored over time, with mm precision and on the timescale of seconds. As the system can also work with a commercial tracer it is possible to investigate the movement of particles of almost any size and over a range of scales from soil box to hillside. This allows users to access this technique without the need to produce the tracer themselves.

Experimental Study on the Interaction Between Contacting Barrier Materials for Containment of Radioactive Wastes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, W. H.; Chang, H. C.

2017-12-01

The disposal of low- and intermediate-level radioactive wastes requires use of multi-barriers for isolation of the wastes from the biosphere. Typically, the engineered barriers are composed of a concrete vault, buffer and backfill materials. Zhishin clay and Black Hill bentonite were used as raw clay material in making buffer and backfill materials in this study. These clays were compacted to make buffer material, or mixed with Taitung area argillite to produce backfill material for potential application as barriers for the disposal of low- and intermediate-level radioactive wastes. The interaction between concrete barrier and the buffer/backfill material is simulated by an accelerated migration test to investigate the effect of contacting concrete on the expected functions of buffer/backfill material. The results show buffer material close to the contact with concrete exhibits significant change in the ratio of calcium/sodium exchange capacity, due to the move of calcium ions released from the concrete. The shorter the distance from the contacting interface, the ratio of the calcium/sodium concentration in buffer/backfill materials increases. The longer the distance from the interface, the effect of the contact on alteration in clays become less significant. Also, some decreases in swelling capacity in the buffer/backfill material near the concrete-backfill interface are noted. Finally, a comparison is made between Zhisin clay and Balck Hill bentonite on the interaction between concrete and the two clays. Black Hill bentonite was found to be influenced more by the interaction, because of the higher content of montmorillonite. On the other hand, being a mixture of clay and sand, backfill material is less affected by the decalsification of concrete at the contact than buffer material.

A parametric study on hydraulic conductivity and self-healing properties of geotextile clay liners used in landfills.

PubMed

Parastar, Fatemeh; Hejazi, Sayyed Mahdi; Sheikhzadeh, Mohammad; Alirezazadeh, Azam

2017-11-01

Nowadays, the raise of excessive generation of solid wastes is considered as a major environmental concern due to the fast global population growth. The contamination of groundwater from landfill leachate compromises every living creature. Geotextile clay liner (GCL) that has a sandwich structure with two fibrous sheets and a clay core can be considered as an engineered solution to prevent hazardous pollutants from entering into groundwater. The main objective of the present study is therefore to enhance the performance of GCL structures. By changing some structural factors such as clay type (sodium vs. calcium bentonite), areal density of clay, density of geotextile, geotextile thickness, texture type (woven vs. nonwoven), and needle punching density a series of GCL samples were fabricated. Water pressure, type of cover soil and overburden pressure were the environmental variables, while the response variables were hydraulic conductivity and self-healing rate of GCL. Rigid wall constant head permeability test was conducted on all the samples. The outlet water flow was measured and evaluated at a defined time period and the hydraulic conductivity was determined for each sample. In the final stage, self-healing properties of samples were investigated and an analytical model was used to explain the results. It was found that higher Montmorillonite content of clay, overburden pressure, needle punching density and areal density of clay poses better self-healing properties and less hydraulic conductivity, meanwhile, an increase in water pressure increases the hydraulic conductivity. Moreover, the observations were aligned with the analytical model and indicated that higher fiber inclusion as a result of higher needle-punching density produces closer contact between bentonite and fibers, reduces hydraulic conductivity and increases self-healing properties. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development and characterization of clay facial mask containing turmeric extract solid dispersion.

PubMed

Pan-On, Suchiwa; Rujivipat, Soravoot; Ounaroon, Anan; Tiyaboonchai, Waree

2018-04-01

To develop clay facial mask containing turmeric extract solid dispersion (TESD) for enhancing curcumin water solubility and permeability and to determine suitable clay based facial mask. The TESD were prepared by solvent and melting solvent method with various TE to polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) K30 mass ratios. The physicochemical properties, water solubility, and permeability were examined. The effects of clay types on physical stability of TESD, water adsorption, and curcumin adsorption capacity were evaluated. The TESD prepared by solvent method with a TE to PVP K30 mass ratio of 1:2 showed physically stable, dry powders, when mixed with clay. When TESD was dissolved in water, the obtained TESD micelles showed spherical shape with mean size of ∼100 nm resulting in a substantial enhancement of curcumin water solubility, ∼5 mg/ml. Bentonite (Bent) and mica (M) showed the highest water adsorption capacity. The TESD's color was altered when mixed with Bent, titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) and zinc oxide (ZnO) indicating curcumin instability. Talcum (Talc) showed the greatest curcumin adsorption followed by M and kaolin (K), respectively. Consequently, in vitro permeation studies of the TESD mixed with Talc showed lowest curcumin permeation, while TESD mixed with M or K showed similar permeation profile as free TESD solutions. The developed TESD-based clay facial mask showed lower curcumin permeation as compared to those formulations with Tween 80. The water solubility and permeability of curcumin in clay based facial mask could be improved using solid dispersion technique and suitable clay base composed of K, M, and Talc.

Origin and evolution of phyllosilicate deformation bands in the poorly lithified sandstones of the Rio do Peixe Basin, NE Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nogueira, Francisco; Nicchio, Matheus; Balsamo, Fabrizio; Bezerra, Francisco; Souza, Jorge; Carvalho, Bruno; Storti, Fabrizio

2017-04-01

In this work we describe the genetic processes and the microstructural evolution of phylossilicate deformation bands developed in poorly lithified, high porosity sandstones of the Rio do Peixe Basin, Northeast Brazil. The studied deformation bands occur in damage zones of NE-SW and NW-SE transtensional faults that exhibit well developed anastomosed clusters, with a thickness varying from tens of centimeters to 1 meter. The Host rocks are arkosic to lithic arkosic coarse sandstones to fine conglomerate and with less than 1% of clay content in the matrix. Based on (i) field observations, (ii) clay amount in deformation band cores and (iii) clay mineral arrangements in deformation bands cores, we identified two types of phyllosilicate deformation bands: (1) clay smearing deformation bands and (2) phyllosilicate deformation bands formed by clay authigenesis. The former occur only in fault zones that cut across clay-rich layers and are characterized by 45-50% of clay content. Single element chemical analysis indicates that the composition of clay minerals in clay smearing deformation bands is similar to that of clay-rich layers in the host rocks. The dominant deformation mechanism is particulate flow, which produces preferential alignments of grains and clay minerals. Only subordinate cataclasis occurs. Based on microstructural fabrics, three evolutionary stages can be identified for phyllosilicate deformation bands formed by clay authigenesis. The first one is characterized by preferentially cataclasis and weathering of feldspars. Clay concentration is relatively low, reaching 15-20%, with preferential concentration where crushed feldspar abundance is higher. The second stage is characterized by clay migration within deformation bands, to form continuous films with more than 20-25% of clay concentration. In the last stage clay mineral fabric re-organization occurs, forming well a developed S-C foliation. Clay concentration exceeds 35%. Single element chemical analysis indicates that the only external element present in phyllosilicate deformation bands formed by clay authigenesis is iron oxide. This feature suggests formation at very shallow depth, in the vadose zone where fluid flow preferentially occurs by capillarity in deformation band cores. Petrophysical analysis shows that both types of phyllosilicate deformation bands have high sealing potential. Clay smearing deformation bands reduce rock permeability by three orders of magnitude whereas phyllosilicate deformation bands formed by authigenesis causes permeability reduction of about two orders of magnitude with respect to the corresponding host rock.

Excavation Induced Hydraulic Response of Opalinus Clay - Investigations of the FE-Experiment at the Mont Terri URL in Switzerland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vogt, T.; Müller, H. R.; Garitte, B.; Sakaki, T.; Vietor, T.

2013-12-01

The Full-Scale Emplacement (FE) Experiment at the Mont Terri underground research laboratory in Switzerland is a full-scale heater test in a clay-rich formation (Opalinus Clay). Based on the Swiss disposal concept it simulates the construction, emplacement, backfilling, and post-closure thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) evolution of a spent fuel / vitrified high-level waste (SF / HLW) repository tunnel in a realistic manner. The main aim of this experiment is to investigate SF / HLW repository-induced THM coupled effects mainly in the host rock but also in the engineered barrier system (EBS), which consists of bentonite pellets and blocks. A further aim is to gather experience with full-scale tunnel construction and associated hydro-mechanical (HM) processes in the host rock. The entire experiment implementation (in a 50 m long gallery with approx. 3 m diameter) as well as the post-closure THM evolution will be monitored using a network of several hundred sensors (state-of-the-art sensors and measurement systems as well as fiber-optic sensors). The sensors are distributed in the host rock's near- and far-field, the tunnel lining, the EBS, and on the heaters. The heater emplacement and backfilling has not started yet, therefore only the host rock instrumentation is installed at the moment and is currently generating data. We will present the instrumentation concept and rationale as well as the first monitoring results of the excavation and ventilation phase. In particular, we investigated the excavation induced hydraulic response of the host rock. Therefore, the spatiotemporal evolution of porewater-pressure time series was analyzed to get a better understanding of HM coupled processes during and after the excavation phase as well as the impact of anisotropic geomechanic and hydraulic properties of the clay-rich formation on its hydraulic behavior. Excavation related investigations were completed by means of inclinometer data to characterize the non-elastic and time-dependent deformations. In addition, we evaluated the effect of drainage and suction processes during the ventilation phase on the pressure distribution in the host rock. Based on our results the conceptual models of HM processes and hydraulic behavior of clay rich formations during excavation and ventilation phases could be improved.

Temperature dependence of soil water potential

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mohamed, A.M.O.; Yong, R.N.; Cheung, S.C.H.

1992-12-01

To understand the process of coupled heat and water transport, the relationship between temperature and soil water potential must be known. Two clays, Avonlea bentonite and Lake Agassiz clay, are being considered as the clay-based sealing materials for the Canadian nuclear fuel waste disposal vault. Avonlea bentonite is distinguished from Lake Agassiz clay by its high sealing potential in water. A series of experiments was performed in which the two clays were mixed with equal amounts of sand and were compacted to a dry density of 1.67 Mg/m[sup 3] under various moisture contents and temperatures. A psychrometer was placed withinmore » the compacted clay-sand to measure the soil water potential based on the electromotive force measured by the psychrometer. The results indicate that the soil water potential at a particular temperature is higher for both clay-sand mixtures than predicted by the change in the surface tension of water; this effect is much more prominent in the Avonlea bentonite and at low moisture contents. The paper presents empirical equations relating the soil water potential with the moisture content and temperature of the two clay-sand mixtures. 24 refs., 8 figs., 2 tabs.« less

Comprehensive review of geosynthetic clay liner and compacted clay liner

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shankar, M. Uma; Muthukumar, M.

2017-11-01

Human activity inevitably produces waste materials that must be managed. Some waste can be reused. However many wastes that cannot be used beneficially must be disposed of ensuring environmental safety. One of the common methods of disposal is landfilling. The most common problems of the landfill site are environmental degradation and groundwater contamination caused by leachate produced during the decomposition process of organic material and rainfall. Liner in a landfill is an important component which prevent leachate migration and prevent groundwater contamination. Earthen liners have been widely used to contain waste materials in landfill. Liners and covers for municipal and hazardous waste containment facilities are often constructed with the use of fine-grained, low plasticity soils. Because of low permeability geosynthetic clay liners and compacted clay liners are the main materials used in waste disposal landfills. This paper summaries the important geotechnical characteristics such as hydraulic conductivity, liquid limit and free swell index of geosynthetic clay liner and compacted clay liner based on research findings. This paper also compares geosynthetic clay liner and compacted clay liner based on certain criteria such as thickness, availability of materials, vulnerability to damage etc.

Clay deposits of the Tierra Colorado district, southern Orange County, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Daviess, Steven Norman; Bramlette, M.N.

1953-01-01

The clay of this district is being mined for fire brick by the Vitrofrax Corporation. Much of the clay contains 35 percent or more of alumina and between 1 and 2 percent of iron oxide. Production is largely from an underground mine as the best clay deposit known in the district occurs on the side of a steep hill with more than 100 feet of sandstone overlying most of it. The good clay deposits occur at the base of an Eocene sandstone formation, and overlie mottled clays with a high iron content that are residual deposits formed on an old weathered surface. Mapping indicates that the clay deposits are very lenticular, though all occur at the same stratigraphic position, and they grade laterally into sandy clay and quartz sand. Topographic relief and the dip of the strata preclude finding large areas where the clay strata have relatively little overburden.

Investigating the Influence of Clay Mineralogy on Stream Bank Erodibility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ambers, R. K.; Stine, M. B.

2005-12-01

Soil scientists concerned with erosion of agricultural fields and geotechnical engineers concerned with the mechanical behavior of soils under different conditions have both examined the role of clay mineralogy in controlling soil/sediment properties. Fluvial geomorphologists studying stream channel erosion and stability have focused more on the effects of particle-size distribution, vegetation and rooting. The clay mineralogy of bed and bank sediment has the potential to influence cohesiveness and erodibility, however. The goal of this study is to determine the influence of clay mineralogy on the erodibility of natural stream bank sediment, utilizing techniques drawn from pedology and soil mechanics. Bank samples were collected from eleven sites in small watersheds in central and western Virginia. To obtain sediment containing a range of different clay minerals, watersheds with different types of bedrock were chosen for sampling. Rock types included mafic to felsic metamorphic and igneous rocks, shale, sandstone, and limestone. Where stream bank materials were clearly stratified, different layers were sampled separately. X-ray diffraction of the clay-fraction of the sediment indicates the presence of kaolinite, illite, vermiculite, and mixed-layer clay minerals in various abundances in the different samples. Clay content is 9-46%, as determined by the hydrometer method, and textures range from silty clay and silt loam to clay loam and sandy loam. Organic mater contents range from 1-5% by the loss-on-ignition method. Bulk density of intact sediment samples averages 1.5 g/cc. Liquid limits range from 23-41 with one sample having a value of 65; plasticity indices range from 15-22. While these tests predict that the samples would show a range of mechanical behaviors, the channel morphology at the sampling sites was not strikingly different, all having steep cut banks eroded primarily by scour with no evidence of mass movement and most having a width/depth ratio around 4.5. The ASTM pinhole test for identifying dispersive clay soils is being adapted to measure erodibility of intact and remolded sediment samples in the laboratory to look for more subtle differences in behavior under erosive conditions. Factors such as the extent and method of sample compaction are being taken into account in order to standardize the method.

Influence of Polymer-Clay Interfacial Interactions on the Ignition Time of Polymer/Clay Nanocomposites

PubMed Central

Zope, Indraneel S.; Yu, Zhong-Zhen

2017-01-01

Metal ions present on smectite clay (montmorillonite) platelets have preferential reactivity towards peroxy/alkoxy groups during polyamide 6 (PA6) thermal decomposition. This changes the decomposition pathway and negatively affects the ignition response of PA6. To restrict these interfacial interactions, high-temperature-resistant polymers such as polyetherimide (PEI) and polyimide (PI) were used to coat clay layers. PEI was deposited on clay by solution-precipitation, whereas PI was deposited through a solution-imidization-precipitation technique before melt blending with PA6. The absence of polymer-clay interfacial interactions has resulted in a similar time-to-ignition of PA6/PEI-clay (133 s) and PA6/PI-clay (139 s) composites as neat PA6 (140 s). On the contrary, PA6 with conventional ammonium-based surfactant modified clay has showed a huge drop in time-to-ignition (81 s), as expected. The experimental evidences provided herein reveal the role of the catalytic activity of clay during the early stages of polymer decomposition. PMID:28800095

Influence of Polymer-Clay Interfacial Interactions on the Ignition Time of Polymer/Clay Nanocomposites.

PubMed

Zope, Indraneel S; Dasari, Aravind; Yu, Zhong-Zhen

2017-08-11

Metal ions present on smectite clay (montmorillonite) platelets have preferential reactivity towards peroxy/alkoxy groups during polyamide 6 (PA6) thermal decomposition. This changes the decomposition pathway and negatively affects the ignition response of PA6. To restrict these interfacial interactions, high-temperature-resistant polymers such as polyetherimide (PEI) and polyimide (PI) were used to coat clay layers. PEI was deposited on clay by solution-precipitation, whereas PI was deposited through a solution-imidization-precipitation technique before melt blending with PA6. The absence of polymer-clay interfacial interactions has resulted in a similar time-to-ignition of PA6/PEI-clay (133 s) and PA6/PI-clay (139 s) composites as neat PA6 (140 s). On the contrary, PA6 with conventional ammonium-based surfactant modified clay has showed a huge drop in time-to-ignition (81 s), as expected. The experimental evidences provided herein reveal the role of the catalytic activity of clay during the early stages of polymer decomposition.

Characterization of Heat-treated Clay Minerals in the Context of Nuclear Waste Disposal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matteo, E. N.; Wang, Y.; Kruichak, J. N.; Mills, M. M.

2015-12-01

Clay minerals are likely candidates to aid in nuclear waste isolation due to their low permeability, favorable swelling properties, and high cation sorption capacities. Establishing the thermal limit for clay minerals in a nuclear waste repository is a potentially important component of repository design, as flexibility of the heat load within the repository can have a major impact on the selection of repository design. For example, the thermal limit plays a critical role in the time that waste packages would need to cool before being transferred to the repository. Understanding the chemical and physical changes, if any, that occur in clay minerals at various temperatures above the current thermal limit (of 100 °C) can enable decision-makers with information critical to evaluating the potential trade-offs of increasing the thermal limit within the repository. Most critical is gaining understanding of how varying thermal conditions in the repository will impact radionuclide sorption and transport in clay materials either as engineered barriers or as disposal media. A variety of repository-relevant clay minerals (illite, mixed layer illite/smectite, and montmorillonite), were heated for a range of temperatures between 100-1000 °C. These samples were characterized to determine surface area, mineralogical alteration, and cation exchange capacity (CEC). Our results show that for conditions up to 500 °C, no significant change occurs, so long as the clay mineral remains mineralogically intact. At temperatures above 500 °C, transformation of the layered silicates into silica phases leads to alteration that impacts important clay characteristics. Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U.S. Department of Energy's Nation Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000. SAND Number: SAND2015-6524 A

Multiscale Micromechanical Modeling of Polymer/Clay Nanocomposites and the Effective Clay Particle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sheng, Nuo; Boyce, Mary C.; Parks, David M.; Manovitch, Oleg; Rutledge, Gregory C.; Lee, Hojun; McKinley, Gareth H.

2003-03-01

Polymer/clay nanocomposites have been observed to exhibit enhanced mechanical properties at low weight fractions (Wp) of clay. Continuum-based composite modeling reveals that the enhanced properties are strongly dependent on particular features of the second-phase ¡°particles¡+/-; in particular, the particle volume fraction (fp), the particle aspect ratio (L/t), and the ratio of particle mechanical properties to those of the matrix. However, these important aspects of as-processed nanoclay composites have yet to be consistently and accurately defined. A multiscale modeling strategy was developed to account for the hierarchical morphology of the nanocomposite: at a lengthscale of thousands of microns, the structure is one of high aspect ratio particles within a matrix; at the lengthscale of microns, the clay particle structure is either (a) exfoliated clay sheets of nanometer level thickness or (b) stacks of parallel clay sheets separated from one another by interlayer galleries of nanometer level height. Here, quantitative structural parameters extracted from XRD patterns and TEM micrographs are used to determine geometric features of the as-processed clay ¡°particles¡+/-, including L/t and the ratio of fp to Wp. These geometric features, together with estimates of silicate lamina stiffness obtained from molecular dynamics simulations, provide a basis for modeling effective mechanical properties of the clay particle. The structure-based predictions of the macroscopic elastic modulus of the nanocomposite as a function of clay weight fraction are in excellent agreement with experimental data. The adopted methodology offers promise for study of related properties in polymer/clay nanocomposites.

Surface modification of montmorillonite on surface Acid-base characteristics of clay and thermal stability of epoxy/clay nanocomposites.

PubMed

Park, Soo-Jin; Seo, Dong-Il; Lee, Jae-Rock

2002-07-01

In this work, the effect of surface treatments on smectitic clay was investigated in surface energetics and thermal behaviors of epoxy/clay nanocomposites. The pH values, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) were used to analyze the effect of cation exchange on clay surface and the exfoliation phenomenon of clay interlayer. The surface energetics of clay and thermal properties of epoxy/clay nanocomposites were investigated in contact angles and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), respectively. From the experimental results, the surface modification of clay by dodecylammonium chloride led to the increases in both distance between silicate layers of about 8 A and surface acid values, as well as in the electron acceptor component (gamma(+)(s)) of surface free energy, resulting in improved interfacial adhesion between basic (or electron donor) epoxy resins and acidic (electron acceptor) clay interlayers. Also, the thermal stability of nanocomposites was highly superior to pure epoxy resin due to the presence of the well-dispersed clay nanolayer, which has a barrier property in a composite system.

The location and extent of exfoliation of clay on the fracture mechanisms in nylon 66-based ternary nanocomposites.

PubMed

Dasari, Aravind; Yu, Zhong-Zhen; Mai, Yiu-Wing; Yang, Mingshu

2008-04-01

The primary focus of this work is to elucidate the location and extent of exfoliation of clay on fracture (under both static and dynamic loading conditions) of melt-compounded nylon 66/clay/SEBS-g-MA ternary nanocomposites fabricated by different blending sequences. Distinct microstructures are obtained depending on the blending protocol employed. The state of exfoliation and dispersion of clay in nylon 66 matrix and SEBS-g-MA phase are quantified and the presence of clay in rubber is shown to have a negative effect on the toughness of the nanocomposites. The level of toughness enhancement of ternary nanocomposites depends on the blending protocol and the capability of different fillers to activate the plastic deformation mechanisms in the matrix. These mechanisms include: cavitation of SEBS-g-MA phase, stretching of voided matrix material, interfacial debonding of SEBS-g-MA particles, debonding of intercalated clay embedded inside the SEBS-g-MA phase, and delamination of intercalated clay platelets. Based on these results, new insights and approaches for the processing of better toughened polymer ternary nanocomposites are discussed.

Pore characteristics and their emergent effect on water adsorption and transport in clays using small-angle neutron scattering with contrast variation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ding, M.; Hartl, M.; Wang, Y.; Hjelm, R.

2013-12-01

In nuclear waste management, clays are canonical materials in the construction of engineered barriers. They are also naturally occurring reactive minerals which play an important role in retention and colloidal facilitated reactive transport in subsurface systems. Knowledge of total and accessible porosity in clays is crucial in determining fluids transport behavior in clays. It will provide fundamental insight on the performance efficiency of specific clays as a barrier material and their role in regulating radionuclide transport in subsurface environments. The aim of the present work is to experimentally investigate the change in pore characteristics of clays as function of moisture content, and to determine their pore character in relation to their water retention capacity. Recent developments in small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) techniques allow quantitative measurement of pore morphology and size distribution of various materials in their pristine state under various sample environments (exposure to solution, high temperature, and so on). Furthermore, due to dramatic different neutron scattering properties of hydrogen and deuterium, one can readily use contrast variation, which is the isotopic labeling with various ratios of H and D (e.g. mixture of H2O/D2O) to highlight or suppress features of the sample. This is particularly useful in the study of complex pore system such as clays. In this study, we have characterized the pore structures for a number of clays including clay minerals and field samples which are relevant to high-level waste systems under various sample environments (e.g., humidity, temperature and pressure) using SANS. Our results suggest that different clays show unique pore features under various sample environments. To distinguish between accessible/non-accessible pores and the nature of pore filling (e.g. the quantity of H2O adsorbed by clays, and the distribution of H2O in relation to pore character) to water, clays were exposed for various periods to a specific humidity (e.g., relative humidity: RH=100%, RH=75%). The humidity is controlled by using saturated aqueous solutions, consisting of specific H2O/D2O mixtures. Our results have shown distinct variations in water adsorption and moisture diffusivity among clays. Our results allow us to obtain on the pore scale porosity changes due to water movement in clays. As emergent transport property, nano- to micro-scale structural characterization is crucial in providing insights into pore-scale transport processes, which are pertinent to upscale continuum model development involving flow and transport at low water content, flow and phase behavior under confinement, and low-permeability media.

Measure Twice, Build Once: Bench-Scale Testing to Evaluate Bioretention Media Design (Presentation)

EPA Science Inventory

Rain garden design manuals and guidelines typically recommend using native soils or engineered media that meet specifications for low content of clay, silt, fine and very fine sands, and organic matter. These characteristics promote stormwater infiltration and sorption of heavy ...

Investigating the Potential Barrier Function of Nanostructured Materials Formed in Engineered Barrier Systems (EBS) Designed for Nuclear Waste Isolation.

PubMed

Cuevas, Jaime; Ruiz, Ana Isabel; Fernández, Raúl

2018-02-21

Clay and cement are known nano-colloids originating from natural processes or traditional materials technology. Currently, they are used together as part of the engineered barrier system (EBS) to isolate high-level nuclear waste (HLW) metallic containers in deep geological repositories (DGR). The EBS should prevent radionuclide (RN) migration into the biosphere until the canisters fail, which is not expected for approximately 10 3  years. The interactions of cementitious materials with bentonite swelling clay have been the scope of our research team at the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM) with participation in several European Union (EU) projects from 1998 up to now. Here, we describe the mineral and chemical nature and microstructure of the alteration rim generated by the contact between concrete and bentonite. Its ability to buffer the surrounding chemical environment may have potential for further protection against RN migration. © 2018 The Chemical Society of Japan & Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Use of bottom ash from olive pomace combustion in the production of eco-friendly fired clay bricks.

PubMed

Eliche-Quesada, D; Leite-Costa, J

2016-02-01

Olive pomace bottom ash was used to replace different amounts (10-50wt%) of clay in brick manufacturing. The aim of this study is both studying bricks properties and showing a new way of olive pomace bottom ash recycling. Properties of waste bricks were compared to conventional products following standard procedures in order to determine the maximum waste percentage. The amount of olive pomace bottom ash is limited to 20wt%, obtaining bricks with superior engineering properties when 10wt% of waste is added. Adding higher amount of waste (30-50wt%) resulted in bricks with water absorption and compressive strength values on the edge of meeting those established by standards. Therefore, the addition of 10 and 20wt% of olive pomace bottom ash produced bricks with a bulk density of 1635 and 1527kg/m(3) and a compressive strength of 33.9MPa and 14.2MPa, respectively. Fired bricks fulfil standards requirements for clay masonry units, offering, at the same time, better thermal insulation of buildings due to a reduction in thermal conductivity of 14.4% and 16.8% respectively, compared to control bricks (only clay). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Behavior of nonplastic silty soils under cyclic loading.

PubMed

Ural, Nazile; Gunduz, Zeki

2014-01-01

The engineering behavior of nonplastic silts is more difficult to characterize than is the behavior of clay or sand. Especially, behavior of silty soils is important in view of the seismicity of several regions of alluvial deposits in the world, such as the United States, China, and Turkey. In several hazards substantial ground deformation, reduced bearing capacity, and liquefaction of silty soils have been attributed to excess pore pressure generation during dynamic loading. In this paper, an experimental study of the pore water pressure generation of silty soils was conducted by cyclic triaxial tests on samples of reconstituted soils by the slurry deposition method. In all tests silty samples which have different clay percentages were studied under different cyclic stress ratios. The results have showed that in soils having clay content equal to and less than 10%, the excess pore pressure ratio buildup was quicker with an increase in different cyclic stress ratios. When fine and clay content increases, excess pore water pressure decreases constant cyclic stress ratio in nonplastic silty soils. In addition, the applicability of the used criteria for the assessment of liquefaction susceptibility of fine grained soils is examined using laboratory test results.

Behavior of Nonplastic Silty Soils under Cyclic Loading

PubMed Central

Ural, Nazile; Gunduz, Zeki

2014-01-01

The engineering behavior of nonplastic silts is more difficult to characterize than is the behavior of clay or sand. Especially, behavior of silty soils is important in view of the seismicity of several regions of alluvial deposits in the world, such as the United States, China, and Turkey. In several hazards substantial ground deformation, reduced bearing capacity, and liquefaction of silty soils have been attributed to excess pore pressure generation during dynamic loading. In this paper, an experimental study of the pore water pressure generation of silty soils was conducted by cyclic triaxial tests on samples of reconstituted soils by the slurry deposition method. In all tests silty samples which have different clay percentages were studied under different cyclic stress ratios. The results have showed that in soils having clay content equal to and less than 10%, the excess pore pressure ratio buildup was quicker with an increase in different cyclic stress ratios. When fine and clay content increases, excess pore water pressure decreases constant cyclic stress ratio in nonplastic silty soils. In addition, the applicability of the used criteria for the assessment of liquefaction susceptibility of fine grained soils is examined using laboratory test results. PMID:24672343

Insightful understanding of the role of clay topology on the stability of biomimetic hybrid chitosan-clay thin films and CO2-dried porous aerogel microspheres.

PubMed

Frindy, Sana; Primo, Ana; Qaiss, Abou El Kacem; Bouhfid, Rachid; Lahcini, Mohamed; Garcia, Hermenegildo; Bousmina, Mosto; El Kadib, Abdelkrim

2016-08-01

Three natural clay-based microstructures, namely layered montmorillonite (MMT), nanotubular halloysite (HNT) and micro-fibrillar sepiolite (SP) were used for the synthesis of hybrid chitosan-clay thin films and porous aerogel microspheres. At a first glance, a decrease in the viscosity of the three gel-forming solutions was noticed as a result of breaking the mutual polymeric chains interaction by the clay microstructure. Upon casting, chitosan-clay films displayed enhanced hydrophilicity in the order CS

32. 15HORSE POWER METROPOLITAN SIDECRANK SELF CONTAINED STEAM ENGINE, MANUFACTURED ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

32. 15-HORSE POWER METROPOLITAN SIDE-CRANK SELF CONTAINED STEAM ENGINE, MANUFACTURED BY DONEGAN & SWIFT OF NEW YORK. IT WAS PURCHASED IN 1903, AND WAS USED AT THE FIRST MORAVIAN POTTERY AND TILE WORKS BEFORE BEING MOVED TO THE CURRENT LOCATION IN 1912. THE ENGINE POWERED THE BRICK AUGER AND VERTICAL PUG MILL BY MEANS OF THE LINE SHAFT IN THE UPPER LEFT OF THE PHOTO. CLAY AND GLAZE MATERIALS ARE IN THE BACKGROUND. - Moravian Pottery & Tile Works, Southwest side of State Route 313 (Swamp Road), Northwest of East Court Street, Doylestown, Bucks County, PA

Studies on thermal reactions and sintering behaviour of red clays by irreversible dilatometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anil, Asha; Misra, S. N.; Misra, N. M.

2018-05-01

Thermal behavior of clays strongly influences that of ceramic bodies made thereof and hence, its study is must for assessing its utility in ceramic products as well as to set the body composition. Irreversible dilatometry is an effective thermal analysis tool for evaluating thermal reactions as well as sintering behavior of clays or clay based ceramic bodies. In this study, irreversible dilatometry of four red clay samples (S, M, R and G) of Gujarat region, which vary in their chemical and mineralogical compositions was carried out using a Dilatometer and compared. Chemical analysis and XRD of red clays were carried out. XRD showed that major clay minerals in S, M and R clays are kaolinite. However, clay marked R and G showed presence of both kaolinite and illite and /muscovite. Presence of non-clay minerals such as hematite, quartz, anatase were also observed in all clays. XRD results were in agreement with chemical analyses results. Rational analyses showed variation in amount of clay and non-clay minerals in red clay samples. Evaluation of dilatometric curves showed that clay marked as S, M and R exhibit patterns typical for kaolinitic clays. Variation in linear expansion (up to 550°C) and shrinkage (above 550°C) between these three clays was found to be related to difference in amount of quartz and kaolinite respectively. However, dilatometric curve of G exhibit a pattern similar to that for an illitic clay. This study confirmed that sintering of investigated kaolinitic and illitic and / muscovitic red clays initiates at above 1060°C and 860°C respectively and this behaviour strongly depends upon type and amount of minerals and their chemical compositions.

Mars, clays and the origins of life

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hartman, Hyman

1989-01-01

To detect life in the Martian soil, tests were designed to look for respiration and photosynthesis. Both tests (labeled release, LR, and pyrolytic release, PR) for life in the Martian soils were positive. However, when the measurement for organic molecules in the soil of Mars was made, none were found. The interpretation given is that the inorganic constituents of the soil of Mars were responsible for these observations. The inorganic analysis of the soil was best fitted by a mixture of minerals: 60 to 80 percent clay, iron oxide, quartz, and soluble salts such as halite (NaCl). The minerals most successful in simulating the PR and LR experiments are iron-rich clays. There is a theory that considers clays as the first organisms capable of replication, mutation, and catalysis, and hence of evolving. Clays are formed when liquid water causes the weathering of rocks. The distribution of ions such as aluminum, magnesium, and iron play the role of bases in the DNA. The information was stored in the distribution of ions in the octahedral and tetrahedral molecules, but that they could, like RNA and DNA, replicate. When the clays replicated, each sheet of clay would be a template for a new sheet. The ion substitutions in one clay sheet would give rise to a complementary or similar pattern on the clay synthesized on its surface. It was theorized that it was on the surface of replicating iron-rich clays that carbon dioxide would be fixed in the light into organic acids such as formic or oxalic acid. If Mars had liquid water during a warm period in its past, clay formation would have been abundant. These clays would have replicated and evolved until the liquid water was removed due to cooling of Mars. It is entirely possible that the Viking mission detected life on Mars, but it was clay life that awaits the return of water to continue its evolution into life based on organic molecules.

Illitization within bentonite engineered barrier system in clay repositories for nuclear waste and its effect on the swelling stress: a coupled THMC modeling study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, L.; Rutqvist, J.; Birkholzer, J. T.; Liu, H. H.

2014-12-01

Geological repositories for disposal of high-level nuclear waste generally rely on a multi-barrier system to isolate radioactive waste from the biosphere. An engineered barrier system (EBS), which comprises in many design concepts a bentonite backfill, is widely used. Clay formations have been considered as a host rock throughout the world. Illitization, the transformation of smectite to illite, could compromise some beneficiary features of EBS bentonite and clay host rock such as sorption and swelling capacity. It is the major determining factor to establish the maximum design temperature of the repositories because it is believed that illitization could be greatly enhanced at temperatures higher than 100 oC. However, existing experimental and modeling studies on the occurrence of illitization and related performance impacts are not conclusive, in part because the relevant couplings between the thermal, hydrological, chemical, and mechanical (THMC) processes have not been fully represented in the models. Here we present a fully coupled THMC simulation study of a generic nuclear waste repository in a clay formation with a bentonite-backfilled EBS. Two scenarios were simulated for comparison: a case in which the temperature in the bentonite near the waste canister can reach about 200 oC and a case in which the temperature in the bentonite near the waste canister peaks at about 100 oC. The model simulations demonstrate that illitization is in general more significant under higher temperature. However, the quantity of illitization is affected by many chemical factors and therefore varies a great deal. The most important chemical factors are the concentration of K in the pore water as well as the abundance and dissolution rate of K-feldspar. For the particular case and bentonite properties studied, the reduction in swelling stress as a result of chemical changes vary from 2% up to 70% depending on chemical and temperature conditions, and key mechanical parameters. The modeling work is illustrative in light of the relative importance of different processes occurring in EBS bentonite and clay host rock at higher than 100 oC conditions, and could be of greater use when site specific data are available.

Creep behavior of soil nail walls in high plasticity index (PI) soils : technical report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-04-01

An aspect of particular concern in the Geotechnical Engineering Circular No. 7: Soil Nail Walls (i.e., the soil : nail wall manual and construction guidelines) is the creep behavior of soil nail systems in high-plasticity : clays. This research proje...

Deformation and Fabric in Compacted Clay Soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wensrich, C. M.; Pineda, J.; Luzin, V.; Suwal, L.; Kisi, E. H.; Allameh-Haery, H.

2018-05-01

Hydromechanical anisotropy of clay soils in response to deformation or deposition history is related to the micromechanics of platelike clay particles and their orientations. In this article, we examine the relationship between microstructure, deformation, and moisture content in kaolin clay using a technique based on neutron scattering. This technique allows for the direct characterization of microstructure within representative samples using traditional measures such as orientation density and soil fabric tensor. From this information, evidence for a simple relationship between components of the deviatoric strain tensor and the deviatoric fabric tensor emerge. This relationship may provide a physical basis for future anisotropic constitutive models based on the micromechanics of these materials.

Preparation of hybrid nano biocomposite κ-carrageenan/cellulose nanocrystal/nanoclay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zakuwan, Siti Zarina; Ahmad, Ishak; Ramli, Nazaruddin

2013-11-01

Biodegradable composites film based on κ-carrageenan and nano particles as filler was prepared to study the mechanical strength of carrageenan composites. Solution casting technique was used to prepare_this biocomposite. Preparation of composite film and nano filler involve two stages, preparation of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) from kenaf with alkali treatment, bleaching, and hydrolysis followed by the preparation of two types of nano composite. Tensile test was carried on the composite film based on κ-carrageenan with the variation percentage of CNC and nano clay to obtain the optimum CNC and nano clay loading. After that hybrid nano-biocomposite film based on κ-carrageenan with the variation percentage of CNC/nano clay (OMMT) according to optimum value of composite carrageenan/CNC and composite carrageenan/nano clay film was prepared. The effect of nano filler on the mechanical properties of carrageenan films was examined. κ-carrageenan biocomposite increased with the optimum at 4% CNC and nano clay composition. Additional improvement of tensile strength with hybridization of CNC and nanoclay indicated better mechanical properties.

Mineral Surface Reactivity in teaching of Science Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Del Hoyo Martínez, Carmen

2013-04-01

In the last fifty years, science materials issues has required the study of air pollution, water and soil to prevent and remedy the adverse effects of waste originating from anthropogenic activity and the development of new energies and new materials. The teaching of this discipline has been marked by lectures on general lines, materials, disciplines, who explained biased objects of reality, but often forgot the task of reconstruction and integration of such visions. Moving from that model, otherwise quite static, to a dynamic relational model, would in our view, a real revolution in education. This means taking a systematic approach to complex both in interpreting reality and in favor when learning. Children relationships are as important or more than single objects, and it is to discover fundamental organizational principles of phenomena we seek to interpret or in other words, find the pattern that connects. Thus, we must work on relationships and also take into account the relation between the observer and the observed. Educate about relationships means that studies should always be considered within a framework of probabilities, not absolute certainties. This model of systemic thinking, dealing with complexity, is a possibility to bring coherence to our educational work, because the complexity is not taught, complexity is live, so that complex thinking is extended (and fed) in a form educate complex. It is the task of teaching to help people move from level to level of decision reviews. This means that systems thinking should be extended in a local action, action that engages the individual and the environment. Science Materials has emerged as a discipline of free choice for pupils attending chemical engineering which has been assigned 6.0 credits. The chemical engineer's professional profile within the current framework is defined as a professional knowledge as a specialization technical / functional, working in a learning organization and the formation of which enables him to continuous innovation. Different materials are used in the adsorption and improvement and design of new adsorbents, most of whom remain under patent, so they do not know the procedures and products used, but in all cases the safety and / or biodegradability of materials used is an important issue in their choice for environmental applications. In regard to materials, safe and low cost must be mentioned clays and clay minerals, whose colloidal properties, ease of generating structural changes, abundance in nature, and low cost make them very suitable for adsorption chemical contaminants. We proposed to use these materials to show the different aspects for the study of the Science Materials. References -del Hoyo, C. (2007b). Layered Double Hydroxides and human health: An overview. Applied Clay Science. 36, 103-121. -Konta, J. (1995). Clay and man: Clay raw materials in the service of man. Applied Clay Science. 10, 275-335. -Volzone, C. (2007). Retention of pollutant gases: Comparison between clay minerals and their modified products. Applied Clay Science. 36, 191-196.

Evaluation of Used Fuel Disposition in Clay-Bearing Rock

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jove-Colon, Carlos F.; Weck, Philippe F.; Hammond, Glenn Edward

Deep geological disposal of nuclear waste in clay/shale/argillaceous rock formations has received much consideration given its desirable attributes such as isolation properties (low permeability), geochemically reduced conditions, slow diffusion, sorbtive mineralogy, and geologically widespread (Jové Colón et al., 2014). There is a wealth of gained scientific expertise on the behavior of clay/shale/ argillaceous rock given its focus in international nuclear waste repository programs that includes underground research laboratories (URLs) in Switzerland, France, Belgium, and Japan. Jové Colón et al. (2014) have described some of these investigative efforts in clay rock ranging from site characterization to research on the engineered barriermore » system (EBS). Evaluations of disposal options that include nuclear waste disposition in clay/shale/argillaceous rock have determined that this host media can accommodate a wide range of waste types. R&D work within the Used Fuel Disposition Campaign (UFDC) assessing thermal effects and fluid-mineral interactions for the disposition of heat-generating waste have so far demonstrated the feasibility for the EBS and clay host rock to withstand high thermal loads. This report represents the continuation of disposal R&D efforts on the advancement and refinement of coupled Thermal-Hydrological-Mechanical-Chemical (THMC), hydrothermal experiments on clay interactions, used fuel degradation (source term), and thermodynamic modeling and database development. The development and implementation of a clay/shale/argillite reference case described in Jové Colón et al. (2014) for FY15 will be documented in another report (Mariner et al. 2015) – only a brief description will be given here. This clay reference case implementation is the result of integration efforts between the GDSA PA and disposal in argillite work packages. The assessment of sacrificial zones in the EBS is being addressed through experimental work along with 1D reactive-transport and reaction path modeling. The focus of these investigations into the nature of sacrificial zones is to evaluate the chemical effects of heterogeneous chemical reactions at EBS interfaces. The difference in barrier material types and the extent of chemical reactions within these interfacial domains generates changes in mineral abundances. These mineralogical alterations also result in volume changes that, although small, could affect the interface bulk porosity. As in previous deliverables, this report is structured according to various national laboratory contributions describing R&D activities applicable to clay/shale/argillite media.« less

Development of Accelerated Fuel-Engines Qualification Procedures Methodology. Volume II. Appendices.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-12-01

temperature test and the spot calibration, remove the clay filter. Reset the maximum fuel temperature safety device for 1900F. Continue cycling per Figure...34 -t " ;" " pum p . 1...0.,. Fuel ’ ’ ’ :’: ? Secondary ; Filter (S) -, A TVented Cap Removable Screen\\ - Tank Fu e.l ExpansSon DtVrent Pipe A n...practice, improper installation or adjustment of components *Do not remove or inspect secondary fuel filter. One of the initial production engines is

High Temperature Thermosetting Polyimide Nanocomposites Prepared with Reduced Charge Organoclay

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Campbell, Sandi; Liang, Margaret I.

2005-01-01

The naturally occurring sodium and calcium cations found in bentonite clay galleries were exchanged with lithium cations. Following the cation exchange, a series of reduced charge clays were prepared by heat treatment of the lithium bentonite at 130 C, 150 C, or 170 C. Inductively coupled plasma (ICP) analysis showed that heating the lithium clay at elevated temperatures reduced its cation exchange capacity. Ion exchange of heat-treated clays with either a protonated alkyl amine or a protonated aromatic diamine resulted in decreasing amounts of the organic modifier incorporated into the lithium clay. The level of silicate dispersion in a thermosetting polyimide matrix was dependent upon the temperature of Li-clay heat treatment as well as the organic modification. In general, clays treated at 150 C or 170 C, and exchanged with protonated octadcylamine or protonated 2,2'-dimethlybenzidine (DMBZ) showed a higher degree of dispersion than clays treated at 130 C, or exchanged with protonated dodecylamine. Dynamic mechanical analysis showed little change in the storage modulus or T(sub g) of the nanocomposites compared to the base resin. However, long term isothermal aging of the samples showed a significant decrease in the resin oxidative weight loss. Nanocomposite samples aged in air for 1000 hours at 288 C showed of to a decrease in weight loss compared to that of the base resin. This again was dependent on the temperature at which the Li-clay was heated and the choice of organic modification.

Geological and technological characterization of the Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous clay deposits (Jebel Ammar, northeastern Tunisia) for ceramic industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ben M'barek-Jemaï, Moufida; Sdiri, Ali; Ben Salah, Imed; Ben Aissa, Lassaad; Bouaziz, Samir; Duplay, Joelle

2017-05-01

Late Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous clays of the Jebel Ammar study site were used as raw materials for potential applications in ceramic industry. Physico-chemical characterization of the collected samples was performed using atomic absorption spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetry and dilatometry (Bugot's curve). Geotechnical study was also undertaken by the assessment of plasticity and liquidity limits. It was found that high concentrations of silica, alumina with SiO2/Al2O3 ratio characterized the studied clays; its high amounts of CaO and Fe2O3 in the Late Jurassic clays indicated their calcareous nature. In addition, technological tests indicated moderate to low plasticity values for the Late Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous clays, respectively. Clay fraction (<2 μm) reached 50% of the natural clay in some cases. Mineralogical analysis showed that Jurassic clays were dominated by smectite, illite and kaolinite, as clay mineral species; calcite was the main associated mineral. Lower Cretaceous clays were mainly composed of abundant illite accompanied by well-crystallized smectite and kaolinite. Kaolinite gradually increased upwards, reaching 70% of the total clay fraction (i.e. <2 μm). Quartz, calcite and feldspar were the main non-clay minerals. Based on these analyses, the clays meet technological requirements that would allow their use in the ceramic industry and for the manufacturing of ceramic tiles.

The effects of engineering fabric in street pavement on low bearing capacity soil in New Orleans : executive summary.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1985-07-01

Subsurface soil in the New Orleans area is generally composed of peat and clay. The low bearing capacity of the soft natural soil has caused early deterioration of asphaltic concrete pavements which typically fail prior to carrying their designed loa...

Geotechnical Investigation of the Potential Use of Shredded Scrap Tires in Soil Stabilization.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1998-11-01

Silt-tire and clay-tire mixtures, containing 0% to 100% shredded tire material by weight, with tire chips ranging in size from 7mm-13mm, 13mm-25mm, and 25mm-38mm, were tested for a series of engineering properties including compaction characteristics...

Towards Characterization, Modeling, and Uncertainty Quantification in Multi-scale Mechanics of Oragnic-rich Shales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abedi, S.; Mashhadian, M.; Noshadravan, A.

2015-12-01

Increasing the efficiency and sustainability in operation of hydrocarbon recovery from organic-rich shales requires a fundamental understanding of chemomechanical properties of organic-rich shales. This understanding is manifested in form of physics-bases predictive models capable of capturing highly heterogeneous and multi-scale structure of organic-rich shale materials. In this work we present a framework of experimental characterization, micromechanical modeling, and uncertainty quantification that spans from nanoscale to macroscale. Application of experiments such as coupled grid nano-indentation and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy and micromechanical modeling attributing the role of organic maturity to the texture of the material, allow us to identify unique clay mechanical properties among different samples that are independent of maturity of shale formations and total organic content. The results can then be used to inform the physically-based multiscale model for organic rich shales consisting of three levels that spans from the scale of elementary building blocks (e.g. clay minerals in clay-dominated formations) of organic rich shales to the scale of the macroscopic inorganic/organic hard/soft inclusion composite. Although this approach is powerful in capturing the effective properties of organic-rich shale in an average sense, it does not account for the uncertainty in compositional and mechanical model parameters. Thus, we take this model one step forward by systematically incorporating the main sources of uncertainty in modeling multiscale behavior of organic-rich shales. In particular we account for the uncertainty in main model parameters at different scales such as porosity, elastic properties and mineralogy mass percent. To that end, we use Maximum Entropy Principle and random matrix theory to construct probabilistic descriptions of model inputs based on available information. The Monte Carlo simulation is then carried out to propagate the uncertainty and consequently construct probabilistic descriptions of properties at multiple length-scales. The combination of experimental characterization and stochastic multi-scale modeling presented in this work improves the robustness in the prediction of essential subsurface parameters in engineering scale.

Environmental Assessment for Demolition and Disposal of Base Buildings and Facilities on Edwards Air Force Base, California

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-11-26

shallow bedrock or several hundred feet of ancient sand, silt and clay lakebed deposits. Soil refers to the uppermost layers of surficial geologic...Some soils have a silt or clay component especially around the lakebeds where clay predominates. All soils at Edwards AFB have low organic carbon...Not Completed Completed 3-Jun-11 Initial survey completed. Confirmatory survey required. FY14 14 (A4) Sanitary Latrine (1965

CEC-normalized clay-water sorption isotherm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woodruff, W. F.; Revil, A.

2011-11-01

A normalized clay-water isotherm model based on BET theory and describing the sorption and desorption of the bound water in clays, sand-clay mixtures, and shales is presented. Clay-water sorption isotherms (sorption and desorption) of clayey materials are normalized by their cation exchange capacity (CEC) accounting for a correction factor depending on the type of counterion sorbed on the mineral surface in the so-called Stern layer. With such normalizations, all the data collapse into two master curves, one for sorption and one for desorption, independent of the clay mineralogy, crystallographic considerations, and bound cation type; therefore, neglecting the true heterogeneity of water sorption/desorption in smectite. The two master curves show the general hysteretic behavior of the capillary pressure curve at low relative humidity (below 70%). The model is validated against several data sets obtained from the literature comprising a broad range of clay types and clay mineralogies. The CEC values, derived by inverting the sorption/adsorption curves using a Markov chain Monte Carlo approach, are consistent with the CEC associated with the clay mineralogy.

Thermal and mechanical properties of compression-moulded poly(lactic acid)/gluten/clays bio(nano)composites

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Bio(nano)composites comprising agricultural-based polymers blended with biodegradable plant-based fillers and clays were produced to develop novel hydrophobic, yet biodegradable materials that have properties comparable to those of petroleum-based plastics. Poly (lactic acid) (PLA), wheat vital glut...

Effect of red clay on diesel bioremediation and soil bacterial community.

PubMed

Jung, Jaejoon; Choi, Sungjong; Hong, Hyerim; Sung, Jung-Suk; Park, Woojun

2014-08-01

Red clay is a type of soil, the red color of which results from the presence of iron oxide. It is considered an eco-friendly material, with many industrial, cosmetic, and architectural uses. A patented method was applied to red clay in order to change its chemical composition and mineral bioavailability. The resulting product was designated processed red clay. This study evaluates the novel use of red clay and processed red clay as biostimulation agents in diesel-contaminated soils. Diesel biodegradation was enhanced in the presence of red clay and processed red clay by 4.9- and 6.7-fold, respectively, and the number of culturable bacterial cells was correlated with the amount of diesel biodegradation. The growth of Acinetobacter oleivorans DR1, Pseudomonas putida KT2440, and Cupriavidus necator was promoted by both types of red clays. Culture-independent community analysis determined via barcoded pyrosequencing indicated that Nocardioidaceae, Xanthomonadaceae, Pseudomonadaceae, and Caulobacteraceae were enriched by diesel contamination. Bacterial strain isolation from naphthalene- and liquid paraffin-amended media was affiliated with enriched taxa based on 16S rRNA gene sequence identity. We suggest that the biostimulating mechanism of red clay and processed red clay is able to support bacterial growth without apparent selection for specific bacterial species.

Removal of waterborne microorganisms by filtration using clay-polymer complexes.

PubMed

Undabeytia, Tomas; Posada, Rosa; Nir, Shlomo; Galindo, Irene; Laiz, Leonila; Saiz-Jimenez, Cesareo; Morillo, Esmeralda

2014-08-30

Clay-polymer composites were designed for use in filtration processes for disinfection during the course of water purification. The composites were formed by sorption of polymers based on starch modified with quaternary ammonium ethers onto the negatively charged clay mineral bentonite. The performance of the clay-polymer complexes in removal of bacteria was strongly dependent on the conformation adopted by the polycation on the clay surface, the charge density of the polycation itself and the ratio between the concentrations of clay and polymer used during the sorption process. The antimicrobial effect exerted by the clay-polymer system was due to the cationic monomers adsorbed on the clay surface, which resulted in a positive surface potential of the complexes and charge reversal. Clay-polymer complexes were more toxic to bacteria than the polymers alone. Filtration employing our optimal clay-polymer composite yielded 100% removal of bacteria after the passage of 3L, whereas an equivalent filter with granular activated carbon (GAC) hardly yielded removal of bacteria after 0.5L. Regeneration of clay-polymer complexes saturated with bacteria was demonstrated. Modeling of the filtration processes permitted to optimize the design of filters and estimation of experimental conditions for purifying large water volumes in short periods. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Bioremediation of PAHs and VOCs: Advances in clay mineral-microbial interaction.

PubMed

Biswas, Bhabananda; Sarkar, Binoy; Rusmin, Ruhaida; Naidu, Ravi

2015-12-01

Bioremediation is an effective strategy for cleaning up organic contaminants, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Advanced bioremediation implies that biotic agents are more efficient in degrading the contaminants completely. Bioremediation by microbial degradation is often employed and to make this process efficient, natural and cost-effective materials can serve as supportive matrices. Clay/modified clay minerals are effective adsorbents of PAHs/VOCs, and readily available substrate and habitat for microorganisms in the natural soil and sediment. However, the mechanism underpinning clay-mediated biodegradation of organic compounds is often unclear, and this requires critical investigation. This review describes the role of clay/modified clay minerals in hydrocarbon bioremediation through interaction with microbial agents in specific scenarios. The vision is on a faster, more efficient and cost-effective bioremediation technique using clay-based products. This review also proposes future research directions in the field of clay modulated microbial degradation of hydrocarbons. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influence of nanoclay on properties of HDPE/wood composites

Treesearch

Yong Lei; Qinglin Wu; Craig M. Clemons; Fei Yao; Yanjun Xu

2007-01-01

Composites based on high density polyethylene (HDPE), pine flour, and organic clay were made by melt compounding and then injection molding. The influence of clay on crystallization behavior, mechanical properties, water absorption, and thermal stability of HDPE/pine composites was investigated. The HDPE/pine composites containing exfoliated clay were made by a two-...

Structures and mechanisms in clay nanopore trapping of structurally-different fluoroquinolone antimicrobials.

PubMed

Okaikue-Woodi, Fanny E K; Kelch, Sabrina E; Schmidt, Michael P; Enid Martinez, Carmen; Youngman, Randall E; Aristilde, Ludmilla

2018-03-01

Smectite clay nanoparticles are implicated in the retention of antimicrobials within soils and sediments; these clays are also inspected as drug carriers in physiological systems. Cation exchange is considered the primary adsorption mechanism of antimicrobials within smectite nanopores. However, a dual role of acid-base chemistry and adsorptive structures is speculated by recent studies. Using the prototypical smectite clay montmorillonite, we employed a combination of X-ray diffraction (XRD), nuclear magnetic resonance, attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the interlayer nanopore trapping of two structurally-different fluoroquinolone (FQ) antimicrobials with similar acid-base chemistry: ciprofloxacin (a first-generation FQ) and moxifloxacin (a third-generation FQ). Greater sorption at pH 5.0 than at pH 7.0 for both FQs was consistent with cation-exchange of positively-charged species. However, the clay exhibited a near twofold higher sorption capacity for moxifloxacin than for ciprofloxacin. This difference was shown by the XRD data to be accompanied by enhanced trapping of moxifloxacin within the clay interlayers. Using the XRD-determined nanopore sizes, we performed molecular dynamics simulations of thermodynamically-favorable model adsorbates, which revealed that ciprofloxacin was adsorbed parallel to the clay surface but moxifloxacin adopted a tilted conformation across the nanopore. These conformations resulted in more slowly-exchanged than quickly-exchanged Na complexes with ciprofloxacin compared with moxifloxacin. These different Na populations were also captured by 23 Na nuclear magnetic resonance. Furthermore, the simulated adsorbates uncovered different complexation interactions that were corroborated by infrared spectroscopy. Therefore, beyond acid-base chemistry, our findings imply that distinct adsorbate structures control antimicrobial trapping within clay nanopores, which can promote persistence in environmental matrices and stable delivery in biological systems. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sensitivity of the acid-base properties of clays to the methods of preparation and measurement. 1. Literature review.

PubMed

Duc, Myriam; Gaboriaud, Fabien; Thomas, Fabien

2005-09-01

Measuring and modeling the surface charge of clays, and more especially smectites, has become an important issue in the use of bentonites as a waste confinement material aimed at retarding migration of water and solutes. Therefore, many studies of the acid-base properties of montmorillonite have appeared recently in the literature, following older studies principally devoted to cation exchange. It is striking that beyond the consensus about the complex nature of the surface charge of clays, there are many discrepancies, especially concerning the dissociable charge, that prevents intercomparison among the published data. However, a general trend is observed regarding the absence of common intersection point on raw titration curves at different ionic strengths. Analysis of the literature shows that these discrepancies originate from the experimental procedures for the preparation of the clays and for the quantification of their surface charge. The present work is an attempt to understand how these procedures can impact the final results. Three critical operations can be identified as having significant effects on the surface properties of the studied clays. The first one is the preparation of purified clay from the raw material: the use of acid or chelation treatments, and the repeated washings in deionized water result in partial dissolution of the clays. Then storage of the purified clay in dry or wet conditions strongly influences the equilibria in the subsequent experiments respectively by precipitation or enhanced dissolution. The third critical operation is the quantification of the surface charge by potentiometric titration, which requires the use of strong acids and bases. As a consequence, besides dissociation of surface sites, many secondary titrant consuming reactions were described in the literature, such as cation exchange, dissolution, hydrolysis, or precipitation. The cumulated effects make it difficult to derive proper dissociation constants, and to build adequate models. The inadequation of the classical surface complexation models to describe the acid-base behavior of clays is illustrated by the electrokinetic behavior of smectites, which is independent from the pH and the ionic strength. Therefore, there is still a need on one hand for accurate data recorded in controlled conditions, and on the other hand for new models taking into account the complex nature of the charge of clays.

Clay facial masks: physicochemical stability at different storage temperatures.

PubMed

Zague, Vivian; de Almeida Silva, Diego; Baby, André Rolim; Kaneko, Telma Mary; Velasco, Maria Valéria Robles

2007-01-01

Clay facial masks--formulations that contain a high percentage of solids dispersed in a liquid vehicle--have become of special interest due to specific properties presented by clays, such as particle size, cooling index, high adsorption capacity, and plasticity. Although most of the physicochemical properties of clay dispersions have been studied, specific aspects concerning the physicochemical stability of clay mask products remain unclear. This work aimed at investigating the accelerated physicochemical stability of clay mask formulations stored at different temperatures. Formulations were subjected to centrifuge testing and to thermal treatment for 15 days, during which temperature was varied from -5.0 degrees to 45.0 degrees C. The apparent viscosity and visual aspect (homogeneity) of all formulations were affected by temperature variation, whereas color, odor, and pH value remained unaltered. These results, besides the estimation of physicochemical stability under aging, can be useful in determining the best storage conditions for clay-based formulations.

Reinforcement of natural rubber latex by nanosize montmorillonite clay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tantatherdtam, Rattana

Based on the unique character of montmorillonite namely its layer structure and the ability of silicate particles to separate into nanometer-size platelets, natural rubber (polyisoprene)/clay composites were obtained by mixing rubber latex with clay-water dispersion and coagulating the mixture. The resulting film had greatly improved mechanical properties compared with films using micron-sized fillers. Further, both modulus and toughness were improved; in many composite system an improvement in modulus leads to a loss of toughness. X-ray diffraction results indicated that clay platelets dispersed in the rubber matrix on the nanoscale level with some macromolecules intercalated into the clay gallery. The observed considerable improvement in mechanical properties, coupled with a theoretical model of composite modulus suggests a dispersed structure of clay in the composite. While not all clay particles are exfoliated, data suggest that a reasonable fraction of exfoliated materials is required to explain the experimental results.

The clays of the United States east of the Mississippi River

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ries, Henrich

1903-01-01

Since clays vary mineralogically they vary also chemically, but the plasticity may remain the same through a wide range of chemical composition, and this property is evidently not dependent on the chemical composition alone, but is due rather to some physical cause. The plasticity may be destroyed by heating the clay to a sufficiently high temperature to drive off the chemically combined water. Although varying in their mineral composition, most clays are supposed to contain more or less of the mineral kaolinite (a hydrated silicate of alumina), which is commonly referred to as the clay base or clay substance. The adoption of the latter term has probably arisen from the fact that many have 'considered this mineral to be the cause of plasticity, an idea now known to be somewhat incorrect, because some of the most plastic clays contain but small quantities of kaolinite, and vice versa. 

Mineralogical, chemical, and physical properties of the regolith overlying crystalline rocks, Fairfax County, Virginia: a preliminary report

USGS Publications Warehouse

Leo, Gerhard W.; Pavich, M.J.; Obermeier, Stephen F.

1977-01-01

Undisturbed cores of saprolite developed on crystalline rocks of the Piedmont Province in Fairfax County, Virginia have been obtained using a combination of Shelby tubes, Denison sampler, and modified diamond core-drilling. The principal purpose of the core study is to correlate variations in chemistry, mineralogy and texture with engineering properties throughout the weathering profile. Coring sites were chosen to obtain a maximum depth of weathering on diverse lithologies. The rocks investigated include pelitic schist, metagraywacke, granite, diabase and serpentinite. Four to twelve samples per core were selected, depending on thickness of 1) the weathering profile (from about 1 m in serpentinite to more than 30 m in pelitic schist) and on 2) megascopic changes in saprolite character for analysis of petrography, texture, clay mineralogy andd major element chemistry. Shear strength and compressibility were determined on corresponding segments of core. Standard penetration tests were performed adjacent to coring sites to evaluate engineering properties in situ. Geochemical changes of saprolite developed from each rock type follow predictable trends from fresh rock to soil profile, with relative Increases in Si, Ti, Al, Fe3+ and H20; variable K; and relative loss of Fe 2+, Mg, Ca, and Na. These variations are more pronounced in the weathering profiles over mafic and ultramafic rocks than metagraywacke. Clay minerals in granite, schist and metagraywacke saprolite are kaolinite, dioctahedral vermiculite, interlayered micavermiculite, and minor illite. Gibbsite is locally developed in near-surface samples of schist. Standard penetration test data for the upper 7 m of saprolite over schist and metagraywacke suggest alternations between stronger and weaker horizons than probably reflect variations in lithology including the presence of quartz lenses. Results for granite saprolite are most consistent but indicate lower strength. Shear strength increases fairly regularly downward in the weathering profile. The engineering behavior of diabase saprolite is controlled by a dense, plastic, near-surface clay layer (montmorillonite and kaolinite)overlying rock which is weathered to a granular state (grus), while engineering properties of serpentinite are determined by a very thin weathering profile.

Investigating the Thermal Limit of Clay Minerals for Applications in Nuclear Waste Repository Design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matteo, E. N.; Miller, A. W.; Kruichak, J.; Mills, M.; Tellez, H.; Wang, Y.

2013-12-01

Clay minerals are likely candidates to aid in nuclear waste isolation due to their low permeability, favorable swelling properties, and high cation sorption capacities. Establishing the thermal limit for clay minerals in a nuclear waste repository is a potentially important component of repository design, as flexibility of the heat load within the repository can have a major impact on the selection of repository design. For example, the thermal limit plays a critical role in the time that waste packages would need to cool before being transferred to the repository. Understanding the chemical and physical changes that occur in clay minerals at various temperatures above the current thermal limit (of 100 °C) can enable decision-makers with information critical to evaluating the potential trade-offs of increasing the thermal limit within the repository. Most critical is gaining understanding of how varying thermal conditions in the repository will impact radionuclide sorption and transport in clay materials either as engineered barriers or as disposal media. A variety of clays (illite, mixed layer illite/smectite, montmorillonite, and palygorskite) were heated for a range of temperatures between 100-500 °C. These samples were characterized by a variety of methods, including nitrogen adsorption, x-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, barium chloride exchange for cation exchange capacity (CEC), and iodide sorption. The nitrogen porosimetry shows that for all the clays, thermally-induced changes in BET surface area are dominated by collapse/creation of the microporosity, i.e. pore diameters < 17 angstroms. Changes in micro porosity (relative to no heat treatment) are most significant for heat treatments 300 °C and above. Alterations are also seen in the chemical properties (CEC, XRD, iodide sorption) of clays, and like pore size distribution changes, are most significant above 300 °C. Overall, the results imply that changes seen in pores size distribution correlate with cation exchange capacity and cation exchange processes. Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U.S. Department of Energy's Nation Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000. SAND Number: 2013-6352A.

Compaction and Plasticity Comparative Behaviour of Soft Clay Treated with Coarse and Fine Sizes of Ceramic Tiles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Bared, Mohammed Ali Mohammed; Marto, Aminaton; Sati Hamonangan Harahap, Indra; Kasim, Fauziah

2018-03-01

Recycled blended ceramic tiles (RBT) is a waste material produced from ceramic tile factories and construction activities. RBT is found to be cost effective, sustainable, environmental-friendly and has the potential to be used as an additive in soft soil stabilization. Recent reports show that massive amounts of RBT are dumped into legal or illegal landfills every year consuming very large spaces and creating major environmental problems. On the other hand, dredged marine clay obtained from Nusajaya, Johor, Malaysia has weak physical and engineering characteristics to be considered as unsuitable soft soil that is usually excavated, dumped into landfills and replaced by stiff soil. Hence, this study investigates the suitability of possible uses of RBT to treat marine clay. Laboratory tests included Standard proctor tests and Atterberg limits tests. The plasticity of marine clay was evaluated by adding 10%, 20%, 30% and 40% of 0.3 mm RBT. In addition, the compaction behaviour of treated marine clay was compared by adding two different sizes (0.3 mm and 1.18 mm diameter) of RBT. For both coarse and fine sizes of RBT, 10%, 20%, 30% and 40% of the dry weight of the soft clay were added. The mixture of each combination was examined in order to evaluate the Maximum Dry Density (MDD) and the optimum moisture content (OMC) for the treated soft clay. MDD and OMC for soft untreated samples were 1.59 Mg/m3 and 22%, respectively. Treated samples with 10%, 20%, 30% and 40% of 0.30 mm size RBT resulted in a significant reduction of OMC ranged from 19 to 15% while MDD resulted in increment ranged from 1.69 to 1.77 Mg/m3. In addition, samples treated with 10%, 20%, 30% and 40% of 1.18 mm size RBT resulted in major reduction of OMC ranged from 15 to 13.5% while MDD increased effectively from 1.75 to 1.82 Mg/m3. For all mix designs of soft clay-RBT, MDD was gradually increasing and OMC was sharply reducing with further increments of both sizes of RBT.

Comparative characterization of the quaternary deposits of Northwest Peninsular Malaysia by wash boring and CPTU site investigation methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Selamat, Mohamad R.; Rosli, Ros N.; Ramli, Muhd H.; Azmi, Mastura; Kumaravelu, Prakash; Govindasamy, Darvintharen

2017-10-01

A site investigation by wash boring method was carried out in the compound of the Engineering Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, in Northwest Peninsular Malaysia. The subsurface soils of the region are known to be comprised of quaternary deposits including the prominent marine clays of the Gula formation. The conventional Standard Penetration Test, or SPT, was carried out for every 1.5m depth. The 18 disturbed samples collected were tested for grain size distribution, Atterberg limits, and specific gravity; and categorized according to the unified soil classification system. The results indicate low SPT numbers, or SPTN, i.e. SPTN<4 for depths lesser than 10m, slightly high SPTN, i.e. 4≤SPTN≤8 for depths between 10 and 12m, and very high SPTN, i.e. SPTN>8 for depths deeper than 12m. Samples from shallower than 12m were mostly classified as low plasticity clay, or CL, which represents the soft marine clay while the underlying materials were mostly sands, namely poorly graded sand, or SP, silty sand, or SM, clayey sand, or SC, and well graded sand, or SW. Another site investigation by the CPTU method was also carried out 5m from the wash boring position, penetrating the entire soft clay stratum, thus giving another marine clay characterization in addition to the one given by the first method. The CPTU results generally gave SPTN≤2 for depths lesser than 8m, 2≤;SPTN≤4 for depths between 8 and 12m, and SPTN=23 at 12.5m, where the CPTU test terminated. The CPTU method classified the soft materials as sensitive fine grains, clays, and clayey silts to silty clays. Thus the CPTU results did not agree very well with the conventional wash boring SPT results in terms of the SPTN obtained. Nevertheless both methods equally identified the prominent presence of the soft marine clay stratum in the top 12.5m and the underlying strong sandy bed with higher bearing capacity values.

Advanced clay nanocomposites based on in situ photopolymerization utilizing novel polymerizable organoclays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Soon Ki

Polymer nanocomposite technology has had significant impact on material design. With the environmental advantages of photopolymerization, a research has recently focused on producing nanocomposites utilizing inexpensive clay particles based on in situ photopolymerization. In this research, novel polymerizable organoclays and thiol-ene photopolymerization have been utilized to develop advanced photopolymer clay nanocomposites and to overcome several limitations in conventional free radical photopolymers. To this end, factors important in nanocomposite processes such as monomer composition, clay dispersion, and photopolymerization behavior in combination with the evolution of ultimate nanocomposite properties have been investigated. For monomer-organoclay compositions, higher chemical compatibility of components induces enhanced clay exfoliation, resulting in photopolymerization rate increases due to an amplified clay template effect. Additionally, by affecting the stoichiometric ratio between thiol and acrylate double bond in the clay gallery, thiolated organoclays enhance thiol-ene copolymerization with increased final thiol conversion while acrylated organoclays encourage acrylate homopolymerization. In accordance with the reaction behavior, incorporation of thiolated organoclays makes polymer chains more flexible with decreased glass transition temperature due to higher formation of thio-ether linkages while adding acrylated organoclays significantly increases the modulus. Photopolymer nanocomposites also help overcome two major drawbacks in conventional free radical photopolymerization, namely severe polymerization shrinkage and oxygen inhibition during polymerization. With addition of a low level of thiol monomers, the oxygen inhibition in various acrylate systems can be overcome by addition of only 5wt% thiolated organoclay. The same amount of polymerizable organoclay also induces up to 90% decreases in the shrinkage stress for acrylate or thiol-acrylate systems. However, nonreactive clays do not reduce the stress substantially and even decreases the polymerization rate in air. Additionally, the clay morphology and polymerization behavior are closely related with evolution of ultimate nanocomposite performance. Use of polymerizable organoclay significantly improves overall toughness of nanocomposites by increasing either modulus or elongation at break based on the type of polymerizable organoclay, which demonstrates the promise of this technology as a modulation and/or optimization tool for nanocomposite properties.

Investigating the Impacts of Particle Size and Wind Speed on Brownout

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-03-26

mixture of sand, silt, clay , and organic material, classified based on its size and texture. Sand is the largest of the particle materials, with...smallest soil component is clay , with particle sizes less than 0.002 mm. Ultra-fine in texture, clay feels sticky when wet, is extremely cohesive, and does...not allow air to move through it easily. Clay makes a soil dense and is hard as concrete when dry. Loam is a nearly even mixture of sand and silt

Feasibility of Plasma Treated Clay in Clay/Polymer Nanocomposites Powders for use Laser Sintering (LS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Almansoori, Alaa; Seabright, Ryan; Majewski, C.; Rodenburg, C.

2017-05-01

The addition of small quantities of nano-clay to nylon is known to improve mechanical properties of the resulting nano-composite. However, achieving a uniform dispersion and distribution of the clay within the base polymer can prove difficult. A demonstration of the fabrication and characterization of plasma-treated organoclay/Nylon12 nanocomposite was carried out with the aim of achieving better dispersion of clay platelets on the Nylon12 particle surface. Air-plasma etching was used to enhance the compatibility between clays and polymers to ensure a uniform clay dispersion in composite powders. Downward heat sintering (DHS) in a hot press is used to process neat and composite powders into tensile and XRD specimens. Morphological studies using Low Voltage Scanning Electron Microscopy (LV-SEM) were undertaken to characterize the fracture surfaces and clay dispersion in powders and final composite specimens. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) testing performed that the etched clay (EC) is more stable than the nonetched clay (NEC), even at higher temperatures. The influence of the clay ratio and the clay plasma treatment process on the mechanical properties of the nanocomposites was studied by tensile testing. The composite fabricated from (3% EC/N12) powder showed ~19 % improvement in elastic modulus while the composite made from (3% NEC/N12) powder was improved by only 14%). Most notably however is that the variation between tests is strongly reduced when etch clay is used in the composite. We attribute this to a more uniform distribution and better dispersion of the plasma treated clay within polymer powders and ultimately the composite.

Sludge valorization from wastewater treatment plant to its application on the ceramic industry.

PubMed

Martínez-García, C; Eliche-Quesada, D; Pérez-Villarejo, L; Iglesias-Godino, F J; Corpas-Iglesias, F A

2012-03-01

The main aim of this study is to assess the effect of incorporating waste sludge on the properties and microstructure of clay used for bricks manufacturing. Wastewater treatment plants produce annually a great volume of sludge. Replacing clay in a ceramic body with different proportions of sludge can reduce the cost due to the utilization of waste and, at the same time, it can help to solve an environmental problem. Compositions were prepared with additions of 1%, 2.5%, 5%, 7.5%, 10% and 15% wt% waste sludge in body clay. In order to determine the technological properties, such as bulk density, linear shrinkage, water suction, water absorption and compressive strength, press-moulded bodies were fired at 950 °C for coherently bonding particles in order to enhance the strength and the other engineering properties of the compacted particles. Thermal heating destroys organic remainder and stabilizes inorganic materials and metals by incorporating oxides from the elemental constituent into a ceramic-like material. Results have shown that incorporating up to 5 wt% of sludge is beneficial for clay bricks. By contrast, the incorporation of sludge amounts over 5 wt% causes deterioration on the mechanical properties, therefore producing low-quality bricks. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Soil geohazard mapping for improved asset management of UK local roads

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pritchard, O. G.; Hallett, S. H.; Farewell, T. S.

2015-09-01

Unclassified roads comprise 60 % of the road network in the United Kingdom (UK). The resilience of this locally important network is declining. It is considered by the Institution of Civil Engineers to be "at risk" and is ranked 26th in the world. Many factors contribute to the degradation and ultimate failure of particular road sections. However, several UK local authorities have identified that in drought conditions, road sections founded upon shrink-swell susceptible clay soils undergo significant deterioration compared with sections on non-susceptible soils. This arises from the local road network having little, if any, structural foundations. Consequently, droughts in East Anglia have resulted in millions of pounds of damage, leading authorities to seek emergency governmental funding. This paper assesses the use of soil-related geohazard assessments in providing soil-informed maintenance strategies for the asset management of the locally important road network of the UK. A case study draws upon the UK administrative county of Lincolnshire, where road assessment data have been analysed against mapped clay-subsidence risk. This reveals a statistically significant relationship between road condition and susceptible clay soils. Furthermore, incorporation of UKCP09 future climate projections within the geohazard models has highlighted roads likely to be at future risk of clay-related subsidence.

Soil geohazard mapping for improved asset management of UK local roads

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pritchard, O. G.; Hallett, S. H.; Farewell, T. S.

2015-05-01

Unclassified roads comprise 60% of the road network in the United Kingdom (UK). The resilience of this locally important network is declining. It is considered by the Institution of Civil Engineers to be "at risk" and is ranked 26th in the world. Many factors contribute to the degradation and ultimate failure of particular road sections. However, several UK local authorities have identified that in drought conditions, road sections founded upon shrink/swell susceptible clay soils undergo significant deterioration compared with sections on non-susceptible soils. This arises from the local road network having little, if any structural foundations. Consequently, droughts in East Anglia have resulted in millions of pounds of damage, leading authorities to seek emergency governmental funding. This paper assesses the use of soil-related geohazard assessments in providing soil-informed maintenance strategies for the asset management of the locally important road network of the UK. A case study draws upon the UK administrative county of Lincolnshire, where road assessment data have been analysed against mapped clay-subsidence risk. This reveals a statistically significant relationship between road condition and susceptible clay soils. Furthermore, incorporation of UKCP09 future climate projections within the geohazard models has highlighted roads likely to be at future risk of clay-related subsidence.

Ecotoxicological assessment of flocculant modified soil for lake restoration using an integrated biotic toxicity index.

PubMed

Wang, Zhibin; Zhang, Honggang; Pan, Gang

2016-06-15

Flocculant modified soils/clays are being increasingly studied as geo-engineering materials for lake restoration and harmful algal bloom control. However, the potential impacts of adding these materials in aquatic ecological systems remain unclear. This study investigated the potential effects of chitosan, cationic starch, chitosan modified soils (MS-C) and cationic starch modified soils (MS-S) on the aquatic organisms by using a bioassay battery. The toxicity potential of these four flocculants was quantitatively assessed using an integrated biotic toxicity index (BTI). The test system includes four aquatic species, namely Chlorella vulgaris, Daphnia magna, Cyprinus carpio and Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri, which represent four trophic levels in the freshwater ecosystem. Results showed that median effect concentrations (EC50) of the MS-C and MS-S were 31-124 times higher than chitosan and cationic starch, respectively. D. magna was the most sensitive species to the four flocculants. Histological examination of C. carpio showed that significant pathological changes were found in gills. Different from chitosan and cationic starch, MS-C and MS-S significantly alleviated the acute toxicities of chitosan and cationic starch. The toxicity order of the four flocculants based on BTI were cationic starch > chitosan > MS-S > MS-C. The results suggested that BTI can be used as a quantitative and comparable indicator to assess biotic toxicity for aquatic geo-engineering materials. Chitosan or cationic starch modified soil/clay materials can be used at their optimal dosage without causing substantial adverse effects to the bioassay battery in aquatic ecosystem. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Electrochemical stabilization as a means of preventing ground failure in railroads

USGS Publications Warehouse

Solntzev, D.I.; Sorkov, V.S.; Sokoloff, V.P.

1947-01-01

Laboratory and field data on electrochemical stabilization of clays, by three Russian authors, are here presented in translation. Abstracts of the Russian papers were published in May 1947 issue of the Engineering News Record (pp. 100-101). There exists also a small body of literature, in German and English, dealing with the electrochemical stabilization and related subjects. Elements of the electrochemical process were patented by Casagrande in Germany, shortly before the last war. Results of the Russians and of others, including the German patent, appear to be sound and interesting accordingly. Mechanism of the electrochemical stabilization, however, appears to be surmised rather than established. Unless the mechanism of such stabilization is understood in detail, little progress may be expected in field applications of the electrochemical method. Electroosmosis, a poorly reversible coagulation of the soil colloids, and introduction of exchangeable aluminum into the clay complex have been given credit for the ground-stabilizing effects of direct electrical current. Much remains to be done, as the reader may see, in developing further the theory of the method. A critical study is indicated, in this connection, by agencies or individuals qualified and equipped for basic research in soil physics. Optimum schedules for field treatments need be ascertained with particular care, to suit any given kind of material and environment. A wide range of variation in such schedules, is most certainly to be encountered in dealing with materials as diverse in their composition and properties as are clays. Any generalization on relationships between soil, electrolytes, moisture, and current could be premature if based on the Russian work alone. Stabilization of ground is a major engineering geologic problem of national interest. Needless to say, perhaps, that failures are to be expected, in laboratory and in the field, in this as well as in any other kind of research. To minimize probabilities of such failures, it may be recommended that investigators develop the electrochemical stabilization problem not merely against the relatively narrow background of soil mechanics, but with a certain feeling for geology, mineralogy, pedology, soil physics, and soil chemistry.

Surface decontamination compositions and methods

DOEpatents

Wright,; Karen, E [Idaho Falls, ID; Cooper, David C [Idaho Falls, ID; Peterman, Dean R [Idaho Falls, ID; Demmer, Ricky L [Idaho Falls, ID; Tripp, Julia L [Pocatello, ID; Hull, Laurence C [Idaho Falls, ID

2011-03-29

Clay-based compositions capable of absorbing contaminants from surfaces or objects having surface faces may be applied to a surface and later removed, the removed clay-based compositions absorbing at least a portion of the contaminant from the surface or object to which it was applied.

Effects of Gradation and Cohesion on Bridge Scour : Volume 4 : Experimental Study of Scour Around Circular Piers in Cohesive Soils

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1999-12-01

The effects of cohesion on pier scour was investigated experimentally using four-foot-wide, eight-foot-wide, and twenty-foot-wide test flumes at the Engineering Research Center, Colorado State University. In the first part of the experiments, clay-sa...

Design of the Long-term Waste Management Facility for Historic LLRW Port Hope Project - 13322

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Campbell, Don; Barton, David; Case, Glenn

2013-07-01

The Municipality of Port Hope is located on the northern shores of Lake Ontario approximately 100 km east of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Starting in the 1930's, radium and later uranium processing by Eldorado Gold Mines Limited (subsequently Eldorado Nuclear Limited) (Eldorado) at their refinery in Port Hope resulted in the generation of process residues and wastes that were disposed of indiscriminately throughout the Municipality until about the mid-1950's. These process residues contained radium (Ra- 226), uranium, arsenic and other contaminants. Between 1944 and 1988, Eldorado was a Federal Crown Corporation, and as such, the Canadian Federal Government has assumed responsibilitymore » for the clean-up and long-term management of the historic waste produced by Eldorado during this period. The Port Hope Project involves the construction and development of a new long-term waste management facility (LTWMF), and the remediation and transfer of the historic wastes located within the Municipality of Port Hope to the new LTWMF. The new LTWMF will consist of an engineered above-ground containment mound designed to contain and isolate the wastes from the surrounding environment for the next several hundred years. The design of the engineered containment mound consists of a primary and secondary composite base liner system and composite final cover system, made up of both natural materials (e.g., compacted clay, granular materials) and synthetic materials (e.g., geo-synthetic clay liner, geo-membrane, geo-textiles). The engineered containment mound will cover an area of approximately 13 hectares and will contain the estimated 1.2 million cubic metres of waste that will be generated from the remedial activities within Port Hope. The LTWMF will also include infrastructure and support facilities such as access roads, administrative offices, laboratory, equipment and personnel decontamination facilities, waste water treatment plant and other ancillary facilities. Preliminary construction activities for the Port Hope LTWMF commenced in 2012 and are scheduled to continue over the next few years. The first cell of the engineered containment mound is scheduled to be constructed in 2015 with waste placement into the Port Hope LTWMF anticipated over the following seven year period. (authors)« less

Adsorption of dyes using different types of clay: a review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adeyemo, Aderonke Ajibola; Adeoye, Idowu Olatunbosun; Bello, Olugbenga Solomon

2017-05-01

Increasing amount of dyes in the ecosystem particularly in wastewater has propelled the search for more efficient low-cost adsorbents. The effective use of the sorption properties (high surface area and surface chemistry, lack of toxicity and potential for ion exchange) of different clays as adsorbents for the removal of different type of dyes (basic, acidic, reactive) from water and wastewater as potential alternatives to activated carbons has recently received widespread attention because of the environmental-friendly nature of clay materials. Insights into the efficiencies of raw and modified/activated clay adsorbents and ways of improving their efficiencies to obtain better results are discussed. Acid-modified clay resulted in higher rate of dye adsorption and an increased surface area and porosity (49.05 mm2 and 53.4 %). Base-modified clay has lower adsorption capacities, while ZnCl2-modified clay had the least rate of adsorption with a surface area of 44.3 mm2 and porosity of 43.4 %. This review also explores the grey areas of the adsorption properties of the raw clays and the improved performance of activated/modified clay materials with particular reference to the effects of pH, temperature, initial dye concentration and adsorbent dosage on the adsorption capacities of the clays. Various challenges encountered in using clay materials are highlighted and a number of future prospects for the adsorbents are proposed.

Novel Organically Modified Core-Shell Clay for Epoxy Composites-"SOBM Filler 1".

PubMed

Iheaturu, Nnamdi Chibuike; Madufor, Innocent Chimezie

2014-01-01

Preparation of a novel organically modified clay from spent oil base drilling mud (SOBM) that could serve as core-shell clay filler for polymers is herein reported. Due to the hydrophilic nature of clay, its compatibility with polymer matrix was made possible through modification of the surface of the core clay sample with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (3-APTES) compound prior to its use. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy was used to characterize clay surface modification. Electron dispersive X-ray diffraction (EDX) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to expose filler chemical composition and morphology, while electrophoresis measurement was used to examine level of filler dispersion. Results show an agglomerated core clay powder after high temperature treatment, while EDX analysis shows that the organically modified clay is composed of chemical inhomogeneities, wherein elemental compositions in weight percent vary from one point to the other in a probe of two points. Micrographs of the 3-APTES coupled SOBM core-shell clay filler clearly show cloudy appearance, while FT-IR indicates 25% and 5% increases in fundamental vibrations band at 1014 cm(-1) and 1435 cm(-1), respectively. Furthermore, 3-APTES coupled core-shell clay was used to prepare epoxy composites and tested for mechanical properties.

Novel Organically Modified Core-Shell Clay for Epoxy Composites—“SOBM Filler 1”

PubMed Central

Iheaturu, Nnamdi Chibuike; Madufor, Innocent Chimezie

2014-01-01

Preparation of a novel organically modified clay from spent oil base drilling mud (SOBM) that could serve as core-shell clay filler for polymers is herein reported. Due to the hydrophilic nature of clay, its compatibility with polymer matrix was made possible through modification of the surface of the core clay sample with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (3-APTES) compound prior to its use. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy was used to characterize clay surface modification. Electron dispersive X-ray diffraction (EDX) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to expose filler chemical composition and morphology, while electrophoresis measurement was used to examine level of filler dispersion. Results show an agglomerated core clay powder after high temperature treatment, while EDX analysis shows that the organically modified clay is composed of chemical inhomogeneities, wherein elemental compositions in weight percent vary from one point to the other in a probe of two points. Micrographs of the 3-APTES coupled SOBM core-shell clay filler clearly show cloudy appearance, while FT-IR indicates 25% and 5% increases in fundamental vibrations band at 1014 cm−1 and 1435 cm−1, respectively. Furthermore, 3-APTES coupled core-shell clay was used to prepare epoxy composites and tested for mechanical properties. PMID:27355022

Unraveling the antibacterial mode of action of a clay from the Colombian Amazon.

PubMed

Londono, Sandra Carolina; Williams, Lynda B

2016-04-01

Natural antibacterial clays can inhibit growth of human pathogens; therefore, understanding the antibacterial mode of action may lead to new applications for health. The antibacterial modes of action have shown differences based on mineralogical constraints. Here we investigate a natural clay from the Colombian Amazon (AMZ) known to the Uitoto natives as a healing clay. The physical and chemical properties of the AMZ clay were compared to standard reference materials: smectite (SWy-1) and kaolinite (API #5) that represent the major minerals in AMZ. We tested model Gram-negative (Escherichia coli ATCC #25922) and Gram-positive (Bacillus subtilis ATCC #6633) bacteria to assess the clay's antibacterial effectiveness against different bacterial types. The chemical and physical changes in the microbes were examined using bioimaging and mass spectrometry of clay digests and aqueous leachates. Results indicate that a single dose of AMZ clay (250 mg/mL) induced a 4-6 order of magnitude reduction in cell viability, unlike the reference clays that did not impact bacterial survival. AMZ clay possesses a relatively high specific surface area (51.23 m(2)/g) and much higher total surface area (278.82 m(2)/g) than the reference clays. In aqueous suspensions (50 mg clay/mL water), soluble metals are released and the minerals buffer fluid pH between 4.1 and 4.5. We propose that the clay facilitates chemical interactions detrimental to bacteria by absorbing nutrients (e.g., Mg, P) and potentially supplying metals (e.g., Al) toxic to bacteria. This study demonstrates that native traditional knowledge can direct scientific studies.

STS-118 Astronaut Williams and Expedition 15 Engineer Anderson Perform EVA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2007-01-01

As the construction continued on the International Space Station (ISS), STS-118 Astronaut Dave Williams, representing the Canadian Space Agency, participated in the fourth and final session of Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA). During the 5 hour space walk, Williams and Expedition 15 engineer Clay Anderson (out of frame) installed the External Wireless Instrumentation System Antenna, attached a stand for the shuttle robotic arm extension boom, and retrieved the two Materials International Space Station Experiments (MISSE) for return to Earth. MISSE collects information on how different materials weather in the environment of space.

The effect of clay nanoparticles as reinforcement on mechanical properties of bioplastic base on cassava starch

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harunsyah; Sariadi; Raudah

2018-01-01

Plastics have been used widely for packaging material since long time ago. However, environmentally friendly plastics or plastics whose raw materials come from natural polymers are still very low in development. Efforts have been conducted to develop environmental friendly plastic from renewable resources such as biopolymer. The aim of this paper is to study the influence of clay nanoparticles as reinforcment on the mechanical properties of bioplastic were prepared by solution-casting method. The content of clay nanoparticles in the bioplastic was varied from 0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6%, 0.8% and 1.0% (w/w) by weight of starch. Structural characterization was done by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy. Surface morphologies of the plastic film were examined by scanning electron microscope.The result showed that the Tensile strength was improved significantly with the addition of clay nanoparticles. The maximum tensile strength obtained was 24.18 M.Pa on the additional of clay nanoparticles by 0.6% and plasticizer by 25%. Based on data of FTIR, the produced bioplastic did not change the group function and it can be concluded that the interaction in bioplastic produced was only a physical interaction. The bioplastic based on cassava starch-clay nanoparticles and plasticizer glycerin showed that interesting mechanical properties being transparent, clear, homogeneous, flexible and easy to be handled.

Clay-Enriched Silk Biomaterials for Bone Formation

PubMed Central

Mieszawska, Aneta J.; Llamas, Jabier Gallego; Vaiana, Christopher A.; Kadakia, Madhavi P.; Naik, Rajesh R.; Kaplan, David L.

2011-01-01

The formation of silk protein/clay composite biomaterials for bone tissue formation is described. Silk fibroin serves as an organic scaffolding material offering mechanical stability suitable for bone specific uses. Clay montmorillonite (Cloisite ® Na+) and sodium silicate are sources of osteoinductive silica-rich inorganic species, analogous to bioactive bioglass-like bone repair biomaterial systems. Different clay particle-silk composite biomaterial films were compared to silk films doped with sodium silicate as controls for support of human bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) in osteogenic culture. The cells adhered and proliferated on the silk/clay composites over two weeks. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR analysis revealed increased transcript levels for alkaline phosphatase (ALP), bone sialoprotein (BSP), and collagen type 1 (Col I) osteogenic markers in the cells cultured on the silk/clay films in comparison to the controls. Early evidence for bone formation based on collagen deposition at the cell-biomaterial interface was also found, with more collagen observed for the silk films with higher contents of clay particles. The data suggest that the silk/clay composite systems may be useful for further study toward bone regenerative needs. PMID:21549864

Wetland eco-engineering: measuring and modeling feedbacks of oxidation processes between plants and clay-rich material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saaltink, Rémon; Dekker, Stefan C.; Griffioen, Jasper; Wassen, Martin J.

2016-09-01

Interest is growing in using soft sediment as a foundation in eco-engineering projects. Wetland construction in the Dutch lake Markermeer is an example: here, dredging some of the clay-rich lake-bed sediment and using it to construct wetland will soon begin. Natural processes will be utilized during and after construction to accelerate ecosystem development. Knowing that plants can eco-engineer their environment via positive or negative biogeochemical plant-soil feedbacks, we conducted a 6-month greenhouse experiment to identify the key biogeochemical processes in the mud when Phragmites australis is used as an eco-engineering species. We applied inverse biogeochemical modeling to link observed changes in pore water composition to biogeochemical processes. Two months after transplantation we observed reduced plant growth and shriveling and yellowing of foliage. The N : P ratios of the plant tissue were low, and these were affected not by hampered uptake of N but by enhanced uptake of P. Subsequent analyses revealed high Fe concentrations in the leaves and roots. Sulfate concentrations rose drastically in our experiment due to pyrite oxidation; as reduction of sulfate will decouple Fe-P in reducing conditions, we argue that plant-induced iron toxicity hampered plant growth, forming a negative feedback loop, while simultaneously there was a positive feedback loop, as iron toxicity promotes P mobilization as a result of reduced conditions through root death, thereby stimulating plant growth and regeneration. Given these two feedback mechanisms, we propose the use of Fe-tolerant species rather than species that thrive in N-limited conditions. The results presented in this study demonstrate the importance of studying the biogeochemical properties of the situated sediment and the feedback mechanisms between plant and soil prior to finalizing the design of the eco-engineering project.

Development of biodegradable foamlike materials based on casein and sodium montmorillonite clay

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Biodegradable foamlike materials based on a naturally occurring polymer (casein protein) and sodium montmorillonite clay (Na+-MMT) were produced through a simple freeze-drying process. By utilizing DL-glyceraldehyde (GC) as a chemical cross-linking agent, the structural integrity of these new aeroge...

Fire clay

USGS Publications Warehouse

Virta, R.L.

2012-01-01

Five companies mined fire clay in four states in 2011. Production, based on a preliminary survey of the fire clay industry, was estimated to be 240 kt (265,000 st), valued at $7.68 million, an increase from 216 kt (238,000 st), valued at $6.12 million in 2010. Missouri was the leading producing state, followed by Texas, Washington and Ohio, in decreasing order by quantity.

Degradation of Nitrobenzene Using Bio-Reduced Fe-Clays: Progress Towards the Development of an in-situ Groundwater Remediation Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

White, M. L.; Fialips, C. I.

2008-12-01

Clay minerals are widely used in agricultural, industrial and environmental engineering applications due to their specific physical and chemical properties and their high abundance in soils in sediments. Currently however, Fe-bearing clays are not widely exploited in these applied fields. Fe-rich smectites, such as nontronite, can contain up to 20wt% of Fe2O3 as structural Fe(III) and if a suitable electron donor is available, this Fe(III) can be utilized by Fe-reducing bacteria as a terminal electron acceptor. When reduced, the overall reactivity of Fe-smectites changes, particularly where interactions with water and various organic compounds are involved. For instance, the presence of reduced Fe-smectites has been found to induce the degradation of certain organic contaminants found in groundwaters and the subsurface, e.g. chlorinated aliphatics and nitroaromatic compounds. The goal of this study is to develop an in-situ groundwater remediation technology that targets redox- sensitive organics, in the form of a permeable Bio Fe-clay barrier. To achieve this, the iron-reducing bacterium Shewanella algae BrY was first used to reduce structural FeIII in <2micron fractions of the Fe- rich smectite nontronite (NAu-2, 41.74wt% Fe2O3) and a Fe-bearing montmorrillonite (Speeton Clay, Yorkshire, UK, ~8wt% Fe2O3). S. algae BrY was able to reduce structural FeIII within these clays to maximum Fe(II)/Fe(II)+Fe(III) ratios 0.34 and 0.19 for the nontronite and Speeton Clay, respectively, in the presence and absence of the electron shuttle, AQDS (9, 10-anthraquinone-2, 6-disulfonic acid). These results are novel because the capability of S. algae BrY to reduce structural Fe(III) in smectite clays has not previously been tested. Nitrobenzene was selected as the test redox-sensitive organic compound as it is a common subsurface contaminant and is of global ecotoxicological concern. To test the capability of bio- reduced Fe-clays to transform nitrobenzene to aniline (the less toxic and more stable degradation product of nitrobenzene), nontronite suspensions with reduction levels of 20% and 30% were spiked with various concentrations of nitrobenzene and monitored for 5 days. Results showed that when reduced clay, S. algae BrY and AQDS were present, 100% of the nitrobenzene had been transformed to aniline within 24 hours. Further recent results suggest that bio-reduced nontronite alone is also capable of degrading nitrobenzene but at a slower rate than when AQDS is present. Future experiments will constrain absorption and degradation rates of nitrobenzene in contact with the reduced Fe-clays and the role(s) of the Fe-reducing bacteria. Results to date will be presented.

Clay-based polymer nanocomposites: research and commercial development.

PubMed

Zeng, Q H; Yu, A B; Lu, G Q; Paul, D R

2005-10-01

This paper reviews the recent research and development of clay-based polymer nanocomposites. Clay minerals, due to their unique layered structure, rich intercalation chemistry and availability at low cost, are promising nanoparticle reinforcements for polymers to manufacture low-cost, lightweight and high performance nanocomposites. We introduce briefly the structure, properties and surface modification of clay minerals, followed by the processing and characterization techniques of polymer nanocomposites. The enhanced and novel properties of such nanocomposites are then discussed, including mechanical, thermal, barrier, electrical conductivity, biodegradability among others. In addition, their available commercial and potential applications in automotive, packaging, coating and pigment, electrical materials, and in particular biomedical fields are highlighted. Finally, the challenges for the future are discussed in terms of processing, characterization and the mechanisms governing the behaviour of these advanced materials.

Rigid palm oil-based polyurethane foam reinforced with diamine-modified montmorillonite nanoclay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haziq Dzulkifli, Mohd; Yazid Yahya, Mohd; Majid, Rohah A.

2017-05-01

This paper presents work on organically-modified montmorillonite (MMT) nanoclay embedded in rigid palm oil-based polyurethane (PU) foam. MMT was modified with organic surfactant diamino propane (DAP). PU foam was fabricated in closed mold, and the amount of DAP-MMT was varied in each foam formulation. The obtained foam was tested for its microstructure and morphology. Appearance of peaks from infra-red spectra corresponding to N-H, C=O, and C-N confirms the formation of PU networks. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed fine, closed-cellular structure at low clay loading; increasing DAP-MMT content induced larger cell sizes with blowholes. X-ray diffraction (XRD) indicates fully-exfoliated clays at 1 wt. % and partial-exfoliation at 3 wt. % clay loading, suggesting clumping of clays as DAP-MMT content increased.

Thermal treatment of toxic metals of industrial hazardous wastes with fly ash and clay.

PubMed

Singh, I B; Chaturvedi, K; Morchhale, R K; Yegneswaran, A H

2007-03-06

Waste generated from galvanizing and metal finishing processes is considered to be a hazardous due to the presence of toxic metals like Pb, Cu, Cr, Zn, etc. Thermal treatment of such types of wastes in the presence of clay and fly ash can immobilizes their toxic metals to a maximum level. After treatment solidified mass can be utilized in construction or disposed off through land fillings without susceptibility of re-mobilization of toxic metals. In the present investigation locally available clay and fly ash of particular thermal power plant were used as additives for thermal treatment of both of the wastes in their different proportions at 850, 900 and 950 degrees C. Observed results indicated that heating temperature to be a key factor in the immobilization of toxic metals of the waste. It was noticed that the leachability of metals of the waste reduces to a negligible level after heating at 950 degrees C. Thermally treated solidified specimen of 10% waste and remaining clay have shown comparatively a higher compressive strength than clay fired bricks used in building construction. Though, thermally heated specimens made of galvanizing waste have shown much better strength than specimen made of metal finishing waste. The lechability of toxic metals like Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn became far below from their regulatory threshold after heating at 950 degrees C. Addition of fly ash did not show any improvement either in engineering property or in leachability of metals from the solidified mass. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of the solidified product confirmed the presence of mixed phases of oxides of metals.

Coupled THMC models for bentonite in clay repository for nuclear waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, L.; Rutqvist, J.; Birkholzer, J. T.; Li, Y.; Anguiano, H. H.

2015-12-01

Illitization, the transformation of smectite to illite, could compromise some beneficiary features of an engineered barrier system (EBS) that is composed primarily of bentonite and clay host rock. It is a major determining factor to establish the maximum design temperature of the repositories because it is believed that illitization could be greatly enhanced at temperatures higher than 100 oC and thus significantly lower the sorption and swelling capacity of bentonite and clay rock. However, existing experimental and modeling studies on the occurrence of illitization and related performance impacts are not conclusive, in part because the relevant couplings between the thermal, hydrological, chemical, and mechanical (THMC) processes have not been fully represented in the models. Here we present fully coupled THMC simulations of a generic nuclear waste repository in a clay formation with bentonite-backfilled EBS. Two scenarios were simulated for comparison: a case in which the temperature in the bentonite near the waste canister can reach about 200 oC and a case in which the temperature in the bentonite near the waste canister peaks at about 100 oC. The model simulations demonstrate that illitization is in general more significant at higher temperatures. We also compared the chemical changes and the resulting swelling stress change for two types of bentonite: Kunigel-VI and FEBEX bentonite. Higher temperatures also lead to much higher stress in the near field, caused by thermal pressurization and vapor pressure buildup in the EBS bentonite and clay host rock. Chemical changes lead to a reduction in swelling stress, which is more pronounced for Kunigel-VI bentonite than for FEBEX bentonite.

In situ clay formation : evaluation of a proposed new technology for stable containment barriers.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nagy, Kathryn L.; DiGiovanni, Anthony Albert; Fredrich, Joanne T.

2004-03-01

Containment of chemical wastes in near-surface and repository environments is accomplished by designing engineered barriers to fluid flow. Containment barrier technologies such as clay liners, soil/bentonite slurry walls, soil/plastic walls, artificially grouted sediments and soils, and colloidal gelling materials are intended to stop fluid transport and prevent plume migration. However, despite their effectiveness in the short-term, all of these barriers exhibit geochemical or geomechanical instability over the long-term resulting in degradation of the barrier and its ability to contain waste. No technologically practical or economically affordable technologies or methods exist at present for accomplishing total remediation, contaminant removal, or destruction-degradationmore » in situ. A new type of containment barrier with a potentially broad range of environmental stability and longevity could result in significant cost-savings. This report documents a research program designed to establish the viability of a proposed new type of containment barrier derived from in situ precipitation of clays in the pore space of contaminated soils or sediments. The concept builds upon technologies that exist for colloidal or gel stabilization. Clays have the advantages of being geologically compatible with the near-surface environment and naturally sorptive for a range of contaminants, and further, the precipitation of clays could result in reduced permeability and hydraulic conductivity, and increased mechanical stability through cementation of soil particles. While limited success was achieved under certain controlled laboratory conditions, the results did not warrant continuation to the field stage for multiple reasons, and the research program was thus concluded with Phase 2.« less

Strength and Stiffness Development in Soft Soils: A FESEM aided Soil Microstructure Viewpoint

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wijeyesekera, D. C.; Ho, M. H.; Bai, X.; Bakar, I.

2016-07-01

This paper opens with an overview of the debatable definition of soft soil that goes beyond a (CH) organic / inorganic clay and OH peat to include weakly cemented periglacial deposits of loess and alike. It then outlines the findings obtained from stiffness test on cement-stabilised soft clay. The findings are complemented with a microstructure viewpoint obtained using field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM). Research also comprised of making cylindrical stabilised clay samples, prepared in the laboratory with various rubber chips contents and cement, and then aged for 28 days. The samples were then subjected to unconfined compressive strength (UCS) test and observations were also made of its microstructure using the FESEM. The impact of the soil microstructure on the stiffness result was studied both with the stabilized soil and also of some of the natural undisturbed loess soils. Sustainability aspect and the potential of the use of rubber chips and sand as additives to cement stabilisation are also discussed. The overall test results indicated that rubber chips and sand contributed to the improvement in unconfined compressive strength (qu). The derogatory influence of moisture on the stiffness of the stabilised clay was studied simultaneously. SEM micrographs are presented that show bonding of cement, rubber chips/ sand and soft clay, granular units and aggregated / agglomerated units in loess. The paper concludes with observations on the dependence of soil microstructure on the soil strength and deformability and even collapsibility of the loess. Current practices adopted as engineering solutions to these challenging soils are outlined.

New polyelectrolyte complex from pectin/chitosan and montmorillonite clay.

PubMed

da Costa, Marcia Parente Melo; de Mello Ferreira, Ivana Lourenço; de Macedo Cruz, Mauricio Tavares

2016-08-01

A new nanocomposite hydrogel was prepared by forming a crosslinked hybrid polymer network based on chitosan and pectin in the presence of montmorillonite clay. The influence of clay concentration (0.5 and 2% wt) as well as polymer ratios (1:1, 1:2 and 2:1) was investigated carefully. The samples were characterized by different techniques: transmission and scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, infrared spectroscopy, swelling degree and compression test. Most samples presented swelling degree above 1000%, which permits characterizing them as superabsorbent material. Images obtained by transmission electron microscopy showed the presence of clay nanoparticles into hydrogel. The hydrogels' morphological properties were evaluated by scanning electron microscope in high and low-vacuum. The micrographs showed that the samples presented porous. The incorporation of clay produced hydrogels with differentiated morphology. Thermogravimetric analysis results revealed that the incorporation of clay in the samples provided greater thermal stability to the hydrogels. The compression resistance also increased with addition of clay. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A batch adsorption study on bentonite clay Pertinence to transport modeling?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

BOURG, I.; BOURG, A. C.; SPOSITO, G.

2001-12-01

Bentonite clay is often used as a component of engineered barriers for the isolation of high-level toxic wastes. This swelling clay is used for its physical (impermeability, self-healing) but also for its chemical properties, mostly a high cation exchange capacity (CEC). The adsorbed cations being temporarily immobilized, this should slow down the release of cations from the waste to the surrounding environment. In order to assess the performance of the engineered barrier, the partitioning of solutes between the liquid and solid phases needs to be quantified for use in transport models. The usual method for characterizing the adsorption is through batch adsorption experiments on dispersed suspensions of the solid, yielding an adsorption isotherm (adsorbed concentration vs. dissolved concentration). This isotherm however should be a function of various environmental variables (e.g., pH, ionic strength, concentrations of various ligands and competing adsorbents), so that extrapolation of lab data to performance assessment in the field is problematic. We present results from a study of the adsorption of cesium, strontium, cadmium and lead on dispersed suspensions of the standard BX-80 bentonite. Through a wide range of experimental parameters (pH, ionic strength, reaction time, reactor open or closed to the atmosphere, study of a range of cations of differing properties), we seek a mechanistic interpretation of the results instead of an empirical determination of adsorption parameters. Depending on the mechanisms that control the adsorption in different experimental ranges, we discuss the degree to which the partitioning coefficient (Kd) obtained in the lab can be extrapolated to a transport model through compacted bentonite in a natural environment.

Steeply dipping heaving bedrock, Colorado: Part 2 - Mineralogical and engineering properties

USGS Publications Warehouse

Noe, D.C.; Higgins, J.D.; Olsen, H.W.

2007-01-01

This paper describes the mineralogical and engineering properties of steeply dipping, differentially heaving bedrock, which has caused severe damage near the Denver area. Several field sites in heave-prone areas have been characterized using high sample densities, numerous testing methodologies, and thousands of sample tests. Hydrometer testing shows that the strata range from siltstone to claystone (33 to 66 percent clay) with occasional bentonite seams (53 to 98 percent clay mixed with calcite). From X-ray diffraction analyses, the claystone contains varying proportions of illite-smectite and discrete (pure) smectite, and the bentonite contains discrete smectite. Accessory minerals include pyrite, gypsum, calcite, and oxidized iron compounds. The dominant exchangeable cation is Ca2+, except where gypsum is prevalent, and Mg2+ and Na1+ are elevated. Scanning electron microscope analyses show that the clay fabric is deformed and porous and that pyrite is absent within the weathered zone. Unified Soil Classification for the claystone varies from CL to CH, and the bentonite is CH to MH. Average moisture content values are 17 percent for claystone and 32 percent for bentonite, and these are typically 0 to 5 percent lower than the plastic limit. Swell-consolidation and suction testing shows a full range of swelling potentials from low to very high. These findings confirm that type I (bed-parallel, symmetrical to asymmetrical) heave features are strongly associated with changes in bedrock composition and mineralogy. Composition changes are not necessarily a factor for type II (bed-parallel to bed-oblique, strongly asymmetrical) heave features, which are associated with movements along subsurface shear zones.

View of Expedition 15 FE Anderson performing the ANITA Experiment in the Node 1

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-10-06

ISS015-E-32200 (6 Oct. 2007) --- Astronaut Clay Anderson, Expedition 15 flight engineer, uses an air sample pump and 2.5 liter gas sample bag to gather and analyze air samples for the Analyzing Interferometer for Ambient Air (ANITA) experiment in the Unity node of the International Space Station.

Specific adsorption of cadmium on surface-engineered biocompatible organoclay under metal-phenanthrene mixed-contamination.

PubMed

Biswas, Bhabananda; Sarkar, Binoy; Mandal, Asit; Naidu, Ravi

2016-11-01

Bioremediation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is extremely challenging when they coexist with heavy metals. This constrain has led to adsorption-based techniques that help immobilize the metals and reduce toxicity. However, the adsorbents can also non-selectively bind the organic compounds, which reduces their bioavailability. In this study we developed a surface-engineered organoclay (Arquad ® 2HT-75-bentonite-palmitic acid) which enhanced bacterial proliferation and adsorbed cadmium, but elevated phenanthrene bioavailability. Adsorption models of single and binary solutes revealed that the raw bentonite adsorbed cadmium and phenanthrene non-selectively at the same binding sites and sequestrated phenanthrene. In contrast, cadmium selectively bound to the deprotonated state of carboxyl groups in the organoclay and phenanthrene on the outer surface of the adsorbent led to a microbially congenial microenvironment with a higher phenanthrene bioavailability. This study provided valuable information which would be highly important for developing a novel clay-modulated bioremediation technology for cleaning up PAHs under mixed-contaminated situations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mössbauer Spectra of Clays and Ceramics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wagner, F. E.; Wagner, U.

2004-06-01

The physical, chemical and mineralogical aspects of the use of Mössbauer spectroscopy in studies of clay-based ceramics are described. Mössbauer spectra of pottery clays fired under oxidising, reducing and changing conditions are explained, and the possibilities of using Mössbauer spectra to derive information on the firing temperatures and the kiln atmosphere during firing in antiquity are discussed and illustrated by examples.

Factors Affecting the Design of Slow Release Formulations of Herbicides Based on Clay-Surfactant Systems. A Methodological Approach

PubMed Central

Galán-Jiménez, María del Carmen; Mishael, Yael-Golda; Nir, Shlomo; Morillo, Esmeralda; Undabeytia, Tomás

2013-01-01

A search for clay-surfactant based formulations with high percentage of the active ingredient, which can yield slow release of active molecules is described. The active ingredients were the herbicides metribuzin (MZ), mesotrione (MS) and flurtamone (FL), whose solubilities were examined in the presence of four commercial surfactants; (i) neutral: two berols (B048, B266) and an alkylpolyglucoside (AG6202); (ii) cationic: an ethoxylated amine (ET/15). Significant percent of active ingredient (a.i.) in the clay/surfactant/herbicide formulations could be achieved only when most of the surfactant was added as micelles. MZ and FL were well solubilized by berols, whereas MS by ET/15. Sorption of surfactants on the clay mineral sepiolite occurred mostly by sorption of micelles, and the loadings exceeded the CEC. Higher loadings were determined for B266 and ET/15. The sorption of surfactants was modeled by using the Langmuir-Scatchard equation which permitted the determination of binding coefficients that could be used for further predictions of the sorbed amounts of surfactants under a wide range of clay/surfactant ratios. A possibility was tested of designing clay-surfactant based formulations of certain herbicides by assuming the same ratio between herbicides and surfactants in the formulations as for herbicides incorporated in micelles in solution. Calculations indicated that satisfactory FL formulations could not be synthesized. The experimental fractions of herbicides in the formulations were in agreement with the predicted ones for MS and MZ. The validity of this approach was confirmed in in vitro release tests that showed a slowing down of the release of a.i. from the designed formulations relative to the technical products. Soil dissipation studies with MS formulations also showed improved bioactivity of the clay-surfactant formulation relative to the commercial one. This methodological approach can be extended to other clay-surfactant systems for encapsulation and slow release of target molecules of interest. PMID:23527087

Process for preparing organoclays for aqueous and polar-organic systems

DOEpatents

Chaiko, David J.

2001-01-01

A process for preparing organoclays as thixotropic agents to control the rheology of water-based paints and other aqueous and polar-organic systems. The process relates to treating low-grade clay ores to achieve highly purified organoclays and/or to incorporate surface modifying agents onto the clay by adsorption and/or to produce highly dispersed organoclays without excessive grinding or high shear dispersion. The process involves the treatment of impure, or run-of-mine, clay using an aqueous biphasic extraction system to produce a highly dispersed clay, free of mineral impurities and with modified surface properties brought about by adsorption of the water-soluble polymers used in generating the aqueous biphasic extraction system. This invention purifies the clay to greater than 95%.

2-D Resistivity Assessment of Subsurface Characterization and its Engineering and Environmental Implications at SiLC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nordiana, M. M.; Azwin, I. N.; Saad, Rosli; Jia, Teoh Ying; Anderson, A. B.; Tonnizam, Edy; Taqiuddin Zakaria, Muhamad

2017-04-01

The role of geophysics in Environmental Earth Sciences and Engineering is considered. In the developing era, geophysics has mainly contributed in investigation of new constructions such as tunnels, road, dams and high-rise buildings. This study was carried out to assess the foundation depths around a construction site in the Southern Industrial & Logistics Clusters (SiLC), Nusajaya, Johor using 2-D resistivity method. The 2-D resistivity method was carried out with a view to characterize different subsurface geological and to provide the engineering and environmental geophysical characterization of the study area. Measurements of eight 2-D resistivity profile using Pole-dipole array with 2 m minimum electrode spacing was taken with the use of ABEM Terrameter SAS4000 and ES10-64C selector. The results are presented as inversion model resistivity with the outline of the survey line. The inversion model resistivity from L1-L8 obtained is characterized by resistivity range of 1-8000 ohm-m. This range indicates the occurrence of silt, clay, sandy clay and sand whose ranges are; 10-100 ohm-m, 1-100 ohm-m, 100-800 ohm-m and 100-3000 ohm-m respectively. However, there was a boulder with range of >5000 ohm-m and saturated zone (1-20 ohm-m) which may indicate the weak zones of the study area. The 2-D resistivity method is not intended to replace borings, except in specific cases where information gathered would be sufficient to address the intended engineering and environmental purpose.

Sulfates and Clays in Columbus Crater, Mars

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-11-21

Sulfates are found overlying clay minerals in sediments within Columbus Crater, a depression that likely hosted a lake in the past in this image based on information from NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

Modeling of Coupled Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical-Chemical Processes for Bentonite in a Clay-rock Repository for Heat-generating Nuclear Waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, H.; Rutqvist, J.; Zheng, L.; Birkholzer, J. T.

2016-12-01

Engineered Barrier Systems (EBS) that include a bentonite-based buffer are designed to isolate the high-level radioactive waste emplaced in tunnels in deep geological formations. The heat emanated from the waste can drive the moisture flow transport and induce strongly coupled Thermal (T), Hydrological (H), Mechanical (M) and Chemical (C) processes within the bentonite buffer and may also impact the evolution of the excavation disturbed zone and the sealing between the buffer and walls of an emplacement tunnel The flow and contaminant transport potential along the disturbed zone can be minimized by backfilling the tunnels with bentonite, if it provides enough swelling stress when hydrated by the host rock. The swelling capability of clay minerals within the bentonite is important for sealing gaps between bentonite block, and between the EBS and the surrounding host rock. However, a high temperature could result in chemical alteration of bentonite-based buffer and backfill materials through illitization, which may compromise the function of these EBS components by reducing their plasticity and capability to swell under wetting. Therefore, an adequate THMC coupling scheme is required to understand and to predict the changes of bentonite for identifying whether EBS bentonite can sustain higher temperatures. More comprehensive links between chemistry and mechanics, taking advantage of the framework provided by a dual-structure model, named Barcelona Expansive Model (BExM), was implemented in TOUGHREACT-FLAC3D and is used to simulate the response of EBS bentonite in in clay formation for a generic case. The current work is to evaluate the chemical changes in EBS bentonite and the effects on the bentonite swelling stress under high temperature. This work sheds light on the interaction between THMC processes, evaluates the potential deterioration of EBS bentonite and supports the decision making in the design of a nuclear waste repository in light of the maximum allowance temperature.

Oscillatory shear response of moisture barrier coatings containing clay of different shape factor.

PubMed

Kugge, C; Vanderhoek, N; Bousfield, D W

2011-06-01

Oscillatory shear rheology of barrier coatings based on dispersed styrene-butadiene latex and clay of various shape factors or aspect ratio has been explored. Barrier performance of these coatings when applied to paperboard has been assessed in terms of water vapour transmission rates and the results related to shape factor, dewatering and critical strain. It has been shown that a system based on clay with high shape factor gives a lower critical strain, dewatering and water vapour transmission rate compared with clays of lower shape factor. The dissipated energy, as calculated from an amplitude sweep, indicated no attractive interaction between clay and latex implying a critical strain that appears to be solely dependent on the shape factor at a constant volume fraction. Particle size distribution was shown to have no effect on the critical strain while coatings of high elasticity exhibited high yield strains as expected. The loss modulus demonstrated strain hardening before the elastic to viscous transition. The loss modulus peak was identified by a maximum strain which was significantly lower for a coating based on clay with a high shape factor. The characteristic elastic time was found to vary between 0.6 and 1.3s. The zero shear viscosity of barrier dispersion coatings were estimated from the characteristic elastic time and the characteristic modulus to be of the order of 25-100 Pa s. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Synthesis and innovation of PLA/clay nanocomposite characterization againts to mechanical and thermal properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salim, S.; Agusnar, H.; Wirjosentono, B.; Tamrin; Marpaung, H.; Rihayat, T.; Nurhanifa; Adriana

2018-03-01

Plastic polymer is one of the most dominant materials of daily human activities because of its multifunctional nature, light and strong and anti-corrosion so it is easy to apply in various equipment. Plastic is generally derived from petroleum material so it is nonbiodegradable. Therefore, this study aims to create a breakthrough of natural and biodegradable biodegradable plastic materials from plant starch (pisok kepok starch) with the help of 3 types of acid (HNO3, HCl and H2SO4) called Poly Lactid Acid (PLA). PLA is enhanced by mixing with a clay material with a variation of 1, 3 and 5% composition to form a PLA / Clay Nanocomposite material which is expected to have superior properties and resemble conventional plastics in general. Several types of characterization were performed to see the quality of the resulting material including tensile strength test with UTM tool, thermal endurance test with TGA tool, morphological structure test using SEM tool and additional test to see filler clay quality through X-RD tool. Based on the characterization of tensile and thermal test, 5B nanocomposite with addition of 5% clay and HCl acid aid showed the best tensile strength of 36 Mpa and the highest stability was 446,63 oC. Based on the results of morphological analysis of the best samples (5B) showed good interface ties. Meanwhile, based on the results of filler analysis, the opening of clay layer d-spacing occurred at 0.355 nm.

Compressibility characteristics of Sabak Bernam Marine Clay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lat, D. C.; Ali, N.; Jais, I. B. M.; Baharom, B.; Yunus, N. Z. M.; Salleh, S. M.; Azmi, N. A. C.

2018-04-01

This study is carried out to determine the geotechnical properties and compressibility characteristics of marine clay collected at Sabak Bernam. The compressibility characteristics of this soil are determined from 1-D consolidation test and verified by existing correlations by other researchers. No literature has been found on the compressibility characteristics of Sabak Bernam Marine Clay. It is important to carry out this study since this type of marine clay covers large coastal area of west coast Malaysia. This type of marine clay was found on the main road connecting Klang to Perak and the road keeps experiencing undulation and uneven settlement which jeopardise the safety of the road users. The soil is indicated in the Generalised Soil Map of Peninsular Malaysia as a CLAY with alluvial soil on recent marine and riverine alluvium. Based on the British Standard Soil Classification and Plasticity Chart, the soil is classified as a CLAY with very high plasticity (CV). Results from laboratory test on physical properties and compressibility parameters show that Sabak Bernam Marine Clay (SBMC) is highly compressible, has low permeability and poor drainage characteristics. The compressibility parameters obtained for SBMC is in a good agreement with other researchers in the same field.

Characteristics and engineering properties of residual soil of volcanic deposits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wibawa, Y. S.; Sugiarti, K.; Soebowo, E.

2018-02-01

Residual soil knowledge of volcanic-sedimentary rock products provides important information on the soil bearing capacity and its engineering properties. The residual soil is the result of weathering commonly found in unsaturated conditions, having varied geotechnical characteristics at each level of weathering. This paper summarizes the results of the research from the basic engineering properties of residual soil of volcanic-sedimentary rocks from several different locations. The main engineering properties of residual soil such as specific gravity, porosity, grain size, clay content (X-Ray test) and soil shear strength are performed on volcanic rock deposits. The results show that the variation of the index and engineering properties and the microstructure properties of residual soil have the correlation between the depths of weathering levels. Pore volume and pore size distribution on weathered rock profiles can be used as an indication of weathering levels in the tropics.

Vegetable Oil-Based Hyperbranched Thermosetting Polyurethane/Clay Nanocomposites

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

The highly branched polyurethanes and vegetable oil-based polymer nanocomposites have been showing fruitful advantages across a spectrum of potential field of applications.Mesua ferreaL. seed oil-based hyperbranched polyurethane (HBPU)/clay nanocomposites were prepared at different dose levels by in situ polymerization technique. The performances of epoxy-cured thermosetting nanocomposites are reported for the first time. The partially exfoliated structure of clay layers was confirmed by XRD and TEM. FTIR spectra indicate the presence of H bonding between nanoclay and the polymer matrix. The present investigation outlines the significant improvement of tensile strength, scratch hardness, thermostability, water vapor permeability, and adhesive strength without much influencing impact resistance, bending, and elongation at break of the nanocomposites compared to pristine HBPU thermoset. An increment of two times the tensile strength, 6 °C of melting point, and 111 °C of thermo-stability were achieved by the formation of nanocomposites. An excellent shape recovery of about 96–99% was observed for the nanocomposites. Thus, the formation of partially exfoliated clay/vegetable oil-based hyperbranched polyurethane nanocomposites significantly improved the performance. PMID:20596546

Vegetable Oil-Based Hyperbranched Thermosetting Polyurethane/Clay Nanocomposites.

PubMed

Deka, Harekrishna; Karak, Niranjan

2009-04-25

The highly branched polyurethanes and vegetable oil-based polymer nanocomposites have been showing fruitful advantages across a spectrum of potential field of applications. Mesua ferrea L. seed oil-based hyperbranched polyurethane (HBPU)/clay nanocomposites were prepared at different dose levels by in situ polymerization technique. The performances of epoxy-cured thermosetting nanocomposites are reported for the first time. The partially exfoliated structure of clay layers was confirmed by XRD and TEM. FTIR spectra indicate the presence of H bonding between nanoclay and the polymer matrix. The present investigation outlines the significant improvement of tensile strength, scratch hardness, thermostability, water vapor permeability, and adhesive strength without much influencing impact resistance, bending, and elongation at break of the nanocomposites compared to pristine HBPU thermoset. An increment of two times the tensile strength, 6 degrees C of melting point, and 111 degrees C of thermo-stability were achieved by the formation of nanocomposites. An excellent shape recovery of about 96-99% was observed for the nanocomposites. Thus, the formation of partially exfoliated clay/vegetable oil-based hyperbranched polyurethane nanocomposites significantly improved the performance.

Sugar-influenced water diffusion, interaction, and retention in clay interlayer nanopores probed by theoretical simulations and experimental spectroscopies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aristilde, Ludmilla; Galdi, Stephen M.; Kelch, Sabrina E.; Aoki, Thalia G.

2017-08-01

Understanding the hydrodynamics in clay nanopores is important for gaining insights into the trapping of water, nutrients, and contaminants in natural and engineered soils. Previous investigations have focused on the interlayer organization and molecular diffusion coefficients (D) of cations and water molecules in cation-saturated interlayer nanopores of smectite clays. Little is known, however, about how these interlayer dynamic properties are influenced by the ubiquitous presence of small organic compounds such as sugars in the soil environment. Here we probed the effects of glucose molecules on montmorillonite interlayer properties. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed re-structuring of the interlayer organization of the adsorptive species. Water-water interactions were disrupted by glucose-water H-bonding interactions. ;Dehydration; of the glucose-populated nanopore led to depletion in the Na solvation shell, which resulted in the accumulation of both Na ions (as inner-sphere complexes) and remaining hydrated water molecules at the mineral surface. This accumulation led to a decrease in both DNa and Dwater. In addition, the reduction in Dglucose as a function of increasing glucose content can be explained by the aggregation of glucose molecules into organic clusters H-bonded to the mineral surface on both walls of the nanopore. Experimental nuclear magnetic resonance and X-ray diffraction data were consistent with the theoretical predictions. Compared to clay interlayers devoid of glucose, increased intensities and new peaks in the 23Na nuclear magnetic resonance spectra confirmed increasing immobilization of Na as a function of increasing glucose content. And, the X-ray diffraction data indicated a reduced collapse of glucose-populated interlayers exposed to decreasing moisture conditions, which led to the maintenance of hydrated clay nanopores. The coupling of theoretical and experimental findings sheds light on the molecular to nanoscale mechanisms that control the enhanced trapping of water molecules and solutes within sugar-enriched clay nanopores.

Modelling Iron-Bentonite Interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watson, C.; Savage, D.; Benbow, S.; Wilson, J.

2009-04-01

The presence of both iron canisters and bentonitic clay in some engineered barrier system (EBS) designs for the geological disposal of high-level radioactive wastes creates the potential for chemical interactions which may impact upon the long-term performance of the clay as a barrier to radionuclide migration. Flooding of potential radionuclide sorption sites on the clay by ferrous ions and conversion of clay to non-swelling sheet silicates (e.g. berthierine) are two possible outcomes deleterious to long-term performance. Laboratory experimental studies of the corrosion of iron in clay show that corrosion product layers are generally thin (< 1 µm) with magnetite, siderite, or ‘green rust' occurring depending upon temperature and ambient partial pressure of carbon dioxide. In theory, incorporation of iron into clay alteration products could act as a ‘pump' to accelerate corrosion. However, the results of laboratory experiments to characterise the products of iron-bentonite interaction are less than unequivocal. The type and amounts of solid products appear to be strong functions of time, temperature, water/clay ratio, and clay and pore fluid compositions. For example, the products of high temperature experiments (> 250 °C) are dominated by chlorite, whereas lower temperatures produce berthierine, odinite, cronstedtite, or Fe-rich smectite. Unfortunately, the inevitable short-term nature of laboratory experimental studies introduces issues of metastability and kinetics. The sequential formation in time of minerals in natural systems often produces the formation of phases not predicted by equilibrium thermodynamics. Evidence from analogous natural systems suggests that the sequence of alteration of clay by Fe-rich fluids will proceed via an Ostwald step sequence. The computer code, QPAC, has been modified to incorporate processes of nucleation, growth, precursor cannibalisation, and Ostwald ripening to address the issues of the slow growth of bentonite alteration products. This, together with inclusion of processes of iron corrosion and diffusion, has enabled investigation of a representative model of the alteration of bentonite in a typical EBS environment. Simulations with fixed mineral surface areas show that berthierine dominates the solid product assemblage, with siderite replacing it at simulation times greater than 10 000 years. Simulations with time-dependent mineral surface areas show a sequence of solid alteration products, described by: magnetite -> cronstedtite -> berthierine -> chlorite. Using plausible estimates of mineral-fluid interfacial free energies, chlorite growth is not achieved until 5 000 years of simulation time. The results of this modelling work suggest that greater emphasis should be placed upon methods to up-scale the results of laboratory experiments to timescales of relevance to performance assessment.

Deformation mechanisms and resealing of damage zones in experimentally deformed cemented and un-cemented clay-rich geomaterials, at low bulk strain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Desbois, Guillaume; Urai, Janos L.; Schuck, Bernhardt; Hoehne, Nadine; Oelker, Anne; Bésuelle, Pierre; Viggiani, Gioacchino; Schmatz, Joyce; Klaver, Jop

2017-04-01

A microphysics-based understanding of mechanical and fluid flow properties in clay-rich geomaterials is required for extrapolating better constitutive equations beyond the laboratory's time scales, so that predictions over the long term can be made less uncertain. In this contribution, we present microstructural investigations of rocks specimens sheared in triaxial compression at low bulk strain, by using the combination of broad-ion-beam (BIB) milling and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to infer deformation mechanisms based on microstructures imaged at sub-micron resolution. Two end-member clay-rich geomaterials from European Underground Laboratories (URL) were analysed: (i) the poorly cemented Boom Clay sediment (BC from URL at Mol/Dessel, Belgium; confining pressure [CP] = 0.375 & 1.5 MPa) and (ii) the Callovo-Oxfordian claystone (COx from the URL at Bure, France; CP = 2 & 10 MPa). Although as a first approximation the inelastic bahvior of cemented and uncemented clay-rich geomaterials can be described by similar pressure-dependent hardening plasticity models, deformed samples in this contribution show very contrasting micro-scale behaviour: microstructures reveal brittle-ductile transitional behaviour in BC, whereas deformation in COx is dominantly cataclastic. In Boom Clay, at meso-scale, shear bands exhibit characteristics that are typical of uncemented small-grained clay-rich materials deformed at high shear strains, consisting of anastomosing shears interpreted as Y- and B-shears, which bound the passively deformed microlithons. At micro- down to nano-scale, the strong shape preferential orientation of clay aggregates in the anastomosing shears is interpreted to be responsible of the shear weakness. More over, the reworking of clay aggregates during deformation contributes to the collapsing of porosity in the shear band. Ductile deformation mechanisms represented by grain-rotation, grain-sliding, bending and granular flow mechanisms are strongly involved for the development of the shear band. At the same time, evidence for dilatancy at low confining pressure indicates that deformation involves also brittle deformation. Our observations strongly suggest that the deformation mostly localizes in those regions of the specimen, where the original grain sizes are smaller. In COx, microstructures show evidence for dominantly cataclastic deformation involving intergranular - transgranular - and - intragranular micro fracturing, grain rotation and clay particle bending mechanisms, down to nm- scale. Micro fracturing of the original fabric results in fragments at a range of scales, which are reworked into a clay-rich cataclastic gouge during frictional flow. Intergranular and minor intragranular micro fracturing occur in regions of non localized deformation, whereas transgranular micro fracturing occurs at regions of localized deformation. These processes are accompanied by dilatancy, but also by progressive decrease of porosity and pore size in the gouge with the non-clay particles embedded in reworked clay. The mechanism of this compaction during shearing is interpreted to be a combination of cataclasis of the cemented clay matrix, and shear-induced rearrangement of clay particles around the fragments of non-clay particles.

Geotechnical properties of sediments from North Pacific and Northern Bermuda Rise

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Silva, A J; Laine, E P; Lipkin, J

1980-01-01

Studies of geotechnical properties for the Sub-seabed Disposal Program have been oriented toward sediment characterization related to effectiveness as a containment media and determination of detailed engineering behavior. Consolidation tests of the deeper samples in the North Pacific clays indicate that the sediment column is normally consolidated. The in-situ coefficient of permeability (k) within the cored depth of 25 meters is relatively constant at 10/sup -7/ cm/sec. Consolidated undrained (CIU) triaxial tests indicate stress-strain properties characteristic of saturated clays with effective angles of friction of 35/sup 0/ for smectite and 31/sup 0/ for illite. These results are being used inmore » computer modeling efforts. Some general geotechnical property data from the Bermuda Rise are also discussed.« less

Clay-based matrices incorporating radioactive silts: A case study of sediments from spent fuel pool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antonenko, Mikhail; Myshkin, Vyacheslav; Grigoriev, Alexander; Chubreev, Dmitry

2018-03-01

Radioactive silt sediments from uranium reactors may be effectively and safely included by ceramic compounds. The purpose of the paper is to determine the influence of composition and preparation conditions on physicochemical and mechanical properties of clay-based matrices containing radioactive silt. Clay matrices were prepared from four minerals, took from Siberian regions, as kaolin, loan, bentonite and red clay, and they included radioactive silt sediments collected from Spent Fuel Pool of a Uranium-graphite Reactor. The rate of 137Cs leaching from the matrices of different compositions was studied. The results of the studies allowed determining the optimal compositions and the preparation conditions of the matrices. It has been shown that red clay from "Zykovskaya" career (Krasnoyarsk region, Russia) is preferable for use as a matrix for incorporating the silt sediments compared to kaolin, loam and bentonite due to the maximum values tensile strength and minimal change in ultimate strength for compression after irradiation, freezing and water exposure. Nevertheless, 137Cs leaching rate of all studied composites did not exceed 10-3 g/cm2.day.

Thermophysical and mechanical characterization of clay bricks reinforced by alfa or straw fibers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elhamdouni, Y.; Khabbazi, A.; Benayad, C.; Mounir, S.; Dadi, A.

2017-03-01

This work is part of the valuation of local materials such as clay (earth), alfa fiber and straw fiber. The goal is to use these materials as bricks in rural construction. These materials are abundant, natural, and renewable. The objective of this work is to study the thermal and mechanical behavior of a new material by mixing clay (chosen as the binder) with different mass percentages of alfa fiber (0.5%, 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%), and to compare these results with those of materials often used in the construction of individual houses in rural Morocco (clay + straw). The results obtained prove to us that using straw fibers can reduce the thermal conductivity compared to alfa fiber, which allows to have energy savings of 2% to 7%. By against, alfa fibers can improve the mechanical behavior of clay-based materials when compared to the clay + straw material (an increase of 8% to 17% in the tractive resistance by bending and 6% to 18% for compression resistance). These results also specify the optimal usage conditions of these fibers (alfa and straw) in the clay bricks.

Semianalytical solutions for transport in aquifer and fractured clay matrix system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Junqi; Goltz, Mark N.

2015-09-01

A three-dimensional mathematical model that describes transport of contaminant in a horizontal aquifer with simultaneous diffusion into a fractured clay formation is proposed. A group of semianalytical solutions is derived based on specific initial and boundary conditions as well as various source functions. The analytical model solutions are evaluated by numerical Laplace inverse transformation and analytical Fourier inverse transformation. The model solutions can be used to study the fate and transport in a three-dimensional spatial domain in which a nonaqueous phase liquid exists as a pool atop a fractured low-permeability clay layer. The nonaqueous phase liquid gradually dissolves into the groundwater flowing past the pool, while simultaneously diffusing into the fractured clay formation below the aquifer. Mass transfer of the contaminant into the clay formation is demonstrated to be significantly enhanced by the existence of the fractures, even though the volume of fractures is relatively small compared to the volume of the clay matrix. The model solution is a useful tool in assessing contaminant attenuation processes in a confined aquifer underlain by a fractured clay formation.

Fabrication and Characterization of Flexible Organic Light Emitting Diodes Based on Transparent Flexible Clay Substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Venkatachalam, Shanmugam; Hayashi, Hiromichi; Ebina, Takeo; Nakamura, Takashi; Nanjo, Hiroshi

2013-03-01

In the present work, transparent flexible polymer-doped clay (P-clay) substrates were prepared for flexible organic light emitting diode (OLED) applications. Nanocrystalline indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films were prepared on P-clay substrates by ion-beam sputter deposition method. The structural, optical, and electrical properties of as-prepared ITO/P-clay showed that the as-prepared ITO thin film was amorphous, and the average optical transparency and sheet resistance were around 84% and 56 Ω/square, respectively. The as-prepared ITO/P-clay samples were annealed at 200 and 270 °C for 1 h to improve the optical transparency and electrical conductivity. The average optical transparency was found to be maximum at an annealing temperature of 200 °C. Finally, N,N-bis[(1-naphthyl)-N,N '-diphenyl]-1,1'-biphenyl)-4,4'-diamine (NPB), tris(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum (Alq3) thin films, and aluminum (Al) electrode were prepared on ITO/P-clay substrates by thermal evaporation method. The current density-voltage (J-V) characteristic of Al/NPB/ITO/P-clay showed linear Ohmic behaviour. In contrast, J-V characteristic of Al/Alq3/NPB/ITO/P-clay showed non-linear Schottky behaviour. Finally, a very flexible OLED was successfully fabricated on newly fabricated transparent flexible P-clay substrates. The electroluminescence study showed that the emission intensity of light from the flexible OLED device gradually increased with increasing applied voltage.

Regional Supplement to the Corps of Engineers Wetland Delineation Manual: Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain Region (Version 2.0)

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-11-01

are OBL, FACW, or FAC to be considered hydrophytic by this indicator. Species that are dominant in two or more strata should be counted two or more...are thin layers or coatings of fine-grained mineral material (e.g., silt or clay) or organic matter (e.g., pollen ), sometimes mixed with other

Regional Supplement to the Corps of Engineers Wetland Delineation Manual: Caribbean Islands Region (Version 2.0)

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-05-01

are dominant in two or more strata should be counted two or more times in the dominance test. Procedure for Selecting Dominant Species by the 50/20...Sediment deposits are thin layers or coatings of fine-grained mineral material (e.g., silt or clay) or organic matter (e.g., pollen ), sometimes mixed

Microbially-accelerated consolidation of oil sands tailings. Pathway I: changes in porewater chemistry

PubMed Central

Siddique, Tariq; Kuznetsov, Petr; Kuznetsova, Alsu; Arkell, Nicholas; Young, Rozlyn; Li, Carmen; Guigard, Selma; Underwood, Eleisha; Foght, Julia M.

2014-01-01

Dispersed clay particles in mine tailings and soft sediments remain suspended for decades, hindering consolidation and challenging effective management of these aqueous slurries. Current geotechnical engineering models of self-weight consolidation of tailings do not consider microbial contribution to sediment behavior, however, here we show that microorganisms indigenous to oil sands tailings change the porewater chemistry and accelerate consolidation of oil sands tailings. A companion paper describes the role of microbes in alteration of clay chemistry in tailings. Microbial metabolism in mature fine tailings (MFT) amended with an organic substrate (hydrolyzed canola meal) produced methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2). Dissolution of biogenic CO2 lowered the pH of amended MFT to pH 6.4 vs. unamended MFT (pH 7.7). About 12% more porewater was recovered from amended than unamended MFT during 2 months of active microbial metabolism, concomitant with consolidation of tailings. The lower pH in amended MFT dissolved carbonate minerals, thereby releasing divalent cations including calcium (Ca2+) and magnesium (Mg2+) and increasing bicarbonate (HCO−3) in porewater. The higher concentrations increased the ionic strength of the porewater, in turn reducing the thickness of the diffuse double layer (DDL) of clay particles by reducing the surface charge potential (repulsive forces) of the clay particles. The combination of these processes accelerated consolidation of oil sands tailings. In addition, ebullition of biogenic gases created transient physical channels for release of porewater. In contrast, saturating the MFT with non-biogenic CO2 had little effect on consolidation. These results have significant implications for management and reclamation of oil sands tailings ponds and broad importance in anaerobic environments such as contaminated harbors and estuaries containing soft sediments rich in clays and organics. PMID:24711805

Microbially-accelerated consolidation of oil sands tailings. Pathway I: changes in porewater chemistry.

PubMed

Siddique, Tariq; Kuznetsov, Petr; Kuznetsova, Alsu; Arkell, Nicholas; Young, Rozlyn; Li, Carmen; Guigard, Selma; Underwood, Eleisha; Foght, Julia M

2014-01-01

Dispersed clay particles in mine tailings and soft sediments remain suspended for decades, hindering consolidation and challenging effective management of these aqueous slurries. Current geotechnical engineering models of self-weight consolidation of tailings do not consider microbial contribution to sediment behavior, however, here we show that microorganisms indigenous to oil sands tailings change the porewater chemistry and accelerate consolidation of oil sands tailings. A companion paper describes the role of microbes in alteration of clay chemistry in tailings. Microbial metabolism in mature fine tailings (MFT) amended with an organic substrate (hydrolyzed canola meal) produced methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2). Dissolution of biogenic CO2 lowered the pH of amended MFT to pH 6.4 vs. unamended MFT (pH 7.7). About 12% more porewater was recovered from amended than unamended MFT during 2 months of active microbial metabolism, concomitant with consolidation of tailings. The lower pH in amended MFT dissolved carbonate minerals, thereby releasing divalent cations including calcium (Ca(2+)) and magnesium (Mg(2+)) and increasing bicarbonate (HCO(-) 3) in porewater. The higher concentrations increased the ionic strength of the porewater, in turn reducing the thickness of the diffuse double layer (DDL) of clay particles by reducing the surface charge potential (repulsive forces) of the clay particles. The combination of these processes accelerated consolidation of oil sands tailings. In addition, ebullition of biogenic gases created transient physical channels for release of porewater. In contrast, saturating the MFT with non-biogenic CO2 had little effect on consolidation. These results have significant implications for management and reclamation of oil sands tailings ponds and broad importance in anaerobic environments such as contaminated harbors and estuaries containing soft sediments rich in clays and organics.

Quantifying widespread aqueous surface weathering on Mars: The plateaus south of Coprates Chasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loizeau, D.; Quantin-Nataf, C.; Carter, J.; Flahaut, J.; Thollot, P.; Lozac'h, L.; Millot, C.

2018-03-01

Pedogenesis has been previously proposed on the plateaus around Coprates Chasma, Valles Marineris to explain the presence of widespread clay sequences with Al-clays and possible hydrated silica over Fe/Mg-clays on the surface of the plateaus (Le Deit et al., 2012; Carter et al., 2015). We use previous observations together with new MRO targeted observations and DEMs to constrain the extent and thickness of the plateau clay unit: the Al-clay unit is less than 3 m thick, likely ∼1 m, while the Fe/Mg-clays underneath are few tens of meters thick. We also refine the age of alteration by retrieving crater retention ages of the altered plateau and of later deposits: the observed clay sequence was created by surface pedogenesis between model ages of 4.1 Ga and 3.75 Ga. Using a leaching model from Zolotov and Mironenko (2016), we estimate the quantity of atmospheric precipitations needed to create such a clay sequence, that strongly depends on the chemistry of the precipitating fluid. A few hundreds of meters of cumulated precipitations of highly acidic fluids could explain the observed clay sequence, consistent with estimates based on late Noachian valley erosion for example (Rosenberg and Head, 2015). We show finally that the maximum quantity of sulfates potentially formed during this surface weathering event can only contribute minimally to the volume of sulfates deposited in Valles Marineris.

Fire clay

USGS Publications Warehouse

Virta, R.L.

2004-01-01

Seven companies mined fire clay in four states during 2003. From 1984 to 1992, production declined to 383 kt (422,000 st) from a high of 1.04 Mt (1.14 million st) as markets for clay-based refractories declined. Since 1992, production levels have been erratic, ranging from 383 kt (422,000 st) in 1992 and 2001 to 583 kt (642,000 st) in 1995. Production in 2003, based on preliminary data, was estimated to be around 450 kt (496,000 st) with a value of about $10.5 million. This was about the same as in 2002. Missouri remained the leading producer state, followed by South Carolina, Ohio and California.

Effect of addition of different nano-clays on the fumed silica-polyethylene glycol based shear-thickening fluids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Mansi; Mehta, Rajeev; Verma, Sanjeev K.; Biswas, Ipsita

2018-01-01

A comparative study of the rheology of shear thickening suspensions of 20% fumed silica in polyethylene glycol (PEG200) with different nano clays as additives has been done. The nano-clays used are montmorillonite (MMT), Closite15A, Kaolin and Halloysite clay. The objective was to study the effect of relatively cost-effective clays as a partial substitute of silica. Specifically, the effect of type, concentration, temperature and frequency were considered. The results indicate that the shear thickening properties of Closite15A as additive in temperature ranges of 25 °C-45 °C performs the best and Halloysite performs best at higher (55 °C) and lower temperatures (5, 15 °C). The elasticity effects in dynamic experiments were markedly enhanced by Halloysite clay addition. Addition of MMT, however, led to insignificant enhancement in critical viscosity in steady-state as well as dynamic state-rheology. Interestingly, shear thickening fluid (STF) with all clay except MMT was stable after storing for more than a month. These findings indicate that the introduction of nano-clay as additives is a promising and cost effective method for enhancing the STF behavior which can be utilized in high impact resistant (about 3000% strain and 300 rad s-1 frequency) applications.

Clay-Alcohol-Water Dispersions: Anomalous Viscosity Changes Due to Network Formation of Clay Nanosheets Induced by Alcohol Clustering.

PubMed

Kimura, Yuji; Haraguchi, Kazutoshi

2017-05-16

Clay-alcohol-water ternary dispersions were compared with alcohol-water binary mixtures in terms of viscosity and optical absorbance. Aqueous clay dispersions to which lower alcohols (ethanol, 1-propanol, 2-propanol, and tert-butanol) were added exhibited significant viscosity anomalies (maxima) when the alcohol content was 30-55 wt %, as well as optical absorbance anomalies (maxima). The maximum viscosity (η max ) depended strongly on the clay content and varied between 300 and 8000 mPa·s, making it remarkably high compared with the viscosity anomalies (2 mPa·s) observed in alcohol-water binary mixtures. The alcohol content at η max decreased as the hydrophobicity of the alcohol increased. The ternary dispersions with viscosity anomalies exhibited thixotropic behaviors. The effects of other hydrophilic solvents (glycols) and other kinds of clays were also clarified. Based on these findings and the average particle size changes, the viscosity anomalies in the ternary dispersions were explained by alcohol-clustering-induced network formation of the clay nanosheets. It was estimated that 0.9, 1.7, and 2.5 H 2 O molecules per alcohol molecule were required to stabilize the ethanol, 2-propanol, and tert-butanol, respectively, in the clay-alcohol-water dispersions.

Primordial clays on Mars formed beneath a steam or supercritical atmosphere.

PubMed

Cannon, Kevin M; Parman, Stephen W; Mustard, John F

2017-12-06

On Mars, clay minerals are widespread in terrains that date back to the Noachian period (4.1 billion to 3.7 billion years ago). It is thought that the Martian basaltic crust reacted with liquid water during this time to form hydrated clay minerals. Here we propose, however, that a substantial proportion of these clays was formed when Mars' primary crust reacted with a dense steam or supercritical atmosphere of water and carbon dioxide that was outgassed during magma ocean cooling. We present experimental evidence that shows rapid clay formation under conditions that would have been present at the base of such an atmosphere and also deeper in the porous crust. Furthermore, we explore the fate of a primordial clay-rich layer with the help of a parameterized crustal evolution model; we find that the primordial clay is locally disrupted by impacts and buried by impact-ejected material and by erupted volcanic material, but that it survives as a mostly coherent layer at depth, with limited surface exposures. These exposures are similar to those observed in remotely sensed orbital data from Mars. Our results can explain the present distribution of many clays on Mars, and the anomalously low density of the Martian crust in comparison with expectations.

Smectite clays in Mars soil: evidence for their presence and role in Viking biology experimental results.

PubMed

Banin, A; Rishpon, J

1979-12-01

Various chemical, physical and geological observations indicate that smectite clays are probably the major components of the Martian soil. Satisfactory ground-based chemical simulation of the Viking biology experimental results was obtained with the smectite clays nontronite and montmorillonite when they contained iron and hydrogen as adsorbed ions. Radioactive gas was released from the medium solution used in the Viking Labeled Release (LR) experiment when interacted with the clays, at rates and quantities similar to those measured by Viking on Mars. Heating of the active clay (mixed with soluble salts) to 160 degrees C in CO2 atmosphere reduced the decomposition activity considerably, again, as was observed on Mars. The decomposition reaction in LR experiment is postulated to be iron-catalyzed formate decomposition on the clay surface. The main features of the Viking Pyrolytic Release (PR) experiment were also simulated recently (Hubbard, 1979) which the iron clays, including a relatively low '1st peak' and significant '2nd peak'. The accumulated observations on various Martian soil properties and the results of simulation experiments, thus indicate that smectite clays are major and active components of the Martian soil. It now appears that many of the results of the Viking biology experiments can be explained on the basis of their surface activity in catalysis and adsorption.

Primordial clays on Mars formed beneath a steam or supercritical atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cannon, Kevin M.; Parman, Stephen W.; Mustard, John F.

2017-12-01

On Mars, clay minerals are widespread in terrains that date back to the Noachian period (4.1 billion to 3.7 billion years ago). It is thought that the Martian basaltic crust reacted with liquid water during this time to form hydrated clay minerals. Here we propose, however, that a substantial proportion of these clays was formed when Mars’ primary crust reacted with a dense steam or supercritical atmosphere of water and carbon dioxide that was outgassed during magma ocean cooling. We present experimental evidence that shows rapid clay formation under conditions that would have been present at the base of such an atmosphere and also deeper in the porous crust. Furthermore, we explore the fate of a primordial clay-rich layer with the help of a parameterized crustal evolution model; we find that the primordial clay is locally disrupted by impacts and buried by impact-ejected material and by erupted volcanic material, but that it survives as a mostly coherent layer at depth, with limited surface exposures. These exposures are similar to those observed in remotely sensed orbital data from Mars. Our results can explain the present distribution of many clays on Mars, and the anomalously low density of the Martian crust in comparison with expectations.

Mont Terri Underground Rock Laboratory, Switzerland-Research Program And Key Results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nussbaum, C. O.; Bossart, P. J.

2012-12-01

Argillaceous formations generally act as aquitards because of their low hydraulic conductivities. This property, together with the large retention capacity of clays for cationic contaminants and the potential for self-sealing, has brought clay formations into focus as potential host rocks for the geological disposal of radioactive waste. Excavated in the Opalinus Clay formation, the Mont Terri underground rock laboratory in the Jura Mountains of NW Switzerland is an important international test site for researching clay formations. Research is carried out in the underground facility, which is located adjacent to the security gallery of the Mont Terri motorway tunnel. Fifteen partners from European countries, USA, Canada and Japan participate in the project. The objectives of the research program are to analyze the hydrogeological, geochemical and rock mechanical properties of the Opalinus Clay, to determine the changes induced by the excavation of galleries and by heating of the rock formation, to test sealing and container emplacement techniques and to evaluate and improve suitable investigation techniques. For the safety of deep geological disposal, it is of key importance to understand the processes occurring in the undisturbed argillaceous environment, as well as the processes in a disturbed system, during the operation of the repository. The objectives are related to: 1. Understanding processes and mechanisms in undisturbed clays and 2. Experiments related to repository-induced perturbations. Experiments of the first group are dedicated to: i) Improvement of drilling and excavation technologies and sampling methods; ii) Estimation of hydrogeological, rock mechanical and geochemical parameters of the undisturbed Opalinus Clay. Upscaling of parameters from laboratory to in situ scale; iii) Geochemistry of porewater and natural gases; evolution of porewater over time scales; iv) Assessment of long-term hydraulic transients associated with erosion and thermal scenarios and v) Evaluation of diffusion and retention parameters for long-lived radionuclides. Experiments related to repository-induced perturbations are focused on: i) Influence of rock liner on the disposal system and the buffering potential of the host rock; ii) Self-sealing processes in the excavation damaged zone; iii) Hydro-mechanical coupled processes (e.g. stress redistributions and pore pressure evolution during excavation); iv) Thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical coupled processes (e.g. heating of bentonite and host rock) and v) Gas-induced transport of radionuclides in porewater and along interfaces in the engineered barrier system. A third research direction is to demonstrate the feasibility of repository construction and long-term safety after repository closure. Demonstration experiments can contribute to improving the reliability of the scientific basis for the safety assessment of future geological repositories, particularly if they are performed on a large scale and with a long duration. These experiments include the construction and installation of engineered barriers on a 1:1 scale: i) Horizontal emplacement of canisters; ii) Evaluation of the corrosion of container materials; repository re-saturation; iii) Sealing of boreholes and repository access tunnels and iv) Long-term monitoring of the repository. References Bossart, P. & Thury, M. (2008): Mont Terri Rock Laboratory. Project, Programme 1996 to 2007 and Results. - Rep. Swiss Geol. Surv. 3.

Illitization of Potassium, Cesium, and Ammonium Exchanged Smectite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mills, M. M.; Wang, Y.; Payne, C.; Sanchez, A. C.; Boisvert, L.; Matteo, E. N.

2017-12-01

Bentonite clay is a primary choice for engineered barrier systems within geologic repositories for disposal of radioactive wastes due to its low permeability at saturated states, warranting diffusion as the dominant transport mechanism, and large swelling pressures that promote sealing. In order to predict how well the barrier will function over time at repository relevant temperatures, it is important to understand thermal alteration effects on montmorillonite, better known as smectite, a main constituent of bentonite. One type of thermal alteration is the conversion to illite, when exposed to elevated temperatures and a sufficient amount of potassium ions, thereby weakening barrier functions. To facilitate the conversion of smectite to illite and examine the influence of interlayer cations, illitization experiments on cation exchanged smectite were performed within hydrothermal reaction vessels over one week timescales. The <2um fraction of a Na-rich smectite clay was first exchanged with 1M Cs, K, and NH4 salt solutions and further exposed to hydrous pyrolysis using a 1M KCl solution with various solid to liquid ratios at 200°C. Multiple analysis techniques were used to characterize the altered clay and identify extent of conversion, such as XRD, cation exchange capacity, and morphology changes by SEM. The pore-water chemistry was also analyzed by ICP-OES to detect any dissolved products and silica content. Results suggest the conversion rate is relatively fast, occurring within days, and is dependent on not only the amount of K, but also dissolved silica concentration related to total solid in solution. Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc. for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-NA0003525. SAND2017-7856A

Transport and retention of surfactant- and polymer-stabilized engineered silver nanoparticles in silicate-dominated aquifer material.

PubMed

Adrian, Yorck F; Schneidewind, Uwe; Bradford, Scott A; Simunek, Jirka; Fernandez-Steeger, Tomas M; Azzam, Rafig

2018-05-01

Packed column experiments were conducted to investigate the transport and blocking behavior of surfactant- and polymer-stabilized engineered silver nanoparticles (Ag-ENPs) in saturated natural aquifer media with varying content of material < 0.063 mm in diameter (silt and clay fraction), background solution chemistry, and flow velocity. Breakthrough curves for Ag-ENPs exhibited blocking behavior that frequently produced a delay in arrival time in comparison to a conservative tracer that was dependent on the physicochemical conditions, and then a rapid increase in the effluent concentration of Ag-ENPs. This breakthrough behavior was accurately described using one or two irreversible retention sites that accounted for Langmuirian blocking on one site. Simulated values for the total retention rate coefficient and the maximum solid phase concentration of Ag-ENPs increased with increasing solution ionic strength, cation valence, clay and silt content, decreasing flow velocity, and for polymer-instead of surfactant-stabilized Ag-ENPs. Increased Ag-ENP retention with ionic strength occurred because of compression of the double layer and lower magnitudes in the zeta potential, whereas lower velocities increased the residence time and decreased the hydrodynamics forces. Enhanced Ag-ENP interactions with cation valence and clay were attributed to the creation of cation bridging in the presence of Ca 2+ . The delay in breakthrough was always more pronounced for polymer-than surfactant-stabilized Ag-ENPs, because of differences in the properties of the stabilizing agents and the magnitude of their zeta-potential was lower. Our results clearly indicate that the long-term transport behavior of Ag-ENPs in natural, silicate dominated aquifer material will be strongly dependent on blocking behavior that changes with the physicochemical conditions and enhanced Ag-ENP transport may occur when retention sites are filled. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biodegradable Pectin/clay Aerogels

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Biodegradable, foamlike materials based on renewable pectin and sodium montmorillonite clay were fabricated through a simple, environmentally friendly freeze-drying process. Addition of multivalent cations (Ca2+ and Al3+) resulted in apparent crosslinking of the polymer, and enhancement of aerogel p...

Intercalated layered clay composites and their applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phukan, Anjali

Supported inorganic reagents are rapidly emerging as new and environmentally acceptable reagents and catalysts. The smectite group of layered clay minerals, such as, Montmorillonite, provides promising character for adsorption, catalytic activity, supports etc. for their large surface area, swelling behavior and ion exchange properties. Aromatic compounds intercalated in layered clays are useful in optical molecular devices. Clay is a unique material for adsorption of heavy metals and various toxic substances. Clay surfaces are known to be catalytically active due to their surface acidity. Acid activated clays possess much improved surface areas and acidities and have higher pore volumes so that can absorb large molecules in the pores. The exchangeable cations in clay minerals play a key role in controlling surface acidity and catalytic activity. Recently, optically active metal-complex-Montmorillonite composites are reported to be active in antiracemization purposes. In view of the above, a research work, relating to the preparation of different modified clay composites and their catalytic applications were carried out. The different aspects and results of the present work have been reported in four major chapters. Chapter I: This is an introductory chapter, which contains a review of the literature regarding clay-based materials. Clay minerals are phyllosilicates with layer structure. Montmorillonite, a member of smectite group of clay, is 2:1 phyllosilicate, where a layer is composed of an octahedral sheet sandwiched by two tetrahedral sheets. Such clay shows cation exchange capacity (CEC) and is expressed in milli-equivalents per 100 gm of dry clay. Clays can be modified by interaction with metal ion, metal complexes, metal cluster and organic cations for various applications. Clays are also modified by treating with acid followed by impregnation with metal salts or ions. Montmorillonite can intercalate suitable metal complexes in excess of CEC to form double or pseudo-trilayer composites. Metal ion and metal ion metal salts intercalated on Montmorillonite are efficient catalysts for Friedel-Crafts (FC) reactions, such as benzylation of benzene, synthesis of Raspberry ketone [4-(4'-hydroxyphenyl)butan-2-one] etc. Montmorillonite clay can be used as a good support for controlled release of pesticides and medicinal drugs, adsorbent for cationic dyes, toxic substances and heavy metals effective adsorbent for radioactive and toxic industrial wastes,...

Generic Argillite/Shale Disposal Reference Case

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zheng, Liange; Colon, Carlos Jové; Bianchi, Marco

Radioactive waste disposal in a deep subsurface repository hosted in clay/shale/argillite is a subject of widespread interest given the desirable isolation properties, geochemically reduced conditions, and widespread geologic occurrence of this rock type (Hansen 2010; Bianchi et al. 2013). Bianchi et al. (2013) provides a description of diffusion in a clay-hosted repository based on single-phase flow and full saturation using parametric data from documented studies in Europe (e.g., ANDRA 2005). The predominance of diffusive transport and sorption phenomena in this clay media are key attributes to impede radionuclide mobility making clay rock formations target sites for disposal of high-level radioactivemore » waste. The reports by Hansen et al. (2010) and those from numerous studies in clay-hosted underground research laboratories (URLs) in Belgium, France and Switzerland outline the extensive scientific knowledge obtained to assess long-term clay/shale/argillite repository isolation performance of nuclear waste. In the past several years under the UFDC, various kinds of models have been developed for argillite repository to demonstrate the model capability, understand the spatial and temporal alteration of the repository, and evaluate different scenarios. These models include the coupled Thermal-Hydrological-Mechanical (THM) and Thermal-Hydrological-Mechanical-Chemical (THMC) models (e.g. Liu et al. 2013; Rutqvist et al. 2014a, Zheng et al. 2014a) that focus on THMC processes in the Engineered Barrier System (EBS) bentonite and argillite host hock, the large scale hydrogeologic model (Bianchi et al. 2014) that investigates the hydraulic connection between an emplacement drift and surrounding hydrogeological units, and Disposal Systems Evaluation Framework (DSEF) models (Greenberg et al. 2013) that evaluate thermal evolution in the host rock approximated as a thermal conduction process to facilitate the analysis of design options. However, the assumptions and the properties (parameters) used in these models are different, which not only make inter-model comparisons difficult, but also compromise the applicability of the lessons learned from one model to another model. The establishment of a reference case would therefore be helpful to set up a baseline for model development. A generic salt repository reference case was developed in Freeze et al. (2013) and the generic argillite repository reference case is presented in this report. The definition of a reference case requires the characterization of the waste inventory, waste form, waste package, repository layout, EBS backfill, host rock, and biosphere. This report mainly documents the processes in EBS bentonite and host rock that are potentially important for performance assessment and properties that are needed to describe these processes, with brief description other components such as waste inventory, waste form, waste package, repository layout, aquifer, and biosphere. A thorough description of the generic argillite repository reference case will be given in Jové Colon et al. (2014).« less

Experiencing Clay: Inquiry-Based Learning and Assessment for Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mui, Ma So

2010-01-01

This article presents an examination of the effects of using an inquiry-based learning pedagogy to teach ceramics to pre-service teachers (my students) at the Hong Kong Institute of Education. At the beginning of the study the students were asked to conduct experiments on the properties of clay. The results indicate that half of them were able to…

Mechanical characterization and force-displacement hysteretic curves from in-plane cyclic tests on strong masonry infills.

PubMed

Morandi, Paolo; Hak, Sanja; Magenes, Guido

2018-02-01

This article contains information related to a recent study "Performance-based interpretation of in-plane cyclic tests on RC frames with strong masonry infills" (Morandi et al., 2017 [1]). Motivated by the necessity to improve the knowledge of the in-plane seismic response of rigid strong masonry infills, a wide experimental campaign based on in-plane cyclic tests on full-scale RC infilled frame specimens, supplemented with a complete characterization of the materials, has been conducted at the laboratory of the Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture of the University of Pavia. The masonry is constituted by vertically perforated 35 cm thick clay units with tongue and groove and dry head-joints and general-purpose mortar bed-joints. The paper reports the results of the mechanical characterization and of the force-displacement hysteretic curves from the in-plane cyclic tests.

Bio-Based Nano Composites from Plant Oil and Nano Clay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Jue; Hong, Chang K.; Wool, Richard P.

2003-03-01

We explored the combination of nanoclay with new chemically functionalized, amphiphilic, plant oil resins to form bio-based nanocomposites with improved physical and mechanical properties. These can be used in many new applications, including the development of self-healing nanocomposites through controlled reversible exfoliation/intercalation, and self-assembled nano-structures. Several chemically modified triglyceride monomers of varying polarity, combined with styrene (ca 30include acrylated epoxidized soybean oil (AESO), maleated acrylated epoxidized soybean oil (MAESO) and soybean oil pentaerythritol glyceride maleates (SOPERMA), containing either hydroxyl group or acid functionality or both. The clay used is a natural montmorillonite modified with methyl tallow bis-2-hydroxyethyl quaternary ammonium chloride, which has hydroxyl groups. Both XRD and TEM showed a completely exfoliated structure at 3 wtwhen the clay content is above 5 wtconsidered a mix of intercalated and partially exfoliated structure. The controlled polarity of the monomer has a major effect on the reversible dispersion of clay in the polymer matrix. The bio-based nanocomposites showed a significant increase in flexural modulus and strength. Supported by EPA and DoE

Hydro-mechanical properties of the Red Salt Clay (T4) - Relevancy of the minimum stress criterion for barrier integrity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Minkley, W.; Popp, T.; Salzer, K.; Gruner, M.; Böttge, V.

The so-called Red Salt Clay (T4) is deposited as clay-rich clastic sediment at the base of the Aller-series forming a persistent lateral layer of up to 20 m thickness above the lower Zechstein-series. The clay layers may act as a protective shield in the hanging wall of gas storages or underground repositories in salt formations, thus resulting in a multi-barrier system. As a proof of its reliability comprehensive hydro-mechanical investigations were performed on clay samples recovered at different sites in Germany. Most important, rock tightness against various fluids was confirmed in the lab and field-scale. Remarkably, only if the fluid pressure equalises the acting minimal stress (i.e. violence of the “minimum stress criterion”) a significant increase of permeability is observed (“pathway dilatation”) but no macro-frac. However, the material properties from different locations showed a significant variability according to different burial depths. Thus the Red Salt Clay may act as natural analogue, representing the material variability of various indurated clays. In addition, the existing knowledge gained from practical mining activities can be used to evaluate extreme in situ loading conditions.

Effect of polycarboxylate ether comb-type polymer on viscosity and interfacial properties of kaolinite clay suspensions.

PubMed

Zhang, Ling; Lu, Qingye; Xu, Zhenghe; Liu, Qingxia; Zeng, Hongbo

2012-07-15

The interactions between kaolinite clay particles and a comb-type polymer (polycarboxylate ether or PCE), so-called PCE super-plasticizer, were investigated through viscosity and surface forces measurements by a rheometer and a Surface Forces Apparatus (SFA). The addition of PCE shows a strong impact on the viscosity of concentrated kaolinite suspensions in alkaline solutions (pH=8.3) but a weak effect under acidic conditions (pH=3.4). In acidic solutions, the high viscosity measured is attributed to the strong electrostatic interaction between negatively charged basal planes and positively charged edge surfaces of clay particles. Under the alkaline condition, the suspension viscosity was found to first increase significantly and then decrease with increasing PCE dosages. The results from surface forces measurement show that PCE molecules at low dosages can bridge the kaolinite particles in the concentrated suspensions via hydrogen bonding, leading to the formation of a kaolinite-PCE "network" and hence an increased suspension viscosity. At high PCE dosages, clay particles are fully covered by PCE molecules, leading to a more dispersed kaolinite suspensions and hence lower suspension viscosity due to steric repulsion between the adsorbed PCE molecules. The insights derived from measuring viscosity and interfacial properties of kaolinite suspensions containing varying amount of comb-type super-plasticizer PCE at different pH provide the foundation for many engineering applications and optimizing industrial processes. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Thermal and rheological properties of L-polylactide/polyethylene glycol/silicate nanocomposites films.

PubMed

Ahmed, Jasim; Varshney, Sunil K; Auras, Rafael; Hwang, Sung W

2010-10-01

The melt rheology and thermal properties of polylactide (PLA)-based nanocomposite films that were prepared by solvent casting method with L-PLA, polyethylene glycol (PEG), and montmorillonite clay were studied. The neat PLA showed predominantly solid-like behavior (G' > G″) and the complex viscosity (η*) decreased systematically as the temperature increased from 184 to 196 °C. The elastic modulus (G') of PLA/clay blend showed a significant improvement in the magnitude in the melt, while clay concentration was at 6% wt or higher. At similar condition, PEG dramatically reduced dynamic modulii and complex viscosity of PLA/PEG blend as function of concentration. A nanocomposite blend of PLA/PEG/clay (74/20/6) when compared to the neat polymer and PLA/PEG blend exhibited intermediate values of elastic modulus (G') and complex viscosity (η*) with excellent flexibility. Thermal analysis of different clay loading blends indicated that the melting temperature (T(m)) and glass transition temperature (T(g)) remained unaffected irrespective of clay concentration due to immobilization of polymer chain in the clay nanocomposite. PEG incorporation reduced the T(g) and the T(m) of the blends (PLA/PEG and PLA/PEG/clay) significantly, however, crystallinity increased in the similar condition. The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) image of nanocomposite films indicated good compatibility between PLA and PEG, whereas clay was not thoroughly distributed in the PLA matrix and remained as clusters. The percent crystallinity obtained by X-ray was significantly higher than that of differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) data for PLA.

Shear Strength of Remoulding Clay Samples Using Different Methods of Moulding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Norhaliza, W.; Ismail, B.; Azhar, A. T. S.; Nurul, N. J.

2016-07-01

Shear strength for clay soil was required to determine the soil stability. Clay was known as a soil with complex natural formations and very difficult to obtain undisturbed samples at the site. The aim of this paper was to determine the unconfined shear strength of remoulded clay on different methods in moulding samples which were proctor compaction, hand operated soil compacter and miniature mould methods. All the samples were remoulded with the same optimum moisture content (OMC) and density that were 18% and 1880 kg/m3 respectively. The unconfined shear strength results of remoulding clay soils for proctor compaction method was 289.56kPa with the strain 4.8%, hand operated method was 261.66kPa with the strain 4.4% and miniature mould method was 247.52kPa with the strain 3.9%. Based on the proctor compaction method, the reduction percentage of unconfined shear strength of remoulded clay soil of hand operated method was 9.66%, and for miniature mould method was 14.52%. Thus, because there was no significant difference of reduction percentage of unconfined shear strength between three different methods, so it can be concluded that remoulding clay by hand operated method and miniature mould method were accepted and suggested to perform remoulding clay samples by other future researcher. However for comparison, the hand operated method was more suitable to form remoulded clay sample in term of easiness, saving time and less energy for unconfined shear strength determination purposes.

Organoclay hybrid materials as precursors of porous ZnO/silica-clay heterostructures for photocatalytic applications.

PubMed

Akkari, Marwa; Aranda, Pilar; Ben Haj Amara, Abdessalem; Ruiz-Hitzky, Eduardo

2016-01-01

In this study, ZnO/SiO 2 -clay heterostructures were successfully synthesized by a facile two-step process applied to two types of clays: montmorillonite layered silicate and sepiolite microfibrous clay mineral. In the first step, intermediate silica-organoclay hybrid heterostructures were prepared following a colloidal route based on the controlled hydrolysis of tetramethoxysilane in the presence of the starting organoclay. Later on, pre-formed ZnO nanoparticles (NP) dispersed in 2-propanol were incorporated under ultrasound irradiation to the silica-organoclay hybrid heterostructures dispersed in 2-propanol, and finally, the resulting solids were calcinated to eliminate the organic matter and to produce ZnO nanoparticles (NP) homogeneously assembled to the clay-SiO 2 framework. In the case of montmorillonite the resulting materials were identified as delaminated clays of ZnO/SiO 2 -clay composition, whereas for sepiolite, the resulting heterostructure is constituted by the assembling of ZnO NP to the sepiolite-silica substrate only affecting the external surface of the clay. The structural and morphological features of the prepared heterostructures were characterized by diverse physico-chemical techniques (such as XRD, FTIR, TEM, FE-SEM). The efficiency of these new porous ZnO/SiO 2 -clay heterostructures as potential photocatalysts in the degradation of organic dyes and the removal of pharmaceutical drugs in water solution was tested using methylene blue and ibuprofen compounds, respectively, as model of pollutants.

Revision of Hopewellian trading patterns in Midwestern North America based on mineralogical sourcing

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hughes, R.E.; Berres, T.E.; Moore, D.M.; Farnsworth, K.B.

1998-01-01

Traditional exchange models purport that all Hopewell-style platform pipes of flint clay were quarried and crafted in southern Ohio by Native Americans from a local kaolinitic flint clay, and that those found in the Havana Hopewell region of western Illinois were transported from southern Ohio along an Ohio River trade network. However, the results of this study show that berthierine-rich flint clay from northwestern Illinois was the only source for pipestone artifacts of the Havana Hopewell region. We base this on (1) X-ray diffraction analysis of quickly made smears, (2) spatiotemporal distribution of artifacts in the Sterling-Rock Falls, Illinois area, and (3) petrographic, X-ray fluorescence, Mo??ssbauer, and SEM/EDX analyses. This understanding of the source of this material made it possible to visually identify the source of large numbers of curated artifacts as having been made of material from the Sterling-Rock Falls area. This discovery has implications for understanding cultural and material exchange among Hopewellian societies. Also, it is the first report of berthierine flint clay and of flint clay that formed before the evolution of terrestrial plants. ?? 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Analysis of the `Biarez Favre' and `Burland' models for the compressibility of remoulded clays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Favre, Jean-Louis; Hattab, Mahdia

2008-01-01

This study aims at comparing the prediction by the Biarez and Favre model as well as by the more recent Burland one, established for reconstituted normally consolidated clays submitted to oedometric loading. The former, proposed in the 1970s, uses the liquidity index IL, and while the latter introduces a parameter, Iv, which is a normalised void index based on two characteristic void ratios ( e100* and e1000*) corresponding to the oedometric curve of σv=100 kPa and σv=1000 kPa. The aim of these models is to predict the compressibility parameters based on the identification of parameters represented by the Atterberg limits ( wL, wP, Ip) as well as of other physical parameters such as the void ratio e or the natural water content wnat, taking into account the effective overburden pressure σv. These models, which represent the intrinsic properties of clays under compression, are compared with two experimental curves, the first one representing remoulded and reconstituted clay, and the other one a deepwater clay sediment taken from the Gulf of Guinea at a depth of 700 m.

The Environmental Assessment and Management (TEAM) Guide: Mississippi Supplement

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-03-01

4 The Environmental Assessment and Management (TEAM) Guide: Mississippi Supplement C on st ru ct io n E n gi...resins manufacturing 10. pulp and paper industry 11. rubber and miscellaneous paper products 12. stone, glass, clay, and concrete products 13...contaminant risk assessment of the material. 4 . The registrant of the by-product must have the certification of a professional engineer licensed in

State Paths of Clay Dominated Soils of Coastal Marshland: Scale Effect and Hydrodynamic Behaviour

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tojo Radimy, Raymond; Dudoignon, Patrick

2017-12-01

The paper is focused on clayey dominated sediments of coastal marshes of the West Atlantic coast of France because of their homogeneity in texture and mineralogy, and their vertical structure evolution from dried and solid state in surface down to saturated plastic-to-liquid state in depth. It proposes a “review” of the complementary petrographic and hydromechanical data obtained on theses clay dominated soils and a method of calculation for the relationships prevailing between the hydro-mechanical properties and microstructure behaviour of the clay matrices. This tool, based on the shrinkage curve of the clay matrix is applied as aid to the hydraulic management of marshlands regarding the soil-plant interactions.

An Exploratory Study: Assessment of Modeled Dioxin ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA announced the availability of the final report, An Exploratory Study: Assessment of Modeled Dioxin Exposure in Ceramic Art Studios. This report investigates the potential dioxin exposure to artists/hobbyists who use ball clay to make pottery and related products. Dermal, inhalation, and ingestion exposures to clay were measured at the ceramics art department of Ohio State University in Columbus, OH. The exposure estimates were based on measured levels of clay in the studio air, deposited on surrogate food samples and on the skin of the artists. The purpose of this report is to describe an exploratory investigation of potential dioxin exposures to artists/hobbyists who use ball clay to make pottery and related products.

The Application of Ground-Penetrating Radar to Transportation Engineering: Recent Advances and New Perspectives (GI Division Outstanding ECS Award Lecture)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tosti, Fabio; Benedetto, Andrea; Pajewski, Lara; Alani, Amir M.

2017-04-01

Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) is one of the most acknowledged and established non-destructive testing (NDT) techniques within the context of the health monitoring and assessment of transportation infrastructures. GPR is being increasingly used for the effective management of infrastructural assets as it weakens the case for using other destructive monitoring methods, such as digging holes, and allows for rapid and reliable detection of many causes of the subsurface damage. Thereby, its usage favours the optimisation of the economical expenditure for the effective maintenance of great infrastructures as well as it improves the public safety by preventing or not raising the risk of accidents. GPR has been used in highway, railway and airfield engineering as well as for the monitoring of critical infrastructures, such as bridges and tunnels. It has found established use in the assessment of the geometric properties of the subsurface, such as in the case of the evaluation of the pavement layer thicknesses, or the size of the rebars in concrete-made structural components. Major physical-based investigations have been focused on the evaluation of the moisture ingress in flexible road pavements and in concrete structures, as well as on the detection of the rebars corrosion caused by the ingress of chloride. The majority of these parameters are evaluated using methods of signal analysis and data processing based on the signal in the time domain. The sophistication of the hardware and software of the GPR systems over the last few years as well as the recent advances achieved in the research have contributed to raise the high potential of this non-destructive technique and paved the way towards new application areas in transportation engineering. In particular, GPR is nowadays finding major application when used with complementary non-destructive testing techniques, although it has still proved to provide reliable results in various self-standing applications. This work aims at presenting the recent advances and the new perspectives in the application of GPR to transportation engineering. This study reports on new experimental-based and theoretical models for the assessment of the physical (i.e., clay and water content in subgrade soils, railway ballast fouling) and the mechanical (i.e., the Young's modulus of elasticity) properties that are critical in maintaining the structural stability and the bearing capacity of the major transport infrastructures, such as highways, railways and airfields. With regard to the physical parameters, the electromagnetic behaviour related to the clay content in the load-bearing layers of flexible pavements as well as in subgrade soils has been analysed and modelled in both dry and wet conditions. Furthermore, it is discussed a new simulation-based methodology for the detection of the fouling content in railway ballast. Concerning the mechanical parameters, experimental based methods are presented for the assessment of the strength and deformation properties of the soils and the top-bounded layers of flexible pavements. Furthermore, unique case studies in terms of the methodology proposed, the survey planning and the site procedures in rather complex operations, are discussed in the case of bridges and tunnels inspections. Acknowledgements The Authors are grateful to the GI Division President Dr. Francesco Soldovieri and the relevant Award Committee in the context of the "GI Division Outstanding Early Career Scientists Award" of the European Geosciences Union. We also acknowledge the COST Action TU1208 "Civil Engineering Applications of Ground Penetrating Radar" for providing networking and discussion opportunities throughout its activity and operation as well as facilitating prospect for publishing research outputs.

Molecular dynamics studies of polyurethane nanocomposite hydrogels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strankowska, J.; Piszczyk, Ł.; Strankowski, M.; Danowska, M.; Szutkowski, K.; Jurga, S.; Kwela, J.

2013-10-01

Polyurethane PEO-based hydrogels have a broad range of biomedical applicability. They are attractive for drug-controlled delivery systems, surgical implants and wound healing dressings. In this study, a PEO based polyurethane hydrogels containing Cloisite® 30B, an organically modified clay mineral, was synthesized. Structure of nanocomposite hydrogels was determined using XRD technique. Its molecular dynamics was studied by means of NMR spectroscopy, DMA and DSC analysis. The mechanical properties and thermal stability of the systems were improved by incorporation of clay and controlled by varying the clay content in polymeric matrix. Molecular dynamics of polymer chains depends on interaction of Cloisite® 30B nanoparticles with soft segments of polyurethanes. The characteristic nanosize effect is observed.

A case study on stratified settlement and rebound characteristics due to dewatering in Shanghai subway station.

PubMed

Wang, Jianxiu; Huang, Tianrong; Sui, Dongchang

2013-01-01

Based on the Yishan Metro Station Project of Shanghai Metro Line number 9, a centrifugal model test was conducted to investigate the behavior of stratified settlement and rebound (SSR) of Shanghai soft clay caused by dewatering in deep subway station pit. The soil model was composed of three layers, and the dewatering process was simulated by self-invention of decompressing devise. The results indicate that SSR occurs when the decompression was carried out, and only negative rebound was found in sandy clay, but both positive and negative rebound occurred in the silty clay, and the absolute value of rebound in sandy clay was larger than in silty clay, and the mechanism of SSR was discussed with mechanical sandwich model, and it was found that the load and cohesive force of different soils was the main source of different responses when decompressed.

Nanoparticles of nickel oxide: growth and organization on zinc-substituted anionic clay matrix by one-pot route at room temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carja, Gabriela; Nakajima, Akira; Dranca, Cristian; Okada, Kiyoshi

2010-10-01

A room temperature nanocarving strategy is developed for the fabrication of nanoparticles of nickel oxide on zinc-substituted anionic clay matrix (Ni/ZnLDH). It is based on the growth and organization of nanoparticles of nickel oxide which occur during the structural reconstruction of the layered structure of the anionic clay in NiSO4 aqueous solution. No organic compounds are used during the fabrication. The described material was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), IR spectroscopy (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Results show that the nickel-clay nanoarchitecture consists of small nanoparticles of nickel oxide (average size 7 nm) deposited on the larger nanoparticles (average size 90 nm) of zinc-substituted clay. The optical properties of the new nickel-zinc formulation are studied by UV-Vis.

Alumosilicate ceramic proppants based on natural refractory raw materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vakalova, T. V.; Devyashina, L. P.; Burihina, M. A.; Kisner, A. S.; Pashenko, N. V.

2017-12-01

The sintering-strengthening effect of the additions of the highly ferrous bauxite (with Fe2O3 content of 20-25 % in the calcined state) in the compositions with refractory clays was established. It was found that in the temperature range 1350-1500°C the additions of bauxite in amounts of 10-40% have a fluxing effect due to the iron oxide introduced with bauxite in compositions with clay. An increasing the bauxite additive in the amount of 50-70% ensures its strengthening effect by increasing the total content of the mullite of the prismatic habit in the firing products of composites with clay. Preliminary clay and bauxite calcination at 900 °C and an increase in the content of bauxite additive up to 50-70% in compositions with clay allow to produce aluminosilicate proppants with a bulk density of 1.62-1.65 g/cm3 and compressive strength up to 52 MPa.

A Case Study on Stratified Settlement and Rebound Characteristics due to Dewatering in Shanghai Subway Station

PubMed Central

Wang, Jianxiu; Huang, Tianrong; Sui, Dongchang

2013-01-01

Based on the Yishan Metro Station Project of Shanghai Metro Line number 9, a centrifugal model test was conducted to investigate the behavior of stratified settlement and rebound (SSR) of Shanghai soft clay caused by dewatering in deep subway station pit. The soil model was composed of three layers, and the dewatering process was simulated by self-invention of decompressing devise. The results indicate that SSR occurs when the decompression was carried out, and only negative rebound was found in sandy clay, but both positive and negative rebound occurred in the silty clay, and the absolute value of rebound in sandy clay was larger than in silty clay, and the mechanism of SSR was discussed with mechanical sandwich model, and it was found that the load and cohesive force of different soils was the main source of different responses when decompressed. PMID:23878521

Effect of clay content on morphology and processability of electrospun keratin/poly(lactic acid) nanofiber.

PubMed

Isarankura Na Ayutthaya, Siriorn; Tanpichai, Supachok; Sangkhun, Weradesh; Wootthikanokkhan, Jatuphorn

2016-04-01

This research work has concerned the development of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) removal filters from biomaterials, based on keratin extracted from chicken feather waste and poly(lactic acid) (PLA) (50/50%w/w) blend. Clay (Na-montmorillonite) was also added to the blend solution prior to carrying out an electro-spinning process. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of clay content on viscosity, conductivity, and morphology of the electrospun fibers. Scanning electron micrographs showed that smooth and bead-free fibers were obtained when clay content used was below 2 pph. XRD patterns of the electrospun fibers indicated that the clay was intercalated and exfoliated within the polymers matrix. Percentage crystallinity of keratin in the blend increased after adding the clay, as evidenced from FTIR spectra and DSC thermograms. Transmission electron micrographs revealed a kind of core-shell structure with clay being predominately resided within the keratin rich shell and at the interfacial region. Filtration performance of the electrospun keratin/PLA fibers, described in terms of pressure drop and its capability of removing methylene blue, were also explored. Overall, our results demonstrated that it was possible to improve process-ability, morphology and filtration efficiency of the electrospun keratin fibers by adding a suitable amount of clay. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

2,3,7,8-DIBENZO-P-DIOXINS IN MINED CLAY PRODUCTS ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Ball clay was the source of dioxin contamination discovered in selected chickens analyzed as part of a joint U.S. Department of Agriculture/U.S. Environmental Protection Agency national survey of the U.S. poultry supply conducted in 1997. The affected animals, which had been raised in the southern United States, represented approximately 5% of the national poultry production . All of these chickens and other animal food sources (i.e., farm-raised catfish), similarly contaminated, were fed a diet of animal feed containing ball clay as an anti-caking additive. The clay was mined in northwestern Mississippi within a geological formation referred to as the Mississippi Embayment. Individual raw and processed ball clay samples were analyzed for the presence of the 2,3,7,8-PCDDs/PCDFs. The average toxic equivalents (TEQs) for the raw and processed samples were 1513 and 996 ppt dry weight, respectively. Other mined clay-based products used in animal feeds revealed lower TEQs. All of the products exhibited either an absence of detectable concentrations of 2,3,7,8-PCDFs or concentrations 2-3 orders of magnitude lower than the PCDDs. The isomer distribution, specific isomer identification, and congener profile of the PCDDs in the clay were established and compared to known sources of dioxin contamination. Several unique features of this isomer distribution are characteristic of the clays and are distinguishable from those other known sources. These characteristic

Environmental Impact Statement for Proposed Closure of Eaker Air Force Base, Arkansas

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-05-01

alluvial floodplain of the Mississippi River . Quaternary deposits composed of clay, sandy clay, sand , and gravel occur to a depth of approximately 125...Protection Agency 1988 Bossier Parish , Louisiana : Mississippi County, Arkansas: Pulaski County, Arkansas: and Taylor County. Texas Air Quality Inventory...receiving bases: Malmstrom AFB, Montana; Barksdale AFB, Louisiana ; and Plattsburgh AFB, New York. Additional documents may be prepared 3 when the

An Evidence-Based Review on Medicinal Value of Clays in Traditional Persian Medicine.

PubMed

Hosseinkhani, Ayda; Montaseri, Hashem; Hosamo, Ammar; Zarshenas, Mohammad Mehdi

2017-01-01

The use of earths and clays for medical purposes dates back to antiquity. In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in researches on traditional remedies in the hope of discovering new drug. Iran is an ancient country with a medical backbone acquired from the experiences of ancient Persian scholars, who had made a great contribution to the development of the medical sciences. Many medical and pharmaceutical books by early Persian scientists still exist and may have the potential of leading researchers to new drug discoveries. Owing to the emergence of new and antimicrobial-resistant infections, present-day medicine has recently begun focusing on medicinal earths and clays especially as mineral antimicrobials. The current study is, therefore, aimed at gathering information regarding medicinal clays in traditional Persian medicine (TPM). Five main Persian materia medica with the key word 'tin' (clay) and current databases such as PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar were searched by key words 'white, green, red, maroon, violet, black, grey and pink clays' and 'pharmacological effects'. Twenty three clays were found in Persian manuscripts. Although their mineralogical compositions are unknown, different pharmacological properties have been attributed to these mineral medicaments. Clay's properties were widely used in medieval times for the treatment of infections to poisoning. They were also used in compound formulations, possibly for their pharmaceutical formulation modifying effects. Modern scientific proofs have also been found in many of the medicinal clays reported in Persian manuscripts. Although many of the reported clays are still unknown, their characterization may lead to new medicinal developments. Novel analytical methods available today make it possible to elucidate the chemical compositions of these minerals as parameters responsible for their medicinal effects. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Land Desertification and it’s Control in Gonghe Basin of Qinghai Plateau, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, D.; Gao, S.; Lu, R.

2009-12-01

Land desertification is an important environmental and social-economic problems that threatening people’s living conditions and impacting social sustainable development. The Gonghe basin in Qinghai Plateau is a fragile cold alpine area which is one of the places seriously threatened by desertification in China. This paper selected Gonghe basin as a study area to study land sandy desertification and its controlling measures. The engineering measures for sandy desertification control include setting clay sand barrier, Salix cheilophila sand barrier, Tamarix sand barrier, Artemisia sand barrier and straw-checker sand-barriers to fix dunes; the biological measures include closure for natural vegetation recovery, direct seeding forestation, transplanting seedlings, and so on. The combination of engineering and biologic measures can fix dunes 2~3 years earlier than the common single measure; and the costs were basically identical. A synthesized evaluation system established based on experimental results and experience in recent years indicated that the effectiveness of the four kinds of sand barrier for prevention and control of sand in study area were: Tamarix sand barrier > Artemisia sand barrier > clay sand barrier > straw-checker sand-barriers. In addition, different optimized management model can be selected according to local material and geographical place. New plants such as Salix cheilophila and Tamarix, which are available in study area, can change from dead sand barrier to live one set in proper seasons, changing engineering measure to biological one directly speeds the progress of forestation and dunes fixation. In addition, we developed new technique of deep planting Salix cheilophila and Tamarix with their long stem, which can effectively resist drought. We found that it had lower cost and higher live rate, and has a better sand prevention effect than deep planting of Poplar. Finally we choose the optimize management model as follows: Artemisia direct seeding > Caragana direct seeding, Tamarix cutting and seedling > Salix cheilophila deep planting, Sea-buckthorn seedling > Tamarix deep planting > Tamarix seedling > Poplar deep planting > Salix cheilophila seedling > Poplar seedling. It has resolved the key problem of control sand flow speed and low efficiency, sand burying and wind erosion and low conservation rate for forestation in the sandy area.

A record of reversed polarity carries by the iron sulphide greigite in British early Pleistocene sediments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hallam, D. F.; Maher, B. A.

1994-01-01

Palaeomagnetic measurements were made on samples extracted from a short sequence of early Pleistocene estuarine clays, now exposed in a sea cliff near Sheringham on the north Norfolk coast, UK. On the basis of earlier palynological work, these clays had been ascribed a Pastonian (late Tiglian) age. The clays show marked changes in colour, from reddish-brown at the top of the unit, to blue-grey in the middle, and grey-brown at the base. The palaeomagnetic data vary in close association with these colour changes. The top and basal brown clays show scattered normal directions of low intensity, while the middle blue clays show strongly clustered reversed directions, of much higher intensities. Some samples taken from the boundary between the middle blue clays and upper red clays show upon demagnetisation a normal overprint on a stable reversed polarity. Using high-gradient magnetic extraction, magnetic concentrates have been obtained from the strongly magnetic middle blue clays. The presence of iron sulphide minerals in these concentrates was identified using energy-dispersive X-ray analysis during scanning electron microscopy. More specifically, X-ray diffraction identifies greigite as the only detectable ferrimagnetic mineral in the magnetic concentrates. Rock magnetic measurements show clear qualitative differences in the magnetic mineralogies of the three clay subunits, but absolute identification of the magnetic mineralogy of the weakly magnetic upper and basal brown clays has not yet been possible. We interpret the sequence as a primary reversed polarity record. This record is carried by the iron sulphide greigate as a chemical remanence acquired during `syn'-depositional reduction of iron via the decomposition of organic material in these anoxic tidal clays. Subsequently, the upper and basl subunits of the clay have been oxidised by permeation of groundwater from the adjacent coarse-grained sediments. Most of the griegite in the oxidised margins of the clay has been altered as a result, to a new, less efficient magnetic recording material which thus carries a later, scattered, low-intensity, normal overprint.

Multidecadal persistence of organic matter in soils: insights from spatially resolved investigations at the submicrometer scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lutfalla, Suzanne; Barré, Pierre; Bernard, Sylvain; Le Guillou, Corentin; Alléon, Julien; Chenu, Claire

2016-04-01

Better understanding the mechanisms responsible for the pluri-decadal persistence of carbon in soils requires well constraining the dynamics, the distribution and the chemical nature of both the soil organic carbon (SOC) and the associated mineral phases. The question we address in this work is whether different mineral species lead to different organo-mineral interactions and stabilize different quantities of SOM and different types of SOC. Here, benefiting from the unique opportunity offered by an INRA long term bare fallow (LTBF) experiment having started in 1928 in Versailles (France), we report the in-situ characterization of SOC dynamics in four clay fractions of this silty loam soil (total clays [TC, <2μm], coarse clays [CC, 0.2-2μm], intermediate clays [IC, 0.05-0.2μm] and fine clays [FC, 0-0.05μm]). The IC and FC fractions only contain smectite and illite/smectite mixed-layered clay minerals while the CC fraction also contains illite and kaolinite. In the absence of any carbon input, the plant-free LTBF clay fractions from Versailles progressively lost SOC during the first 50 years of the experiment, until they reached a seemingly stable concentration. Of note, the investigated clay fractions did not lose the same amount of SOC and do not exhibit the same final carbon concentrations. The decrease of the organic C:N ratios with LTBF duration corresponds to a progressive enrichment in N-rich SOC for all fractions which can be attributed to microbial material. Even though the speciation of SOC appears to only slightly evolve with LTBF duration, an enrichment in carboxyl and carbonyl groups is revealed by bulk-scale C-NEXAFS data for SOC from all clay fractions. In addition, STXM-based NEXAFS investigations at the submicrometer scale reveal three types of SOC-clay assemblages in addition to clay-free SOC and organic-free clays. While SOC appears mostly adsorbed onto clay surfaces within the IC and FC fractions, other protection mechanisms occur within the CC fraction. Altogether, the present study suggests that smectite have more efficient protection capabilities than those of illite and kaolinite.

High-resolution dating of deep-sea clays using Sr isotopes in fossil fish teeth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ingram, B. Lynn

1995-09-01

Strontium isotopic compostitions of ichthyoliths (microscopic fish remains) in deep-sea clays recovered from the North Pacific Ocean (ODP holes 885A, 886B, and 886C) are used to provide stratigraphic age control within these otherwise undatable sediments. Age control within the deep-sea clays is crucial for determining changes in sedimentation rates, and for calculating fluxes of chemical and mineral components to the sediments. The Sr isotopic ages are in excellent agreement with independent age datums from above (diatom ooze), below (basalt basement) and within (Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary) the clay deposit. The 87Sr/ 86Sr ratios of fish teeth from the top of the pelagic clay unit (0.708989), indicate an Late Miocene age (5.8 Ma), as do radiolarian and diatom biostratigraphic ages in the overlying diatom ooze. The 87Sr/ 86Sr ratio (0.707887) is consistent with a Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary age, as identified by anomalously high iridium, shocked quartz, and sperules in Hole 886C. The 87Sr/ 86Sr ratios of pretreated fish teeth from the base of the clay unit are similar to Late Cretaceous seawater (0.707779-0.707519), consistent with radiometric ages from the underlying basalt of 81 Ma. Calculation of sedimentation rates based on Sr isotopic ages from Hole 886C indicate an average sedimentation rate of 17.7 m/Myr in Unit II (diatom ooze), 0.55 m/Myr in Unit IIIa (pelagic clay), and 0.68 m/Myr in Unit IIIb (distal hydrothermal precipitates). The Sr isotopic ages indicate a period of greatly reduced sedimentation (or possible hiatus) between about 35 and 65 Ma (Eocene-Paleocene), with a linear sedimentation rate of only 0.04 m/Myr The calculated sedimentation rates are generally inversely proportional to cobalt accumulation rates and ichthyolith abundances. However, discrepancies between Sr isotope ages and cobalt accumulation ages of 10-15 Myr are evident, particularly in the middle of the clay unit IIIa (Oligocene-Paleocene).

Clay catalysis of oligonucleotide formation: kinetics of the reaction of the 5'-phosphorimidazolides of nucleotides with the non-basic heterocycles uracil and hypoxanthine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kawamura, K.; Ferris, J. P.

1999-01-01

The montmorillonite clay catalyzed condensation of activated monocleotides to oligomers of RNA is a possible first step in the formation of the proposed RNA world. The rate constants for the condensation of the phosphorimidazolide of adenosine were measured previously and these studies have been extended to the phosphorimidazolides of inosine and uridine in the present work to determine of substitution of neutral heterocycles for the basic adenine ring changes the reaction rate or regioselectivity. The oligomerization reactions of the 5'-phosphoromidazolides of uridine (ImpU) and inosine (ImpI) on montmorillonite yield oligo(U)s and oligo(I)s as long as heptamers. The rate constants for oligonucleotide formation were determined by measuring the rates of formation of the oligomers by HPLC. Both the apparent rate constants in the reaction mixture and the rate constants on the clay surface were calculated using the partition coefficients of the oligomers between the aqueous and clay phases. The rate constants for trimer formation are much greater than those dimer synthesis but there was little difference in the rate constants for the formation of trimers and higher oligomers. The overall rates of oligomerization of the phosphorimidazolides of purine and pyrimidine nucleosides in the presence of montmorillonite clay are the same suggesting that RNA formed on the primitive Earth could have contained a variety of heterocyclic bases. The rate constants for oligomerization of pyrimidine nucleotides on the clay surface are significantly higher than those of purine nucleotides since the pyrimidine nucleotides bind less strongly to the clay than do the purine nucleotides. The differences in the binding is probably due to Van der Waals interactions between the purine bases and the clay surface. Differences in the basicity of the heterocyclic ring in the nucleotide have little effect on the oligomerization process.

Implementation of a best management practice (BMP) system for a clay mining facility in Taiwan.

PubMed

Lin, Jen-Yang; Chen, Yen-Chang; Chen, Walter; Lee, Tsu-Chuan; Yu, Shaw L

2006-01-01

The present paper describes the planning and implementation of a best management practice (BMP) system for a clay mining facility in Northern Taiwan. It is a challenge to plan and design BMPs for mitigating the impact of clay mining operations due to the fact that clay mining drainage typically contains very high concentrations of suspended solids (SS), Fe-ions, and [H+] concentrations. In the present study, a field monitoring effort was conducted to collect data for runoff quality and quantity from a clay mining area in Northern Taiwan. A BMP system including holding ponds connected in series was designed and implemented and its pollutant removal performance was assessed. The assessment was based on mass balance computations and an analysis of the relationship between BMP design parameters such as pond depth, detention time, surface loading rate, etc. and the pollutant removal efficiency. Field sampling results showed that the surface-loading rate is exponential related to the removing rate. The results provide the basis for a more comprehensive and efficient BMP implementation plan for clay mining operations.

Electrokinetic-enhanced bioaugmentation for remediation of chlorinated solvents contaminated clay

PubMed Central

Mao, Xuhui; Wang, James; Ciblak, Ali; Cox, Evan E.; Riis, Charlotte; Terkelsen, Mads; Gent, David B.; Alshawabkeh, Akram N.

2012-01-01

Successful bioremediation of contaminated soils is controlled by the ability to deliver bioremediation additives, such as bacteria and/or nutrients, to the contaminated zone. Because hydraulic advection is not practical for delivery in clays, electrokinetic (EK) injection is an alternative for efficient and uniform delivery of bioremediation additive into low-permeability soil and heterogeneous deposits. EK–enhanced bioaugmentation for remediation of clays contaminated with chlorinated solvents is evaluated. Dehalococcoides (Dhc) bacterial strain and lactate ions are uniformly injected in contaminated clay and complete dechlorination of chlorinated ethene is observed in laboratory experiments. The injected bacteria can survive, grow, and promote effective dechlorination under EK conditions and after EK application. The distribution of Dhc within the clay suggests that electrokinetic transport of Dhc is primarily driven by electroosmosis. In addition to biodegradation due to bioaugmentation of Dhc, an EK-driven transport of chlorinated ethenes is observed in the clay, which accelerates cleanup of chlorinated ethenes from the anode side. Compared with conventional advection-based delivery, EK injection is significantly more effective forestablis hingmicrobial reductive dechlorination capacity in low-permeability soils. PMID:22365139

Polyethylene organo-clay nanocomposites: the role of the interface chemistry on the extent of clay intercalation/exfoliation.

PubMed

Mainil, Michaël; Alexandre, Michaël; Monteverde, Fabien; Dubois, Philippe

2006-02-01

High density polyethylene (HDPE)/clay nanocomposites have been prepared using three different functionalized polyethylene compatibilizers: an ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymer, a polyethylene grafted with maleic anhydride functions and a (styrene-b-ethylene/butylene-b-styrene) block copolymer. The nanocomposites were prepared via two different routes: (1) the dispersion in HDPE of a masterbatch prepared from the compatibilizer and the clay or (2) the direct melt blending of the three components. For each compatibilizer, essentially intercalated nanocomposites were formed as determined by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. With the ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymer, a significant delamination of the intercalated clay in thin stacks was observed. This dispersion of thin intercalated stacks within the polymer matrix allowed increasing significantly the stiffness and the flame resistance of the nanocomposite. A positive effect of shear rate and blending time has also been put into evidence, especially for the process based on the masterbatch preparation, improving both the formation of thin stacks of intercalated clay and the mechanical properties and the flame resistance of the formed nanocomposites.

Organic or organometallic template mediated clay synthesis

DOEpatents

Gregar, Kathleen C.; Winans, Randall E.; Botto, Robert E.

1994-01-01

A method for incorporating diverse Varieties of intercalants or templates directly during hydrothermal synthesis of clays such as hectorite or montmorillonite-type layer-silicate clays. For a hectorite layer-silicate clay, refluxing a gel of silica sol, magnesium hydroxide sol and lithium fluoride for two days in the presence of an organic or organometallic intercalant or template results in crystalline products containing either (a) organic dye molecules such as ethyl violet and methyl green, (b) dye molecules such as alcian blue that are based on a Cu(II)-phthalocyannine complex, or (c) transition metal complexes such as Ru(II)phenanthroline and Co(III)sepulchrate or (d) water-soluble porphyrins and metalloporphyrins. Montmorillonite-type clays are made by the method taught by U.S. Pat. No. 3,887,454 issued to Hickson, Jun. 13, 1975; however, a variety of intercalants or templates may be introduced. The intercalants or templates should have (i) water-solubility, (ii) positive charge, and (iii) thermal stability under moderately basic (pH 9-10) aqueous reflux conditions or hydrothermal pressurized conditions for the montmorillonite-type clays.

Organic or organometallic template mediated clay synthesis

DOEpatents

Gregar, K.C.; Winans, R.E.; Botto, R.E.

1994-05-03

A method is described for incorporating diverse varieties of intercalates or templates directly during hydrothermal synthesis of clays such as hectorite or montmorillonite-type layer-silicate clays. For a hectorite layer-silicate clay, refluxing a gel of silica sol, magnesium hydroxide sol and lithium fluoride for two days in the presence of an organic or organometallic intercalate or template results in crystalline products containing either (a) organic dye molecules such as ethyl violet and methyl green, (b) dye molecules such as alcian blue that are based on a Cu(II)-phthalocyannine complex, or (c) transition metal complexes such as Ru(II)phenanthroline and Co(III)sepulchrate or (d) water-soluble porphyrins and metalloporphyrins. Montmorillonite-type clays are made by the method taught by U.S. Pat. No. 3,887,454 issued to Hickson, Jun. 13, 1975; however, a variety of intercalates or templates may be introduced. The intercalates or templates should have (i) water-solubility, (ii) positive charge, and (iii) thermal stability under moderately basic (pH 9-10) aqueous reflux conditions or hydrothermal pressurized conditions for the montmorillonite-type clays. 22 figures.

Semianalytical Solutions for Transport in Aquifer and Fractured Clay Matrix System

EPA Science Inventory

A three-dimensional mathematical model that describes transport of contaminant in a horizontal aquifer with simultaneous diffusion into a fractured clay formation is proposed. A group of analytical solutions is derived based on specific initial and boundary conditions as well as ...

Barrier and Mechanical Properties of Starch-Clay Nanocomposite Films

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The poor barrier and mechanical properties of biopolymer-based food packaging can potentially be enhanced by the use of layered silicates (nanoclay) to produce nanocomposites. In this study, starch-clay nano-composites were synthesized by a melt extrusion method. Natural (MMT) and organically modifi...

Fracture Toughness and Elastic Modulus of Epoxy-Based Nanocomposites with Dopamine-Modified Nano-Fillers

PubMed Central

Koh, Kwang Liang; Ji, Xianbai; Lu, Xuehong; Lau, Soo Khim; Chen, Zhong

2017-01-01

This paper examines the effect of surface treatment and filler shape factor on the fracture toughness and elastic modulus of epoxy-based nanocomposite. Two forms of nanofillers, polydopamine-coated montmorillonite clay (D-clay) and polydopamine-coated carbon nanofibres (D-CNF) were investigated. It was found that Young’s modulus increases with increasing D-clay and D-CNF loading. However, the fracture toughness decreases with increased D-clay loading but increases with increased D-CNF loading. Explanations have been provided with the aid of fractographic analysis using electron microscope observations of the crack-filler interactions. Fractographic analysis suggests that although polydopamine provides a strong adhesion between the fillers and the matrix, leading to enhanced elastic stiffness, the enhancement prohibits energy release via secondary cracking, resulting in a decrease in fracture toughness. In contrast, 1D fibre is effective in increasing the energy dissipation during fracture through crack deflection, fibre debonding, fibre break, and pull-out. PMID:28773136

Clay alteration and gold deposition in the genesis and blue star deposits, Eureka County, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Drews-Armitage, S. P.; Romberger, S.B.; Whitney, C.G.

1996-01-01

The Genesis and Blue Star sedimentary rock-hosted gold deposits occur within the 40-mile-long Carlin trend and are located in Eureka County, Nevada. The deposits are hosted within the Devonian calcareous Popovich Formation, the siliciclastic Rodeo Creek unit and the siliciclastic Vinini Formation. The host rocks have undergone contact metamorphism, decalcification, silicification, argillization, and supergene oxidation. Detailed characterization of the alteration patterns, mineralogy, modes of occurrence, and associated geochemistry of clay minerals resulted in the following classifications: least altered rocks, found distal to the orebody, consisting of both metamorphosed and unmetamorphosed host rock that has not been completely decalcified; and altered rocks, found proximal to the orebody that have been decalcified. Altered rocks are classified further into the following groups based on clay mineral content: silicic, 1 to 10 percent clay; silicicargillic, 10 to 35 percent clay; and argillic, 35 to 80 percent clay. Clay species identified are 1M illite, 2M1 illite, kaolinite, halloysite, and dioctahedral smectite. An early hydrothermal event resulted in the precipitation of euhedral kaolinite and at least one generation of silica. This event occurred contemporaneously with decalcification which increased rock permeability and porosity. A second clay alteration event resulted in the precipitation of hydrothermal 1M illite which replaced hydrothermal kaolinite and is associated with gold deposition. Silver and silica deposition is also associated with this phase of hydrothermal alteration. Hydrothermal alteration was followed by supergene alteration which resulted in the formation of supergene kaolinite, halloysite, and smectite as well as the oxidation of iron-bearing minerals. Supergene clays are concentrated along faults, dike margins, and within rocks containing carbonate. Gold mineralization is not associated with supergene clay minerals within the Genesis and Blue Star deposits. Rocks classified as silicic-argillic in the Popovich Formation represent the most significant gold host. Silicicargillic rocks commonly exhibit bedding-parallel alteration zones. This pattern of alteration indicates that stratigraphy as well as northwest-trending structures played a significant role in the migration of gold-bearing fluids. Based on K-Ar age determinations of hydrothermal 1M illite associated with gold, the main event of mineralization in the Genesis and Blue Star deposits occurred between 93 and 100 Ma, during mid-Cretaceous time.

Enhancing the engineering properties of expansive soil using bagasse ash

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silmi Surjandari, Niken; Djarwanti, Noegroho; Umri Ukoi, Nafisah

2017-11-01

This paper deals with stabilization of expansive soil on a laboratory experimental basis. The aim of the research was to evaluate the enhancement of the engineering properties of expansive soil using bagasse ash. The soil is treated with bagasse ash by weight (0, 5, 10, 15, and 20%) based on dry mass. The performance of bagasse ash stabilized soil was evaluated using physical and strength performance tests, namely the plasticity index, standard Proctor compaction, and percentage swelling. An X-ray diffraction (XRD) test was conducted to evaluate the clay mineral, whereas an X-ray fluorescence (XRF) was to the chemical composition of bagasse ash. From the results, it was observed that the basic tests carried out proved some soil properties after the addition of bagasse ash. Furthermore, the plasticity index decreased from 53.18 to 47.70%. The maximum dry density of the specimen increased from 1.13 to 1.24 gr/cm3. The percentage swelling decreased from 5.48 to 3.29%. The outcomes of these tests demonstrate that stabilization of expansive soils using bagasse ash can improve the strength.

Experimental investigation of virus and clay particles cotransport in partially saturated columns packed with glass beads.

PubMed

Syngouna, Vasiliki I; Chrysikopoulos, Constantinos V

2015-02-15

Suspended clay particles in groundwater can play a significant role as carriers of viruses, because, depending on the physicochemical conditions, clay particles may facilitate or hinder the mobility of viruses. This experimental study examines the effects of clay colloids on the transport of viruses in variably saturated porous media. All cotransport experiments were conducted in both saturated and partially saturated columns packed with glass beads, using bacteriophages MS2 and ΦX174 as model viruses, and kaolinite (KGa-1b) and montmorillonite (STx-1b) as model clay colloids. The various experimental collision efficiencies were determined using the classical colloid filtration theory. The experimental data indicated that the mass recovery of viruses and clay colloids decreased as the water saturation decreased. Temporal moments of the various breakthrough concentrations collected, suggested that the presence of clays significantly influenced virus transport and irreversible deposition onto glass beads. The mass recovery of both viruses, based on total effluent virus concentrations, was shown to reduce in the presence of suspended clay particles. Furthermore, the transport of suspended virus and clay-virus particles was retarded, compared to the conservative tracer. Under unsaturated conditions both clay particles facilitated the transport of ΦX174, while hindered the transport of MS2. Moreover, the surface properties of viruses, clays and glass beads were employed for the construction of classical DLVO and capillary potential energy profiles, and the results suggested that capillary forces play a significant role on colloid retention. It was estimated that the capillary potential energy of MS2 is lower than that of ΦX174, and the capillary potential energy of KGa-1b is lower than that of STx-1b, assuming that the protrusion distance through the water film is the same for each pair of particles. Moreover, the capillary potential energy is several orders of magnitude greater than the DLVO potential energy. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Microbe-Clay Mineral Reactions and Characterization Techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, H.; Zhang, G.; Ji, S.; Jaisi, D.; Kim, J.

2008-12-01

Clays and clay minerals are ubiquitous in soils, sediments, and sedimentary rocks. They play an important role in environmental processes such as nutrient cycling, plant growth, contaminant migration, organic matter maturation, and petroleum production. The changes in the oxidation state of the structural iron in clay minerals, in part, control their physical and chemical properties in natural environments, such as clay particle flocculation, dispersion, swelling, hydraulic conductivity, surface area, cation and anion exchange capacity, and reactivity towards organic and inorganic contaminants. The structural ferric iron [Fe(III)] in clay minerals can be reduced either chemically or biologically. Many different chemical reductants have been tried, but the most commonly used agent is dithionite. Biological reductants are bacteria, including dissimilatory iron reducing prokaryotes (DIRP) and sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB). A wide variety of DIRP have been used to reduce ferric iron in clay minerals, including mesophilic, thermophilic, and hyperthermophilic prokaryotes. Multiple clay minerals have been used for microbial reduction studies, including smectite, nontronite (iron-rich smectite variety), illite, illite/smectite, chlorite, and their various mixtures. All these clay minerals are reducible by microorganisms under various conditions with smectite (nontronite) being the most reducible. The reduction extent and rate of ferric iron in clay minerals are measured by wet chemistry, and the reduced clay mineral products are typically characterized with chemical methods, X-ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, Mössbauer spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), UV-vis spectroscopy, and synchrotron-based techniques (such as EXAFS). Microbially reduced smectites (nontronites) have been found to be reactive in reducing a variety of organic and inorganic contaminants. Degradable organic contaminants include pesticides, solvents, explosives, and nitroaromatic and polychlorinated compounds. Inorganic contaminants include Cr(VI), U(VI), and Tc(VII). Despite significant efforts, our understanding of mechanisms of chemical and microbial reduction of ferric iron in clay minerals is still limited. While some studies have presented evidence for a solid-state reduction mechanism, others argue that the clay mineral structure dissolves when the extent of reduction is higher (greater than 30 percent). The electron transfer process is also dependent on the reducing agent. While chemical reduction of ferric iron appears to occur at the basal surfaces, bacteria appear to attack clay minerals at the edges.

Effects of Fiber Reinforcement on Clay Aerogel Composites

PubMed Central

Finlay, Katherine A.; Gawryla, Matthew D.; Schiraldi, David A.

2015-01-01

Novel, low density structures which combine biologically-based fibers with clay aerogels are produced in an environmentally benign manner using water as solvent, and no additional processing chemicals. Three different reinforcing fibers, silk, soy silk, and hemp, are evaluated in combination with poly(vinyl alcohol) matrix polymer combined with montmorillonite clay. The mechanical properties of the aerogels are demonstrated to increase with reinforcing fiber length, in each case limited by a critical fiber length, beyond which mechanical properties decline due to maldistribution of filler, and disruption of the aerogel structure. Rather than the classical model for reinforced composite properties, the chemical compatibility of reinforcing fibers with the polymer/clay matrix dominated mechanical performance, along with the tendencies of the fibers to kink under compression. PMID:28793515

Rheological behavior of clay-nanoparticle hybrid-added bentonite suspensions: specific role of hybrid additives on the gelation of clay-based fluids.

PubMed

Jung, Youngsoo; Son, You-Hwan; Lee, Jung-Kun; Phuoc, Tran X; Soong, Yee; Chyu, Minking K

2011-09-01

Two different types of clay nanoparticle hybrid, iron oxide nanoparticle clay hybrid (ICH) and Al(2)O(3)-SiO(2) nanoparticle clay hybrid (ASCH), were synthesized and their effects on the rheological properties of aqueous bentonite fluids in steady state and dynamic state were explored. When ICH particles were added, bentonite particles in the fluid cross-link to form relatively well-oriented porous structure. This is attributed to the development of positively charged edge surfaces in ICH that leads to strengthening of the gel structure of the bentonite susensions. The role of ASCH particles on the interparticle association of the bentonite fluids is different from that of ICH and sensitive to pH. As pH of ASCH-added bentonite suspensions increased, the viscosity, yield stress, storage modulus, and flow stress decreased. In contrast, at low pH, the clay suspensions containing ASCH additives were coagulated and their rheological properties become close to those of ICH added bentonite fluids. A correlation between the net surface charge of the hybrid additives and the rheological properties of the fluids indicates that the embedded nanoparticles within the interlayer space control the variable charge of the edge surfaces of the platelets and determine the particles association behavior of the clay fluids.

Electrical resistivity characteristics of diesel oil-contaminated kaolin clay and a resistivity-based detection method.

PubMed

Liu, Zhibin; Liu, Songyu; Cai, Yi; Fang, Wei

2015-06-01

As the dielectric constant and conductivity of petroleum products are different from those of the pore water in soil, the electrical resistivity characteristics of oil-contaminated soil will be changed by the corresponding oil type and content. The contaminated soil specimens were manually prepared by static compaction method in the laboratory with commercial kaolin clay and diesel oil. The water content and dry density of the first group of soil specimens were controlled at 10 % and 1.58 g/cm(3). Corresponding electrical resistivities of the contaminated specimens were measured at the curing periods of 7, 14, and 28 and 90, 120, and 210 days on a modified oedometer cell with an LCR meter. Then, the electrical resistivity characteristics of diesel oil-contaminated kaolin clay were discussed. In order to realize a resistivity-based oil detection method, the other group of oil-contaminated kaolin clay specimens was also made and tested, but the initial water content, oil content, and dry density were controlled at 0~18 %, 0~18 %, 1.30~1.95 g/cm(3), respectively. Based on the test data, a resistivity-based artificial neural network (ANN) was developed. It was found that the electrical resistivity of kaolin clay decreased with the increase of oil content. Moreover, there was a good nonlinear relationship between electrical resistivity and corresponding oil content when the water content and dry density were kept constant. The decreasing velocity of the electrical resistivity of oil-contaminated kaolin clay was higher before the oil content of 12 % than after 12 %, which indicated a transition of the soil from pore water-controlled into oil-controlled electrical resistivity characteristics. Through microstructural analysis, the decrease of electrical resistivity could be explained by the increase of saturation degree together with the collapse of the electrical double layer. Environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) photos indicated that the diesel oil in kaolin clay normally had three kinds of effects including oil filling, coating, and bridging. Finally, a resistivity-based ANN model was established based on the database collected from the experiment data. The performance of the model was proved to be reasonably accepted, which puts forward a possible simple, economic, and effective tool to detect the oil content in contaminated clayey soils just with four basic parameters: wet density, dry density, measured moisture content, and electrical resistivity.

Clay-based Formulations to Reduce the Environmental Impact of the Herbicide Terbuthylazine

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Controlled release formulations of pesticides are receiving increasing attention as a way to reduce the environmental impact of pesticides after their application to agricultural soils. Natural and modified clay minerals have been proved to be efficient adsorbents for many pesticides and, accordingl...

Engineering and Design: Geotechnical Analysis by the Finite Element Method

DTIC Science & Technology

1995-07-31

of an Idealized ’Wet Clay’.” Nobari, E. S., Lee, K. L., and Duncan, J. M. Soil Mechanics, Wiesbaden I, 47-54. (1973). “ Hydraulic Fracturing in Zoned...nonsteady flow conditions - Pore pressures induced by loading under undrained conditions - Potential for cracking in embankment dams - Potential for hydraulic ... fracturing in embankment dams - Potential for hydraulic separation between concrete and soil - Settlements and horizontal movements b. Comparing

Advances In Engineering Science, Volume 2.

DTIC Science & Technology

1976-11-01

UNDRAINED CLAY BEHAVIOR .... ............ .. 95 Jean-Herve Prevost and Kaare H~eg THEORY OF ORTHODONTIC MOTIONS...compo- nents at a lower level are terminal nodes of a tree. The bracketed numbers on the right hand side of the terminating nodes are the number of...primitive data objects in each instance of the defined object. The bracketed numbers on the right hand side of the non-terminal nodes in the tree are the

Modelling the Mont Terri HE-D experiment for the Thermal–Hydraulic–Mechanical response of a bedded argillaceous formation to heating

DOE PAGES

Garitte, B.; Nguyen, T. S.; Barnichon, J. D.; ...

2017-05-09

Coupled thermal–hydrological–mechanical (THM) processes in the near field of deep geological repositories can influence several safety features of the engineered and geological barriers. Among those features are: the possibility of damage in the host rock, the time for re-saturation of the bentonite, and the perturbations in the hydraulic regime in both the rock and engineered seals. Within the international cooperative code-validation project DECOVALEX-2015, eight research teams developed models to simulate an in situ heater experiment, called HE-D, in Opalinus Clay at the Mont Terri Underground Research Laboratory in Switzerland. The models were developed from the theory of poroelasticity in ordermore » to simulate the coupled THM processes that prevailed during the experiment and thereby to characterize the in situ THM properties of Opalinus Clay. The modelling results for the evolution of temperature, pore water pressure, and deformation at different points are consistent among the research teams and compare favourably with the experimental data in terms of trends and absolute values. The models were able to reproduce the main physical processes of the experiment. In particular, most teams simulated temperature and thermally induced pore water pressure well, including spatial variations caused by inherent anisotropy due to bedding.« less

Modelling the Mont Terri HE-D experiment for the Thermal–Hydraulic–Mechanical response of a bedded argillaceous formation to heating

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Garitte, B.; Nguyen, T. S.; Barnichon, J. D.

Coupled thermal–hydrological–mechanical (THM) processes in the near field of deep geological repositories can influence several safety features of the engineered and geological barriers. Among those features are: the possibility of damage in the host rock, the time for re-saturation of the bentonite, and the perturbations in the hydraulic regime in both the rock and engineered seals. Within the international cooperative code-validation project DECOVALEX-2015, eight research teams developed models to simulate an in situ heater experiment, called HE-D, in Opalinus Clay at the Mont Terri Underground Research Laboratory in Switzerland. The models were developed from the theory of poroelasticity in ordermore » to simulate the coupled THM processes that prevailed during the experiment and thereby to characterize the in situ THM properties of Opalinus Clay. The modelling results for the evolution of temperature, pore water pressure, and deformation at different points are consistent among the research teams and compare favourably with the experimental data in terms of trends and absolute values. The models were able to reproduce the main physical processes of the experiment. In particular, most teams simulated temperature and thermally induced pore water pressure well, including spatial variations caused by inherent anisotropy due to bedding.« less

Study of thermo-hydro-mechanical processes at a potential site of an Indian nuclear waste repository

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maheshwar, Sachin; Verma, A. K.; Singh, T. N.; Bajpai, R. K.

2015-12-01

A detailed scientific study is required for the disposal of high-level radioactive wastes because they generate extremely high heat during their half-life period. Although, several methods have been proposed for the disposal of nuclear wastes, deep underground repository is considered to be a suitable option. In this paper, field investigation has been done near to Bhima basin of peninsular India. Detailed fracture analysis near the borehole shows very prominent maxima of fractures striking N55∘E coinciding with the trace of master basement cover metasediment fault. Physico-mechanical properties of rocks have been determined in the laboratory. The host rock chosen is granite and engineered barrier near the canister is proposed to be clay. A thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) analysis has been done to study the effect of heat on deformations, stresses and pore-pressure variation in granite and clay barriers. For this purpose, finite difference method has been used. Suitable rheological models have been used to model elastic canister and elasto-plastic engineered barrier and host rock. It has been found that both temperature and stresses at any point in the rockmass is below the design criteria which are 100∘C for temperature and 0.2 for damage number.

Development of road soil cement compositions modified with complex additive based on polycarboxylic ether

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bulanov, P. E.; Vdovin, E. A.; Mavliev, L. F.; Kuznetsov, D. A.

2018-03-01

The paper is focused on the research results of the main physical and technical properties of the cement-stabilized polymineral clay modified with a complex hydrophobic plasticizer based on polycarboxylate and octyltriethoxysilane ethers. A graphical result interpretation of the mathematic model which shows the influence of the complex hydrophobic plasticizer components on the cement-stabilized polymineral clay, containing more than 85% of relict minerals, has been designed. The research significance for the building sector lies in the fact that applying a complex hydrophobic plasticizer provides increasing the compressive strength of the cement-stabilized polymineral clay up to 102%, the tensile bending strength – up to 88%, the freeze-thaw resistance – up to 114%.

3-aminopropyl functionalized magnesium phyllosilicate as an organoclay based drug carrier for improving the bioavailability of flurbiprofen.

PubMed

Yang, Liang; Choi, Soo-Kyung; Shin, Hyun-Jae; Han, Hyo-Kyung

2013-01-01

This study aimed to develop an oral delivery system using clay-based organic-inorganic hybrid materials to improve the bioavailability of the drug, flurbiprofen, which is poorly soluble in water. 3-aminopropyl functionalized magnesium phyllosilicate (AMP clay) was synthesized by a one-pot direct sol-gel method, and then flurbiprofen (FB) was incorporated into AMP clay (FB-AMP) at different drug/clay ratios. The structural characteristics of AMP and FB-AMP formulation were confirmed by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Among tested formulations, FB-AMP(3), dramatically increased the dissolution of FB and achieved rapid and complete drug release within 2 hours. More than 60% of FB was released from FB-AMP(3) after 30 minutes; the drug was completely dissolved in the water within 2 hours. Under the acidic condition (pH 1.2), FB-AMP(3) also increased the dissolution of FB by up to 47.1% within 1 hour, which was three-fold higher than that of untreated FB. Furthermore, following an oral administration of FB-AMP(3) to Sprague-Dawley rats, the peak plasma concentration and area under the plasma concentration-time curve of FB increased two-fold, and the time to reach the peak plasma concentration was shortened compared with that in the untreated FB. This result suggests that the oral drug delivery system using clay-based organic-inorganic hybrid material might be useful to improve the bioavailability of FB.

3-aminopropyl functionalized magnesium phyllosilicate as an organoclay based drug carrier for improving the bioavailability of flurbiprofen

PubMed Central

Yang, Liang; Choi, Soo-Kyung; Shin, Hyun-Jae; Han, Hyo-Kyung

2013-01-01

This study aimed to develop an oral delivery system using clay-based organic–inorganic hybrid materials to improve the bioavailability of the drug, flurbiprofen, which is poorly soluble in water. 3-aminopropyl functionalized magnesium phyllosilicate (AMP clay) was synthesized by a one-pot direct sol-gel method, and then flurbiprofen (FB) was incorporated into AMP clay (FB-AMP) at different drug/clay ratios. The structural characteristics of AMP and FB-AMP formulation were confirmed by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Among tested formulations, FB-AMP(3), dramatically increased the dissolution of FB and achieved rapid and complete drug release within 2 hours. More than 60% of FB was released from FB-AMP(3) after 30 minutes; the drug was completely dissolved in the water within 2 hours. Under the acidic condition (pH 1.2), FB-AMP(3) also increased the dissolution of FB by up to 47.1% within 1 hour, which was three-fold higher than that of untreated FB. Furthermore, following an oral administration of FB-AMP(3) to Sprague-Dawley rats, the peak plasma concentration and area under the plasma concentration-time curve of FB increased two-fold, and the time to reach the peak plasma concentration was shortened compared with that in the untreated FB. This result suggests that the oral drug delivery system using clay-based organic–inorganic hybrid material might be useful to improve the bioavailability of FB. PMID:24204143

Acid-base properties of 2:1 clays. I. Modeling the role of electrostatics.

PubMed

Delhorme, Maxime; Labbez, Christophe; Caillet, Céline; Thomas, Fabien

2010-06-15

We present a theoretical investigation of the titratable charge of clays with various structural charge (sigma(b)): pyrophyllite (sigma(b) = 0 e x nm(-2)), montmorillonite (sigma(b) = -0.7 e x nm(-2)) and illite (sigma(b) = -1.2 e x nm(-2)). The calculations were carried out using a Monte Carlo method in the Grand Canonical ensemble and in the framework of the primitive model. The clay particle was modeled as a perfect hexagonal platelet, with an "ideal" crystal structure. The only fitting parameters used are the intrinsic equilibrium constants (pK(0)) for the protonation/deprotonation reactions of the broken-bond sites on the lateral faces of the clay particles, silanol, =SiO(-) + H(+) --> =SiOH, and aluminol, =AlO(-1/2) + H(+) --> =AlOH(+1/2). Simulations are found to give a satisfactory description of the acid-base titration of montmorillonite without any additional fitting parameter. In particular, combining the electrostatics from the crystal substitutions with ionization constants, the simulations satisfactorily catch the shift in the titration curve of montmorillonite according to the ionic strength. Change in the ionic strength modulates the screening of the electrostatic interactions which results in this shift. Accordingly, the PZNPC is found to shift toward alkaline pH upon increasing the permanent basal charge. Unlike previous mean field model results, a significant decrease in PZNPC values is predicted in response to stack formation. Finally, the mean field approach is shown to be inappropriate to study the acid-base properties of clays.

Quantifying structural states of soft mudrocks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, B.; Wong, R. C. K.

2016-05-01

In this paper, a cm model is proposed to quantify structural states of soft mudrocks, which are dependent on clay fractions and porosities. Physical properties of natural and reconstituted soft mudrock samples are used to derive two parameters in the cm model. With the cm model, a simplified homogenization approach is proposed to estimate geomechanical properties and fabric orientation distributions of soft mudrocks based on the mixture theory. Soft mudrocks are treated as a mixture of nonclay minerals and clay-water composites. Nonclay minerals have a high stiffness and serve as a structural framework of mudrocks when they have a high volume fraction. Clay-water composites occupy the void space among nonclay minerals and serve as an in-fill matrix. With the increase of volume fraction of clay-water composites, there is a transition in the structural state from the state of framework supported to the state of matrix supported. The decreases in shear strength and pore size as well as increases in compressibility and anisotropy in fabric are quantitatively related to such transition. The new homogenization approach based on the proposed cm model yields better performance evaluation than common effective medium modeling approaches because the interactions among nonclay minerals and clay-water composites are considered. With wireline logging data, the cm model is applied to quantify the structural states of Colorado shale formations at different depths in the Cold Lake area, Alberta, Canada. Key geomechancial parameters are estimated based on the proposed homogenization approach and the critical intervals with low strength shale formations are identified.

Clay mineral distribution and provenance in the Heuksan mud belt, Yellow Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cho, Hyen Goo; Kim, Soon-Oh; Kwak, Kyeong Yoon; Choi, Hunsoo; Khim, Boo-Keun

2015-12-01

The Heuksan mud belt (HMB), located in the southeastern Yellow Sea, runs parallel to the southwest coast of Korea. In this study, the distribution and relative contribution of four major clay minerals are investigated using 101 surface sediment samples collected in the course of KIOST (2001, 2010, 2011) and KIGAM (2012) cruises, as well as 33 river sediment samples (four from the Huanghe River, three from the Changjiang River, and 26 from Korean rivers) in order to clarify the provenance of fine-grained sediments in the HMB. Based on this currently largest and most robust dataset available for interpretation, the clay mineral assemblages of the fine-grained sediments in the HMB are found to be on average composed of 64.7% illite, 17.9% chlorite, 11.4% kaolinite, and 5.9% smectite. Overall, the clay mineral assemblages are similar in both the northern and the southern parts of the HMB, although smectite seems to be relatively enriched in the southern part, whereas kaolinite is slightly more dominant in the northern part. This clearly indicates that the clays are mostly derived from Korean rivers and, in the southern part of the HMB, partly also from the Huanghe River in China. The new data thus confirm and strengthen the tentative interpretation of some earlier work based on a more limited dataset.

Effects of fines content on hydraulic conductivity and morphology of laterite soil as hydraulic barrier

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bello Yamusa, Yamusa; Yunus, Nor Zurairahetty Mohd; Ahmad, Kamarudin; Rahman, Norhan Abd; Sa'ari, Radzuan

2018-03-01

Laterite soil was investigated to find out the effects of fines content and to identify the micro-structural and molecular characteristics to evaluate its potentiality as a compacted soil landfill liner material. Tests were carried out on natural soil and reconstituted soil by dry weight of soil samples to determine the physical and engineering properties of the soil. All tests were carried out on the samples by adopting the British Standard 1377:1990. The possible mechanisms that contributed to the clay mineralogy were analyzed using spectroscopic and microscopic techniques such as field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) and X-ray diffractometry (XRD). The laterite soil was found to contain kaolinite as the major clay minerals. A minimum of 50% fines content of laterite soil met the required result for hydraulic barriers in waste containment facilities.

Surveying Clay Mineral Diversity in the Murray Formation, Gale Crater, Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bristow, T. F.; Blake, D. F.; Vaniman, D. T.; Chipera, S. J.; Rampe, E. B.; Grotzinger, J. P.; McAdam, A. C.; Ming, D. W.; Morrison, S. M.; Yen, A. S.;

Tc(VII) and Cr(VI) Interaction with Naturally Reduced Ferruginous Smectite from a Redox Transition Zone

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Qafoku, Odeta; Pearce, Carolyn I.; Neumann, Anke

Fe(II)-rich clay minerals found in subsurface redox transition zones (RTZs) can serve as important source of electron equivalents limiting the transport of redox active contaminants. While most laboratory reactivity studies are based on reduced model clays, the reactivity of naturally reduced clays in field samples remains poorly explored. Characterization of the clay size fraction of a fine-grained unit from RTZ interface at the Hanford site, Washington, including mineralogy, crystal chemistry, and Fe(II)/(III) content, indicates that ferruginous montmorillonite is the dominant mineralogical component. Oxic and anoxic fractions differ significantly in Fe(II) concentration, but FeTOTAL remains constant demonstrating no Fe loss duringmore » reduction-oxidation cycling. At its native pH of 8.6, the anoxic fraction despite its significant Fe(II) (~23% of FeTOTAL), exhibits minimal reactivity with TcO4- and CrO42- and much slower reaction kinetics than that measured in studies with biologically/chemically reduced model clays. Reduction capacity is enhanced by added Fe(II) (if Fe(II)SORBED >8% clay Fe(II)LABILE), however the kinetics of this conceptually surface-mediated reaction remain sluggish. Surface-sensitive Fe L-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy shows that Fe(II)SORBED and the resulting reducing equivalents are not available in the outermost few nanometers of clay surfaces. Slow kinetics thus appear related to diffusion-limited access to electron equivalents retained within clay mineral.« less

Effects of simulated clay gouges on the sliding behavior of Tennessee sandston

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shimamoto, Toshihiko; Logan, John M.

1981-06-01

The effects of simulated fault gouge on the sliding behavior of Tennessee sandstone are studied experimentally with special reference to the stabilizing effect of clay minerals mixed into the gouge. About 30 specimens with gouge composed of pure clays, of homogeneously mixed clay and anhydrite, or of layered clay and anhydrite, along a 35° precut are deformed dry in a triaxial apparatus at a confining pressure of 100 MPa, with a shortening rate of about 5 · 10 -4/sec, and at room temperature. Pure clay gouges exhibit only stable sliding, and the ultimate frictional strength is very low for bentonite (mont-morillonite), intermediate for chlorite and illite, and considerably higher for kaolinite. Anhydrite gouge shows violent stick-slip at 100 MPa confining pressure. When this mineral is mixed homogeneously with clays, the frictional coefficient of the mixed gouge, determined at its ultimate frictional strength, decreases monotonically with an increase in the clay content. The sliding mode changes from stick-slip to stable sliding when the frictional coefficient of the mixed clay-anhydrite gouge is lowered down below 90-95% of the coefficient of anhydrite gouge. The stabilizing effect of clay in mixed gouge is closely related to the ultimate frictional strength of pure clays; that is, the effect is conspicuous only for a mineral with low frictional strength. Only 15-20% of bentonite suppresses the violent stick-slip of anhydrite gouge. In contrast, violent stick-slip occurs even if the gouge contains as much as 75% of kaolinite. The behavior of illite and chlorite is intermediate between that of kaolinite and bentonite. Bentonite—anhydrite two-layer gouge exhibits stable sliding even when the bentonite content is only 5%. Thus, the presence of a thin, clay-rich layer in a fault zone stabilizes the behavior much more effectively than do the clay minerals mixed homogeneously with the gouge. This result brings out the mechanical significance of internal structures of a fault zone in understanding the effects of intrafault materials on the fault motion. Based on the present experimental results incorporated with some other experimental data, it is argued that although the stabilizing effect of montmorillonite and vermiculite is indeed remarkable at room temperature, the effect should be much less pronounced at elevated temperatures, due perhaps to the dewatering of the clays. In most geological environments where shallow earthquakes occur, the stabilizing effect of clays is probably not so conspicuous as to completely suppress the unstable motion of a fault.

Spatially resolved nanoscale observations of soil carbon multidecadal persistence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lutfalla, S.; Chenu, C.; Bernard, S.; Le Guillou, C.; Barré, P.

2015-12-01

Assessing how mineral surfaces, especially at small scale, can protect soil organic carbon (SOC) from biodegradation is crucial. The question we address in this work is whether different mineral species lead to different organo-mineral interactions and stabilize different quantities of SOM and different types of SOC. Here we used the unique opportunity offered by long term bare fallows (BF) to study in situ C dynamics in several fine fractions of a silty loam soil. With no vegetation i.e. no external input of fresh C, the plant-free soil of the Versailles 42 Plots (INRA, France) has been progressively enriched in persistent SOC during the 80 years of BF. Contrasted mineral phases of the clay size fraction were isolated by size fractionation on samples from 5 different dates (0, 10, 22, 52, and 79 years after the beginning of the BF, four field replicates per date). Four fractions were studied: total clays (< 2 μm), and three sub fractions in the clay (fine clay: 0 - 0.05 μm, intermediate clay: 0.05 - 0.2 μm, and coarse clay: 0.2 - 2 μm). X-ray diffraction analyses showed contrasted mineralogies in the fine and intermediate clay (smectite and mixed layered illite/smectite) as opposed to the coarse clay (smectite, illite, kaolinite and mixed layered I/S). We performed CHN elemental analysis and synchrotron based spectroscopy and microscopy (NEXAFS bulk and STXM at the carbon K edge of 280 eV, CLS Saskatoon, Canada) to study the dynamics, the distribution and the chemical speciation of the SOC in these fractions. The quantity of C appears to be stabilized after 50 years of BF, even though the dynamics are different for the three clay fractions. Indeed, coarse and intermediate clays have the same final C content but coarse clays lose more C. Fine clay experiences the highest C losses and displays the highest final C content suggesting that fine clays contained more labile C and more persistent C. In all fractions, C:N ratios are really low (below 8) and are decreasing with time, evidencing the dominant presence of microbial SOC. STXM-NEXAFS data shows that, in the fine and intermediate clay fractions, during the first 50 years of BF all mineral particles are associated with SOC. On the contrary, in the coarse clays, SOC displays more diversity: the chemical signature is more diverse and mineral particles not associated with SOC appear more quickly.

Redox properties of structural Fe in clay minerals: 3. Relationships between smectite redox and structural properties.

PubMed

Gorski, Christopher A; Klüpfel, Laura E; Voegelin, Andreas; Sander, Michael; Hofstetter, Thomas B

2013-01-01

Structural Fe in clay minerals is an important redox-active species in many pristine and contaminated environments as well as in engineered systems. Understanding the extent and kinetics of redox reactions involving Fe-bearing clay minerals has been challenging due to the inability to relate structural Fe(2+)/Fe(total) fractions to fundamental redox properties, such as reduction potentials (EH). Here, we overcame this challenge by using mediated electrochemical reduction (MER) and oxidation (MEO) to characterize the fraction of redox-active structural Fe (Fe(2+)/Fe(total)) in smectites over a wide range of applied EH-values (-0.6 V to +0.6 V). We examined Fe(2+)/Fe(total )- EH relationships of four natural Fe-bearing smectites (SWy-2, SWa-1, NAu-1, NAu-2) in their native, reduced, and reoxidized states and compared our measurements with spectroscopic observations and a suite of mineralogical properties. All smectites exhibited unique Fe(2+)/Fe(total) - EH relationships, were redox active over wide EH ranges, and underwent irreversible electron transfer induced structural changes that were observable with X-ray absorption spectroscopy. Variations among the smectite Fe(2+)/Fe(total) - EH relationships correlated well with both bulk and molecular-scale properties, including Fe(total) content, layer charge, and quadrupole splitting values, suggesting that multiple structural parameters determined the redox properties of smectites. The Fe(2+)/Fe(total) - EH relationships developed for these four commonly studied clay minerals may be applied to future studies interested in relating the extent of structural Fe reduction or oxidation to EH-values.

Numerical simulation of the free surface and water inflow of a slope, considering the nonlinear flow properties of gravel layers: a case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Bin; Yang, Tianhong; Xu, Zenghe; Liu, Honglei; Shi, Wenhao; Yang, Xin

2018-02-01

Groundwater is an important factor of slope stability, and 90% of slope failures are related to the influence of groundwater. In the past, free surface calculations and the prediction of water inflow were based on Darcy's law. However, Darcy's law for steady fluid flow is a special case of non-Darcy flow, and many types of non-Darcy flows occur in practical engineering applications. In this paper, based on the experimental results of laboratory water seepage tests, the seepage state of each soil layer in the open-pit slope of the Yanshan Iron Mine, China, were determined, and the seepage parameters were obtained. The seepage behaviour in the silt layer, fine sand layer, silty clay layer and gravelly clay layer followed the traditional Darcy law, while the gravel layers showed clear nonlinear characteristics. The permeability increases exponentially and the non-Darcy coefficient decreases exponentially with an increase in porosity, and the relation among the permeability, the porosity and the non-Darcy coefficient is investigated. A coupled mathematical model is established for two flow fields, on the basis of Darcy flow in the low-permeability layers and Forchheimer flow in the high-permeability layers. In addition, the effect of the seepage in the slope on the transition from Darcy flow to Forchheimer flow was considered. Then, a numerical simulation was conducted by using finite-element software (FELAC 2.2). The results indicate that the free surface calculated by the Darcy-Forchheimer model is in good agreement with the in situ measurements; however, there is an evident deviation of the simulation results from the measured data when the Darcy model is used. Through a parameter sensitivity analysis of the gravel layers, it can be found that the height of the overflow point and the water inflow calculated by the Darcy-Forchheimer model are consistently less than those of the Darcy model, and the discrepancy between these two models increases as the permeability increases. The necessity of adopting the Darcy-Forchheimer model was explained. The Darcy-Forchheimer model would be applicable in slope engineering applications with highly permeable rock.

Numerical simulation of the free surface and water inflow of a slope, considering the nonlinear flow properties of gravel layers: a case study.

PubMed

Yang, Bin; Yang, Tianhong; Xu, Zenghe; Liu, Honglei; Shi, Wenhao; Yang, Xin

2018-02-01

Groundwater is an important factor of slope stability, and 90% of slope failures are related to the influence of groundwater. In the past, free surface calculations and the prediction of water inflow were based on Darcy's law. However, Darcy's law for steady fluid flow is a special case of non-Darcy flow, and many types of non-Darcy flows occur in practical engineering applications. In this paper, based on the experimental results of laboratory water seepage tests, the seepage state of each soil layer in the open-pit slope of the Yanshan Iron Mine, China, were determined, and the seepage parameters were obtained. The seepage behaviour in the silt layer, fine sand layer, silty clay layer and gravelly clay layer followed the traditional Darcy law, while the gravel layers showed clear nonlinear characteristics. The permeability increases exponentially and the non-Darcy coefficient decreases exponentially with an increase in porosity, and the relation among the permeability, the porosity and the non-Darcy coefficient is investigated. A coupled mathematical model is established for two flow fields, on the basis of Darcy flow in the low-permeability layers and Forchheimer flow in the high-permeability layers. In addition, the effect of the seepage in the slope on the transition from Darcy flow to Forchheimer flow was considered. Then, a numerical simulation was conducted by using finite-element software (FELAC 2.2). The results indicate that the free surface calculated by the Darcy-Forchheimer model is in good agreement with the in situ measurements; however, there is an evident deviation of the simulation results from the measured data when the Darcy model is used. Through a parameter sensitivity analysis of the gravel layers, it can be found that the height of the overflow point and the water inflow calculated by the Darcy-Forchheimer model are consistently less than those of the Darcy model, and the discrepancy between these two models increases as the permeability increases. The necessity of adopting the Darcy-Forchheimer model was explained. The Darcy-Forchheimer model would be applicable in slope engineering applications with highly permeable rock.

Numerical simulation of the free surface and water inflow of a slope, considering the nonlinear flow properties of gravel layers: a case study

PubMed Central

Yang, Bin; Xu, Zenghe; Liu, Honglei; Shi, Wenhao; Yang, Xin

2018-01-01

Groundwater is an important factor of slope stability, and 90% of slope failures are related to the influence of groundwater. In the past, free surface calculations and the prediction of water inflow were based on Darcy's law. However, Darcy's law for steady fluid flow is a special case of non-Darcy flow, and many types of non-Darcy flows occur in practical engineering applications. In this paper, based on the experimental results of laboratory water seepage tests, the seepage state of each soil layer in the open-pit slope of the Yanshan Iron Mine, China, were determined, and the seepage parameters were obtained. The seepage behaviour in the silt layer, fine sand layer, silty clay layer and gravelly clay layer followed the traditional Darcy law, while the gravel layers showed clear nonlinear characteristics. The permeability increases exponentially and the non-Darcy coefficient decreases exponentially with an increase in porosity, and the relation among the permeability, the porosity and the non-Darcy coefficient is investigated. A coupled mathematical model is established for two flow fields, on the basis of Darcy flow in the low-permeability layers and Forchheimer flow in the high-permeability layers. In addition, the effect of the seepage in the slope on the transition from Darcy flow to Forchheimer flow was considered. Then, a numerical simulation was conducted by using finite-element software (FELAC 2.2). The results indicate that the free surface calculated by the Darcy–Forchheimer model is in good agreement with the in situ measurements; however, there is an evident deviation of the simulation results from the measured data when the Darcy model is used. Through a parameter sensitivity analysis of the gravel layers, it can be found that the height of the overflow point and the water inflow calculated by the Darcy–Forchheimer model are consistently less than those of the Darcy model, and the discrepancy between these two models increases as the permeability increases. The necessity of adopting the Darcy–Forchheimer model was explained. The Darcy–Forchheimer model would be applicable in slope engineering applications with highly permeable rock. PMID:29515904

Geogrid Reinforced Base Course for Flexible Pavements for Light Aircraft: Literature Review and Test Section Design

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-05-01

GeoarId Reinforced Agregate Layers over Weak Clay Subgrades. Milligan and Love(Z3) conducted small-scale laboratory model tests under plane strain...34. Based on the very limited literature available on geogrid applications in airfield pavements, the literature review was expanded to cover railroad...thicknesses and clay subgrade strengths. Performance of the reinforced systems was significantly better. The increased performance resulted from the

Unearthing the Antibacterial Mechanism of Medicinal Clay: A Geochemical Approach to Combating Antibiotic Resistance

DOE PAGES

Morrison, Keith D.; Misra, Rajeev; Williams, Lynda B.

2016-01-08

Natural antibacterial clays, when hydrated and applied topically, kill human pathogens including antibiotic resistant strains proliferating worldwide. Only certain clays are bactericidal; those containing soluble reduced metals and expandable clay minerals that absorb cations, providing a capacity for extended metal release and production of toxic hydroxyl radicals. Here we show the critical antibacterial components are soluble Fe 2+ and Al 3+ that synergistically attack multiple cellular systems in pathogens normally growth-limited by Fe supply. This geochemical process is more effective than metal solutions alone and provides an alternative antibacterial strategy to traditional antibiotics. Advanced bioimaging methods and genetic show thatmore » Al 3+ misfolds cell membrane proteins, while Fe 2+ evokes membrane oxidation and enters the cytoplasm inflicting hydroxyl radical attack on intracellular proteins and DNA. The lethal reaction precipitates Fe 3+-oxides as biomolecular damage proceeds. In conclusion, discovery of this bactericidal mechanism demonstrated by natural clays should guide designs of new mineral-based antibacterial agents.« less

Unearthing the Antibacterial Mechanism of Medicinal Clay: A Geochemical Approach to Combating Antibiotic Resistance

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Morrison, Keith D.; Misra, Rajeev; Williams, Lynda B.

Natural antibacterial clays, when hydrated and applied topically, kill human pathogens including antibiotic resistant strains proliferating worldwide. Only certain clays are bactericidal; those containing soluble reduced metals and expandable clay minerals that absorb cations, providing a capacity for extended metal release and production of toxic hydroxyl radicals. Here we show the critical antibacterial components are soluble Fe 2+ and Al 3+ that synergistically attack multiple cellular systems in pathogens normally growth-limited by Fe supply. This geochemical process is more effective than metal solutions alone and provides an alternative antibacterial strategy to traditional antibiotics. Advanced bioimaging methods and genetic show thatmore » Al 3+ misfolds cell membrane proteins, while Fe 2+ evokes membrane oxidation and enters the cytoplasm inflicting hydroxyl radical attack on intracellular proteins and DNA. The lethal reaction precipitates Fe 3+-oxides as biomolecular damage proceeds. In conclusion, discovery of this bactericidal mechanism demonstrated by natural clays should guide designs of new mineral-based antibacterial agents.« less

Effects of preparation methods on the structure and mechanical properties of wet conditioned starch/montmorillonite nanocomposite films.

PubMed

Müller, Péter; Kapin, Éva; Fekete, Erika

2014-11-26

TPS/Na-montmorillonite nanocomposite films were prepared by solution and melt blending. Clay content changed between 0 and 25 wt% based on the amount of dry starch. Structure, tensile properties, and water content of wet conditioned films were determined as a function of clay content. Intercalated structure and VH-type crystallinity of starch were found for all the nanocomposites independently of clay and plasticizer content or preparation method, but at larger than 10 wt% clay content nanocomposites prepared by melt intercalation contained aggregated particles as well. In spite of the incomplete exfoliation clay reinforces TPS considerably. Preparation method has a strong influence on mechanical properties of wet conditioned films. Mechanical properties of the conditioned samples prepared by solution homogenization are much better than those of nanocomposites prepared by melt blending. Water, which was either adsorbed or bonded in the composites in conditioning or solution mixing process, respectively, has different effect on mechanical properties. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Soil texture analysis revisited: Removal of organic matter matters more than ever

PubMed Central

Schjønning, Per; Watts, Christopher W.; Christensen, Bent T.; Munkholm, Lars J.

2017-01-01

Exact estimates of soil clay (<2 μm) and silt (2–20 μm) contents are crucial as these size fractions impact key soil functions, and as pedotransfer concepts based on clay and silt contents are becoming increasingly abundant. We examined the effect of removing soil organic matter (SOM) by H2O2 before soil dispersion and determination of clay and silt. Soil samples with gradients in SOM were retrieved from three long-term field experiments each with uniform soil mineralogy and texture. For soils with less than 2 g C 100 g-1 minerals, clay estimates were little affected by SOM. Above this threshold, underestimation of clay increased dramatically with increasing SOM content. Silt contents were systematically overestimated when SOM was not removed; no lower SOM threshold was found for silt, but the overestimation was more pronounced for finer textured soils. When exact estimates of soil particles <20 μm are needed, SOM should always be removed before soil dispersion. PMID:28542416

Soil texture analysis revisited: Removal of organic matter matters more than ever.

PubMed

Jensen, Johannes Lund; Schjønning, Per; Watts, Christopher W; Christensen, Bent T; Munkholm, Lars J

2017-01-01

Exact estimates of soil clay (<2 μm) and silt (2-20 μm) contents are crucial as these size fractions impact key soil functions, and as pedotransfer concepts based on clay and silt contents are becoming increasingly abundant. We examined the effect of removing soil organic matter (SOM) by H2O2 before soil dispersion and determination of clay and silt. Soil samples with gradients in SOM were retrieved from three long-term field experiments each with uniform soil mineralogy and texture. For soils with less than 2 g C 100 g-1 minerals, clay estimates were little affected by SOM. Above this threshold, underestimation of clay increased dramatically with increasing SOM content. Silt contents were systematically overestimated when SOM was not removed; no lower SOM threshold was found for silt, but the overestimation was more pronounced for finer textured soils. When exact estimates of soil particles <20 μm are needed, SOM should always be removed before soil dispersion.

Unearthing the Antibacterial Mechanism of Medicinal Clay: A Geochemical Approach to Combating Antibiotic Resistance

PubMed Central

Morrison, Keith D.; Misra, Rajeev; Williams, Lynda B.

2016-01-01

Natural antibacterial clays, when hydrated and applied topically, kill human pathogens including antibiotic resistant strains proliferating worldwide. Only certain clays are bactericidal; those containing soluble reduced metals and expandable clay minerals that absorb cations, providing a capacity for extended metal release and production of toxic hydroxyl radicals. Here we show the critical antibacterial components are soluble Fe2+ and Al3+ that synergistically attack multiple cellular systems in pathogens normally growth-limited by Fe supply. This geochemical process is more effective than metal solutions alone and provides an alternative antibacterial strategy to traditional antibiotics. Advanced bioimaging methods and genetic show that Al3+ misfolds cell membrane proteins, while Fe2+ evokes membrane oxidation and enters the cytoplasm inflicting hydroxyl radical attack on intracellular proteins and DNA. The lethal reaction precipitates Fe3+-oxides as biomolecular damage proceeds. Discovery of this bactericidal mechanism demonstrated by natural clays should guide designs of new mineral-based antibacterial agents. PMID:26743034

pH profile of the adsorption of nucleotides onto montmorillonite. I - Selected homoionic clays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lawless, J. G.; Church, F. M.; Mazzurco, J.; Banin, A.; Huff, R.; Kao, J.; Cook, A.; Lowe, T.; Orenberg, J. B.; Edelson, E.

1985-01-01

The effect of pH and adsorbed ions on the adsorption of purine and pyrimidine nucleotides on montmorillonite clay was studied experimentally. The specific nucleotides examined were: 5 prime-AMP; 3-prime AMP; and 5 prime-CMP. The pH of the clay samples was adjusted to various levels in the 2-12 pH range using microliter volumes of concentrated acid (1N HCl) and base (1NHNaOH). It was found that preferential adsorption among nulceotides was dependent on the pH level and on the characteristics of the substituted metal cation and anion exchange mechanisms. Below pH 4, adsorption was attributed to cation and anion exchange mechanisms. Above pH 4, however, adsorption was attributed to the complexation mechanisms occurring between the metal cations in the clay exchange site and in the biomolecule. The possible role of homoionic clays in the concentration mechanisms of biomonomers in the prebiotic environment is discussed.

Using Layer-by-Layer Coating and Nanocomposite Technologies to Improve the Barrier Properties of Polymeric Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soltani, Iman

Means for improving barrier properties of polymers against gases, particularly for promoting their applications as packaging materials, are divided into surface coating and embedding nanoparticles in the bulk of the polymeric membranes. In this research, we mainly investigated improvement in barrier properties of polymers against oxygen and carbon dioxide, through layer-by-layer (LBL) coating and bulk nanocomposite methods. Initially, we studied the morphology of layer-by-layer assemblies comprising alternating layers of polyelectrolyte (PE) and natural montmorillonite (MMT) platelets, where polyethyleneterephthalate ionomer was used as our proposed alternative PE, to be compared with already examined polyethyleneimine. For both investigated PEs, while microscopic images showed the formation of tortuous networks of galleries between subsequent layers of oriented clay platelets parallel to the substrate surface, x-ray diffractometry (XRD) traces pointed to the intercalation of PE layers between clay platelets. As a confirmation of forming tortuous networks between oriented and high aspect ratio clay platelets to increase the path length of diffusing gas species dramatically, LBL-coated polystyrene-based membranes demonstrated pronounced decreases in permeability of oxygen and carbon dioxide (e.g. about the scale of 500 times decrease in permeability, with only five cycles of bilayer deposition). Before LBL deposition, the surface of the hydrophobic polymeric substrate was pretreated with oxygen plasma to improve its interaction with the coating. In the next study, previously LBL-coated samples were melt pressed in a cyclic manner to embed and to crush the coating inside the polystyrene-based matrix, aiming the exfoliated polymer-clay nanocomposites. The morphological investigations by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed the tortuous internal structure of crushed LBL assemblies' portions, mainly comprising swollen intercalated stacks of clay, as well as flocculated exfoliated tactoids of a few clay platelets, down to about 2nm thickness. Moreover, XRD traces confirmed this increase in intercalation and exfoliation of clay platelets. Following ahead, dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMA) revealed significant increases in the storage and loss moduli values for our PNCs over those of pristine polystyrenebased matrix, hypothesizing the occurrence of substantial interactions between clay and the polymeric matrix, induced by intervening effect of PE interlayers. Also, permeation experiments showed noticeable improvement in gas barrier properties of processed PNCs. Considering the low content of clay particles and their limited level of global dispersions throughout the matrix, it may theorize the significant efficiency of high aspect ratio and tortuous LBL assemblies portions, oriented (induced by cycling pressing into thin films) perpendicular to the permeants' path routes. Thus, it might act almost as scavenging hubs against transport of diffusing gases. Finally, using PVAc, as the matrix, with this novel two-step approach of preparing PNCs, showed relatively higher clay content, when prepared with similar coating conditions. Also, DMA and permeation experiments pointed to significant improvements in mechanical and gas barrier properties of the PNCs, prepared by only 25 times melt pressing steps. Additionally, XRD traces postulated occurrence of noticeable irregularities in the interdistance of clay platelets. So, it is conjectured that semi-hydrophilic PVAc matrix promotes stronger interactions with clay particles, compared with those of polystyrene-based PNCs. However, moderate global dispersion of clay throughout the matrix points to the insufficient efficiency of repetitive melt pressing procedure to apply intensive enough stresses on samples, in order to overcome internal cohesion in LBL assemblies, which established initial intercalation and exfoliation in the otherwise aggregately clustered natural clay platelets. In addition, it is postulated that possibly occurring slight thermal degradations induce adverse results on the dispersion level and aforementioned properties of PNCs, processed over extended times.

Soil Materials and Health: An new experience for teaching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Del Hoyo Martínez, Carmen

2014-05-01

Cationic clays are very extended compounds on the earth surface so they constitute the main component of soils and sedimentary rocks. Due to their presence and special properties that they have, mankind has used them with therapeutic aims from Prehistory, not being rare to find references to this subject in works of classic authors. During the Renaissance and with the appearance of the first Pharmacopeia, its use was regulated to a certain extent. The scientific development reached during the XXth century has allowed to understand and to study the reasons of the useful and peculiar properties of clays, directly related to their colloidal size and crystalline structure. These properties are translated in a high specific surface area, optimal rheological properties and/or excellent sorptive capacity; everything makes cationic clays very useful for a wide range of applications. In the field of health, cationic clays are used in Pharmaceutical Technology and Dermopharmacy as ideal excipients and substances of suitable biological activity due to their chemical inertness and low or null toxicity for the patient (Carretero, 2002; Lopez Galindo et al., 2005; Choy et al., 2007; del Hoyo, 2007). Cationic clays can be used in a wide range of applications in health. However, it must be also considered that the risk exposure to cationic clays may cause several diseases, as it has been seen above. Cationic clays have been used as excipients and active principles in the pharmaceutical industry. The last tendencies are their use in geomedicine, as much to come up as to treat diseases. One stands out his presence in spas and aesthetic medicine. Development of new pharmaceutical formulations is observed, based on cationic clays, for cancer therapy. It has to emphasize the importance in the synthesis of biosensors with cationic clays. Cationic clays can be considered a group of promising materials in the development of new health applications. The study of the use of the cationic clays in the field of the health is a source to develop numerous studies of cases in the teaching of different subjects related to the geoscience and a new opportunity to connect the learning with the reality. References -Carretero, MI 2002. Clay Minerals and Their Beneficial Effects upon Human Health. A review. Appl. Clay Sci. 21, pp. 155-163. -Choy, J.H., Choi, S.J., Oh, J.M., Park, T. 2007. Clay minerals and layered double hydroxides for novel biological applications. Appl. Clay Sci. 36 pp. 122-132. -Del Hoyo, C. 2007. Layered double hydroxides and human health: An overview. Appl. Clay Sci. 36, pp. 103-121. -Lopez-Galindo, A., Viseras Iborra, C. & Cerezo Gonzalez, P. 2005. Arcillas y salud. In: Conferencias de la XIX Reunion de la Sociedad Espanola de Arcillas. Rives, Ed., pp. 15-18.

Modeling the acid-base surface chemistry of montmorillonite.

PubMed

Bourg, Ian C; Sposito, Garrison; Bourg, Alain C M

2007-08-15

Proton uptake on montmorillonite edge surfaces can control pore water pH, solute adsorption, dissolution kinetics and clay colloid behavior in engineered clay barriers and natural weathering environments. Knowledge of proton uptake reactions, however, is currently limited by strong discrepancies between reported montmorillonite titration data sets and by conflicting estimates of edge structure, reactivity and electrostatics. In the present study, we show that the apparent discrepancy between titration data sets results in large part from the widespread use of an erroneous assumption of zero specific net proton surface charge at the onset of titration. Using a novel simulation scheme involving a surface chemistry model to simulate both pretreatment and titration, we find that montmorillonite edge surface chemistry models that account for the "spillover" of electrostatic potential from basal onto edge surfaces and for the stabilization of deprotonated Al-Si bridging sites through bond-length relaxation at the edge surface can reproduce key features of the best available experimental titration data (the influence of pretreatment conditions on experimental results, the absence of a point of zero salt effect, buffer capacity in the acidic pH range). However, no combination of current models of edge surface structure, reactivity and electrostatics can quantitatively predict, without fitted parameters, the experimental titration data over the entire range of pH (4.5 to 9) and ionic strength (0.001 to 0.5 mol dm(-3)) covered by available data.

Magnetic resonance imaging of clays: swelling, sedimentation, dissolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dvinskikh, Sergey; Furo, Istvan

2010-05-01

While most magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) applications concern medical research, there is a rapidly increasing number of MRI studies in the field of environmental science and technology. In this presentation, MRI will be introduced from the latter perspective. While many processes in these areas are similar to those addressed in medical applications of MRI, parameters and experimental implementations are often quite different and, in many respects, far more demanding. This hinders direct transfer of existing methods developed for biomedical research, especially when facing the challenging task of obtaining spatially resolved quantitative information. In MRI investigation of soils, clays, and rocks, mainly water signal is detected, similarly to MRI of biological and medical samples. However, a strong variation of water mobility and a wide spread of water spin relaxation properties in these materials make it difficult to use standard MRI approaches. Other significant limitations can be identified as following: T2 relaxation and probe dead time effects; molecular diffusion artifacts; varying dielectric losses and induced currents in conductive samples; limited dynamic range; blurring artifacts accompanying drive for increasing sensitivity and/or imaging speed. Despite these limitations, by combining MRI techniques developed for solid and liquid states and using independent information on relaxation properties of water, interacting with the material of interest, true images of distributions of both water, material and molecular properties in a wide range of concentrations can be obtained. Examples of MRI application will be given in the areas of soil and mineral research where understanding water transport and erosion processes is one of the key challenges. Efforts in developing and adapting MRI approaches to study these kinds of systems will be outlined as well. Extensive studies of clay/water interaction have been carried out in order to provide a quantitative measure of clay distribution in extended samples during different physical processes such as swelling, dissolution, and sedimentation on the time scale from minutes to years [1-3]. To characterize the state of colloids that form after/during clay swelling the water self-diffusion coefficient was measured on a spatially resolved manner. Both natural clays and purified and ion-exchanged montmorillonite clays were investigated. The primary variables were clay composition and water ionic strength. These results have a significant impact for engineering barriers for storage of spent nuclear fuel where clay erosion by low salinity water must be addressed. Presented methods were developed under the motivation of using bentonite clays as a buffer medium to build in-ground barriers for the encapsulation of radioactive waste. Nevertheless, the same approaches can be found suitable in other applications in soil and environmental science to study other types of materials as they swell, dissolve, erode, or sediment. Acknowledgements: This work has been supported by the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Co (SKB) and the Swedish Research Council VR. [1] N. Nestle, T. Baumann, R. Niessner, Magnetic resonance imaging in environmental science. Environ. Sci. Techn. 36 154A (2002). [2] S. V. Dvinskikh, K. Szutkowski, I. Furó. MRI profiles over a very wide concentration ranges: application to swelling of a bentonite clay. J. Magn. Reson. 198 146 (2009). [3] S. V. Dvinskikh, I. Furó. Magnetic resonance imaging and nuclear magnetic resonance investigations of bentonite systems. Technical Report, TR-09-27, SKB (2009), www.skb.se.

Biocompatible high performance hyperbranched epoxy/clay nanocomposite as an implantable material.

PubMed

Barua, Shaswat; Dutta, Nipu; Karmakar, Sanjeev; Chattopadhyay, Pronobesh; Aidew, Lipika; Buragohain, Alak K; Karak, Niranjan

2014-04-01

Polymeric biomaterials are in extensive use in the domain of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. High performance hyperbranched epoxy is projected here as a potential biomaterial for tissue regeneration. Thermosetting hyperbranched epoxy nanocomposites were prepared with Homalomena aromatica rhizome oil-modified bentonite as well as organically modified montmorillonite clay. Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction and scanning and transmission electron microscopic techniques confirmed the strong interfacial interaction of clay layers with the epoxy matrix. The poly(amido amine)-cured thermosetting nanocomposites exhibited high mechanical properties like impact resistance (>100 cm), scratch hardness (>10 kg), tensile strength (48-58 MPa) and elongation at break (11.9-16.6%). Cytocompatibility of the thermosets was found to be excellent as evident by MTT and red blood cell hemolytic assays. The nanocomposites exhibited antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 11632), Escherichia coli (ATCC 10536), Mycobacterium smegmatis (ATCC14468) and Candida albicans (ATCC 10231) strains. In vivo biocompatibility of the best performing nanocomposite was ascertained by histopathological study of the brain, heart, liver and skin after subcutaneous implantation in Wistar rats. The material supported the proliferation of dermatocytes without induction of any sign of toxicity to the above organs. The adherence and proliferation of cells endorse the nanocomposite as a non-toxic biomaterial for tissue regeneration.

Interactions of oxytetracycline with a smectite clay: a spectroscopic study with molecular simulations.

PubMed

Aristilde, Ludmilla; Marichal, Claire; Miéhé-Brendlé, Jocelyne; Lanson, Bruno; Charlet, Laurent

2010-10-15

Binding of antibiotics to clay minerals can decrease both their physical and biological availability in soils. To elucidate the binding mechanisms of tetracycline antibiotics on smectite clays as a function of pH, we probed the interactions of oxytetracycline (OTC) with Na-montmorillonite (MONT) using X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared (IR), and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopies, and Monte Carlo molecular simulations. The XRD patterns demonstrate the presence of OTC in the MONT interlayer space at acidic pH whereas complexation of OTC by external basal and edge sites seems to prevail at pH 8. At both pH, the (1)H-(13)C NMR profile indicates restricted mobility of the adsorbed OTC species; and, -CH(3) deformation and C-N stretching IR vibration bands confirm a binding mechanism involving the protonated dimethylamino group of OTC. Changes in the (23)Na NMR environments are consistent with cation-exchange and cation complexation reactions at the different sites of adsorption. Molecular simulations indicate that MONT interlayer spacing and structural charge localization dictate favorable binding conformations of the intercalated OTC, facilitating multiple interactions in agreement with the spectroscopic data. Our results present complementary insights into the mechanisms of adsorption of TETs on smectites important for their retention in natural and engineered soil environments.

Molecular dynamics simulation of thermomechanical properties of montmorillonite crystal. 1. Isolated clay nanoplate.

PubMed

Mazo, Mikhail A; Manevitch, Leonid I; Gusarova, Elena B; Shamaev, Mikhail Yu; Berlin, Alexander A; Balabaev, Nikolay K; Rutledge, Gregory C

2008-03-13

The structure and mechanical properties of clay nanoparticles is a subject of growing interest because of their numerous applications in engineering. We present the results of molecular dynamics simulation for a single nanoplate of pyrophyllite - a 2:1 clay mineral consisting of two tetrahedral sheets of SiO4 and an intervening octahedral AlO6 sheet. Simulations were performed in the temperature interval from 5 to 750 K using the ionic-type potentials of Cygan et al. On this basis the temperature dependences of structural parameters, characterizing both tetrahedral and octahedral sheets as well as single lamella, have been studied. Two slightly different structures were observed in this wide temperature interval. The mechanical properties of the nanoplate were calculated from stress-strain diagrams, which have been obtained at relatively slow rates of deformation (for molecular simulations). Using different types of loading, we calculated the full elasticity tensor and estimated the influence of temperature on its components. We estimated also the bending and torsion stiffnesses of the nanoplate as specific characteristics of this type of particle. Because the nanoplate is atomically thin, a reasonable determination of the thickness is a nontrivial problem, both in the modeling of mechanical properties and in physical interpretation of the obtained data. We propose a procedure for its calculation.

Bentonite Clay Evolution at Elevated Pressures and Temperatures: An experimental study for generic nuclear repositories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caporuscio, F. A.; Cheshire, M.; McCarney, M.

2012-12-01

The Used Fuel Disposition Campaign is presently engaged in looking at various generic repository options for disposal of used fuel. Of interest are the disposal of high heat load canisters ,which may allow for a reduced repository footprint. The focus of this experimental work is to characterize Engineered Barrier Systems (EBS) conditions in repositories. Clay minerals - as backfill or buffer materials - are critical to the performance of the EBS. Experiments were performed in Dickson cells at 150 bar and sequentially stepped from 125 oC to 300 oC over a period of ~1 month. An unprocessed bentonite from Colony, Wyoming was used as the buffer material in each experiment. An K-Ca-Na-Cl-rich brine (replicating deep Stripa groundwater) was used at a 9:1 water:rock ratio. The baseline experiment contained brine + clay, while three other experiments contained metals that could be used as waste form canisters (brine +clay+304SS, brine+clay+316SS, brine+clay+Cu). All experiments were buffered at the Mt-Fe oxygen fugacity univarient line. As experiment temperature increased and time progressed, pH, K and Ca ion concentrations dropped, while Si, Na, and SO4 concentrations increased. Silicon was liberated into the fluid phase (>1000 ppm) and precipitated during the quenching of the experiment. The precipitated silica transformed to cristobalite as cooling progressed. Potassium was mobilized and exchanged with interlayer Na, transitioning the clay from Na-montmorillonite to K-smectite. Though illitization was not observed in these experiments, its formation may be kinetically limited and longer-term experiments are underway to evaluate the equilibrium point in this reaction. Clinoptilolite present in the starting bentonite mixture is unstable above 150 oC. Hence, the zeolite broke down at high temperatures but recrystallized as the quench event occurred. This was borne out in SEM images that showed clinoptilolite as a very late stage growth mineral. Both experimental runs containing steel exhibit the generation of a chlorite / Fe-saponite layer at the clay-metal boundary. The formation of minor amounts of pentlandite [(Fe,Ni)9S8] also occurs on both steel plates. Chalcocite (Cu2S) formed as a corrosion product on the Cu plates. The two sulfide phases have been produced by the generation of H2S gas during the experimental runs. The H2S is formed by the breakdown of pyrite framboids at high temperature in the bentonite. Such experiments on representative EBS materials at elevated P,T repository conditions are providing useful information for generic repository studies. Lack of illite formation is common in clay experiments and may be related to kinetics or K concentration. Precipitated SiO2 may potentially seal heating cracks in the clay backfill. The chlorite layer generated on steel may act as a passivation material and prevent corrosion of the steel canister wall. Finally, even if zeolites break down during the high temperature thermal pulse of a repository, zeolites may form again as the repository inventory cools off and perform as radionuclide sorbing phases.

Learning outcomes and student-perceived value of clay modeling and cat dissection in undergraduate human anatomy and physiology.

PubMed

DeHoff, Mary Ellen; Clark, Krista L; Meganathan, Karthikeyan

2011-03-01

Alternatives and/or supplements to animal dissection are being explored by educators of human anatomy at different academic levels. Clay modeling is one such alternative that provides a kinesthetic, three-dimensional, constructive, and sensory approach to learning human anatomy. The present study compared two laboratory techniques, clay modeling of human anatomy and dissection of preserved cat specimens, in the instruction of muscles, peripheral nerves, and blood vessels. Specifically, we examined the effect of each technique on student performance on low-order and high-order questions related to each body system as well as the student-perceived value of each technique. Students who modeled anatomic structures in clay scored significantly higher on low-order questions related to peripheral nerves; scores were comparable between groups for high-order questions on peripheral nerves and for questions on muscles and blood vessels. Likert-scale surveys were used to measure student responses to statements about each laboratory technique. A significantly greater percentage of students in the clay modeling group "agreed" or "strongly agreed" with positive statements about their respective technique. These results indicate that clay modeling and cat dissection are equally effective in achieving student learning outcomes for certain systems in undergraduate human anatomy. Furthermore, clay modeling appears to be the preferred technique based on students' subjective perceptions of value to their learning experience.

Zr-doped TiO2 supported on delaminated clay materials for solar photocatalytic treatment of emerging pollutants.

PubMed

Belver, C; Bedia, J; Rodriguez, J J

2017-01-15

Solar light-active Zr-doped TiO 2 nanoparticles were successfully immobilized on delaminated clay materials by a one-step sol-gel route. Fixing the amount of TiO 2 at 65wt.%, this work studies the influence of Zr loading (up to 2%) on the photocatalytic activity of the resulting Zr-doped TiO 2 /clay materials. The structural characterization demonstrates that all samples were formed by a delaminated clay with nanostructured anatase assembled on its surface. The Zr dopant was successfully incorporated into the anatase lattice, resulting in a slight deformation of the anatase crystal and the reduction of the band gap. These materials exhibit high surface area with a disordered mesoporous structure formed by TiO 2 particles (15-20nm) supported on a delaminated clay. They were tested in the solar photodegradation of antipyrine, usually used as an analgesic drug and selected as an example of emerging pollutant. High degradation rates have been obtained at low antipyrine concentrations and high solar irradiation intensities with the Zr-doped TiO 2 /clay catalyst, more effective than the undoped one. This work demonstrates the potential application of the synthesis method for preparing novel and efficient solar-light photocatalysts based on metal-doped anatase and a delaminated clay. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cold Regions Test of Tracked and Wheeled Vehicles

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-12-11

with CTIS setting in the Highway setting and Mud, Sand and Snow setting. (7) Conduct the trials a minimum of three times at each speed as stated in...lock brake system. Record the stopping distance data and record any slew from the centerline. Document if the vehicle experiences engine stall ...while operating in snow. The TOP includes guidance for snow as well as mud, sand , swamps, and wet clay. Most conventional wheeled vehicles cannot

Evaluating Weathering of Food Packaging Polyethylene-Nano-clay Composites: Release of Nanoparticles and their Impacts.

PubMed

Han, Changseok; Zhao, Amy; Varughese, Eunice; Sahle-Demessie, E

2018-01-01

Nano-fillers are increasingly incorporated into polymeric materials to improve the mechanical, barrier or other matrix properties of nanocomposites used for consumer and industrial applications. However, over the life cycle, these nanocomposites could degrade due to exposure to environmental conditions, resulting in the release of embedded nanomaterials from the polymer matrix into the environment. This paper presents a rigorous study on the degradation and the release of nanomaterials from food packaging composites. Films of nano-clay-loaded low-density polyethylene (LDPE) composite for food packaging applications were prepared with the spherilene technology and exposed to accelerated weathering of ultraviolet (UV) irradiation or low concentration of ozone at 40 °C. The changes in the structural, surface morphology, chemical and physical properties of the films during accelerated weathering were investigated. Qualitative and quantitative changes in properties of pristine and aged materials and the release of nano-clay proceeded slowly until 130 hr irradiation and then accelerated afterward resulting complete degradation. Although nano-clay increased the stability of LDPE and improved thermal and barrier properties, they accelerated the UV oxidation of LDPE. With increasing exposure to UV, the surface roughness, chemiluminescence index, and carbonyl index of the samples increased while decreasing the intensity of the wide-angle X-ray diffraction pattern. Nano-clay particles with sizes ranging from 2-8 nm were released from UV and ozone weathered composite. The concentrations of released nanoparticles increased with an increase in aging time. Various toxicity tests, including reactive oxygen species generation and cell activity/viability were also performed on the released nano-clay and clay polymer. The released nano-clays basically did not show toxicity. Our combined results demonstrated the degradation properties of nano-clay particle-embedded LDPE composites toxicity of released nano-clay particles to A594 adenocarcinomic human alveolar basal epithelial cells was observed, which will help with future risk based-formulations of exposure.

Sulfonated Styrene-(ethylene-co-butylene)-styrene/Montmorillonite Clay Nanocomposites: Synthesis, Morphology, and Properties

PubMed Central

2008-01-01

Sulfonated styrene-(ethylene-butylene)-styrene triblock copolymer (SSEBS) was synthesized by reaction of acetyl sulfate with SEBS. SSESB-clay nanocomposites were then prepared from hydrophilic Na-montmorillonite (MT) and organically (quaternary amine) modified hydrophobic nanoclay (OMT) at very low loading. SEBS did not show improvement in properties with MT-based nanocomposites. On sulfonation (3 and 6 weight%) of SEBS, hydrophilic MT clay-based nanocomposites exhibited better mechanical, dynamic mechanical, and thermal properties, and also controlled water–methanol mixture uptake and permeation and AC resistance. Microstructure determined by X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy due to better dispersion of MT nanoclay particles and interaction of MT with SSEBS matrix was responsible for this effect. The resulting nanocomposites have potential as proton transfer membranes for Fuel Cell applications.

Mineralogical control of soil organic carbon persistence at the multidecadal time scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lutfalla, Suzanne; Barré, Pierre; Bernard, Sylvain; Le Guillou, Corentin; Chenu, Claire

2015-04-01

One of the current challenges in understanding the long term persistence of organic carbon in soils is to assess how mineral surfaces, especially at small scale, can stabilize soil organic carbon (SOC). The question we address in this work is whether different mineral species stabilize different types of SOC. Here we used the unique opportunity offered by long term bare fallows to study in situ C dynamics in several fine fractions of a silty loam soil. Indeed, with no vegetation i.e. no external input of fresh C, the plant-free soil of the Versailles 42 Plots (INRA, France) has been progressively enriched in persistent SOC during the 80 years of bare fallow. To separate mineral phases of the clay size fraction we performed a size fractionation on samples taken from 4 different plots at 5 different dates (0, 10, 22, 52, and 79 years after the beginning of the BF) and analyzed the SOC in the different fractions thus obtained. First, the clay fraction (< 2 µm) was isolated by wet sieving and centrifugation in water. Then, the clay fraction was further separated into 3 size fractions by centrifugation: fine clay (< 0.05 µm), intermediate clay (0.05 - 0.2 µm), and coarse clay (0.2 - 2 µm). X-ray diffraction was used to determine the mineralogy of the phases and we found that the coarse clay fraction on the one hand and fine and intermediate clay fractions on the other hand exhibited contrasted mineralogies. Fine and intermediate clay fractions contained almost exclusively smectite and mixed-layered illite/smectite minerals whereas coarse clays contained also discrete illite and kaolinite on top of smectite and illite/smectite. We carried out CHN elemental analysis to study the C and nitrogen dynamics with time in the different fractions. And synchrotron based spectroscopy and microscopy (NEXAFS bulk and STXM at the carbon K edge of 280 eV, CLS Saskatoon, Canada) was used to get information on the distribution and the chemical speciation of the SOC in fractions with contrasted mineralogies. Data analysis is still ongoing and full results will be presented at EGU. First results show that the dynamics and quality of the SOC differ in the different clay fractions. SOC decay was greater in coarse clays compared to intermediate clays, SOC in the coarse clay fraction displaying more diversity than in the other fractions. SOC persistence at the multidecadal timescale also seems to be mineral dependent: smectite being more efficient at protecting carbon compared to illite.

Glacial Lake Lind, Wisconsin and Minnesota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, M.D.; Addis, K.L.; Ferber, L.R.; Hemstad, C.B.; Meyer, G.N.; Komai, L.T.

1999-01-01

Glacial Lake Lind developed in the pre-late Wisconsinan St. Croix River valley, Minnesota and Wisconsin, and lasted more than 1000 yr during the retreat of the Superior lobe at the end of the Wisconsinan glaciation. Lake Lind sediment consists primarily of red varved silt and clay, but also includes mud-flow deposits, nearshore silt (penecontemporaneously deformed in places), nearshore rippled sand, and deltaic sand. Lake Lind varved red clay is not part of glacial Lake Grantsburg, as suggested by earlier authors, because the red varves are separated from overlying glacial Lake Grantsburg silt and clay by a unit of deltaic and fluvial sand. Furthermore, varve correlations indicate that the base of the red varves is younger to the north, showing that the basin expanded as the Superior lobe retreated and was not a lake basin dammed to the southwest by the advancing Grantsburg sublobe. Varve correlations indicate that the Superior lobe retreated at a rate of about 200 m/yr. Uniform winter-clay thickness throughout most of the varve couplets suggests thermal stratification in the lake with clay trapped in the epilimnion; some clay would exit the lake at the outlet prior to winter freeze. Zones of thicker winter-clay layers, in places associated with mud-flow layers, indicate outlet incision, lake-level fall, and shoreline erosion and resuspension of lake clay. The most likely outlet for glacial Lake Lind was in the southwest part of the lake near the present site of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Nearshore sediment indicates that the lake level of glacial Lake Lind was around 280 m. The elevation of the base of the Lake Lind sediments indicates water depth was 20 to 55 m. Evidence in the southern part of the lake basin suggests that the Superior lobe readvanced at least once during the early stages of glacial Lake Lind. Lake Lind ended not by drainage but by being filled in by prograding deltas and outwash plains composed of sand derived from the retreating Superior lobe. It was upon this fluvial surface that the Grantsburg sublobe advanced, depositing till and forming glacial Lake Grantsburg.

The Numerical Simulation of Coupling Behavior of Soil with Chemical Pollutant Effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Z. J.; Li, X. K.; Tang, L. Q.

2010-05-01

The coupling behavior of clay plays a role in the integrity of clay barriers used in landfills. The clay barriers are subjected to mechanical and thermal effects coupled with hydraulic behavior, also, if the leachates become in contact with the clay liner, chemical effects may lead to some drastic changes in the properties of the clay. A numerical method to simulate the coupling behavior of soil with chemical pollutant effects is presented. Within the framework of Gens-Alonso model describing the constitutive behavior of unsaturated clay presented in reference[1], basing on the work of Wu[2] and Hueckel[3], a constitutive model describing the chemo-thermo-hydro-mechanical(CTHM) coupling behavior of clays in contact with a single organic contaminant is presented. The thermical softening and chemical softening is considered in the presented model. The strain arising in the material due to chemical and thermical effects can be decomposed into two parts: elastic expansion and plastic compaction. The chemical effects are described in terms of the mass concentration of the contaminant. The increases in temperature and contaminant concentration cause decreases of the pre-consolidation pressure and the cohesion. The mechanisms are called thermical softening and chemical softening. The presented coupled CTHM constitutive model has been integrated into the coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical mathematical model including contaminant transport in porous media. To solve the equilibrium equations, the grogram of finite element methods is developed with a stagger algorithm. The mechanisms taking place due to the coupling behaviour of the clay with a single contaminant solute are analysed with the presented numerical method.

Preparation of affordable and multifunctional clay-based ceramic filter matrix for treatment of drinking water.

PubMed

Shivaraju, H Puttaiah; Egumbo, Henok; Madhusudan, P; Anil Kumar, K M; Midhun, G

2018-02-01

Affordable clay-based ceramic filters with multifunctional properties were prepared using low-cost and active ingredients. The characterization results clearly revealed well crystallinity, structural elucidation, extensive porosity, higher surface area, higher stability, and durability which apparently enhance the treatment efficiency. The filtration rates of ceramic filter were evaluated under gravity and the results obtained were compared with a typical gravity slow sand filter (GSSF). All ceramic filters showed significant filtration rates of about 50-180 m/h, which is comparatively higher than the typical GSSF. Further, purification efficiency of clay-based ceramic filters was evaluated by considering important drinking water parameters and contaminants. A significant removal potential was achieved by the clay-based ceramic filter with 25% and 30% activated carbon along with active agents. Desired drinking water quality parameters were achieved by potential removal of nitrite (98.5%), nitrate (80.5%), total dissolved solids (62%), total hardness (55%), total organic pollutants (89%), and pathogenic microorganisms (100%) using ceramic filters within a short duration. The remarkable purification and disinfection efficiencies were attributed to the extensive porosity (0.202 cm 3  g -1 ), surface area (124.61 m 2  g -1 ), stability, and presence of active nanoparticles such as Cu, TiO 2 , and Ag within the porous matrix of the ceramic filter.

The PETM in the mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain: A widespread record of unique climate signatures in shallow-shelf Marlboro Clay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Powars, D. S.; Edwards, L. E.; Kopp, R. E.; Self-Trail, J.; Schultz, A.

2009-12-01

Abrupt sedimentary changes mark the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) in the mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain. Across the tectonic downwarp known as the Salisbury Embayment (southeastern Virginia to central New Jersey), kaolinite-rich clay (the Marlboro Clay) abruptly replaces glauconite-rich quartz sand, silt, and illite-smectite clay of the late Paleocene. Dozens of cored boreholes obtained by the USGS and other Federal and State agencies, together with geophysical logs from more than 100 boreholes, allow us to document the widespread distribution and depositional, biostratigraphic, paleoecologic, taphonomic, and tectonic characteristics of the Marlboro Clay. In Maryland and Virginia, the Marlboro Clay is a silvery-gray to pale-red plastic clay and locally includes thin laminations and thicker beds of silt, concretions, pyrite nodules, and rare shell fragments (in downdip cores). The clay is unconformity bounded with highly burrowed contacts. The lower contact is locally so bioturbated that it has been reported as gradational. The upper contact in Virginia has glauconite-rich, sand-filled burrows from the overlying Nanjemoy Formation (lower Eocene) that penetrate as much as 8.5 m down into the Marlboro Clay (total thickness only 9 m). Biostratigraphically, the Marlboro Clay is placed in calcareous nannofossil Zone NP9 (and NP10 in downdip cores) and includes the PETM marker dinocyst species Apectodinium augustum (in downdip cores). In New Jersey, a similar clay deposit is described from the subsurface; and based on consistency in lithology, biostratigraphy, stratigraphic position, isotopic composition and its magnetic properties, we apply the name Marlboro Clay to this unique clay unit throughout the Salisbury Embayment. Structure-contour and isopach maps of the present configuration of the Marlboro Clay reveal a widespread deposit with localized truncation or thinning. Tectonic folding and faulting along the inner Coastal Plain and along the James River structural zone produced syn- and post-depositional erosional thinning on uplifted sides of faults and thickening in downdropped areas. The Chesapeake Bay Impact Structure (CBIS) removed the Marlboro Clay across a large area of southeastern Virginia. Faults and folds associated with the CBIS appear to deform the clay in an outer-fracture-zone that extends up to 25-km outside the crater’s outer rim. The Marlboro Clay thickens and is slightly finer-grained in the deeper part of the Marlboro basin in where structure contours on the top-of-basement generally mimic the tectonic downwarp. The apparent deepest (>200 m below sea level) and thickest (>14 m) part of the Marlboro depositional basin appears to extend from just south of the mouth of the Potomac River northward to the lower Choptank River valley, Maryland, then turns sharply northeastward to beneath the central part of Delaware Bay. The Marlboro Clay of the mid-Atlantic United States thus provides a widespread deposit that in its regional and tectonic setting records, in its unusual sedimentary properties, the severe regional environmental changes associated with global climate change during the PETM.

Quantified abundance of magnetofossils at the Paleocene-Eocene boundary from synchrotron-based transmission X-ray microscopy.

PubMed

Wang, Huapei; Wang, Jun; Chen-Wiegart, Yu-Chen Karen; Kent, Dennis V

2015-10-13

The Paleocene-Eocene boundary (∼55.8 million years ago) is marked by an abrupt negative carbon isotope excursion (CIE) that coincides with an oxygen isotope decrease interpreted as the Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum. Biogenic magnetite (Fe3O4) in the form of giant (micron-sized) spearhead-like and spindle-like magnetofossils, as well as nano-sized magnetotactic bacteria magnetosome chains, have been reported in clay-rich sediments in the New Jersey Atlantic Coastal Plain and were thought to account for the distinctive single-domain magnetic properties of these sediments. Uncalibrated strong field magnet extraction techniques have been typically used to provide material for scanning and transmission electron microscopic imaging of these magnetic particles, whose concentration in the natural sediment is thus difficult to quantify. In this study, we use a recently developed ultrahigh-resolution, synchrotron-based, full-field transmission X-ray microscope to study the iron-rich minerals within the clay sediment in their bulk state. We are able to estimate the total magnetization concentration of the giant biogenic magnetofossils to be only ∼10% of whole sediment. Along with previous rock magnetic studies on the CIE clay, we suggest that most of the magnetite in the clay occurs as isolated, near-equidimensional nanoparticles, a suggestion that points to a nonbiogenic origin, such as comet impact plume condensates in what may be very rapidly deposited CIE clays.

Quantified abundance of magnetofossils at the Paleocene–Eocene boundary from synchrotron-based transmission X-ray microscopy

PubMed Central

Wang, Huapei; Wang, Jun; Chen-Wiegart, Yu-chen Karen; Kent, Dennis V.

2015-01-01

The Paleocene–Eocene boundary (∼55.8 million years ago) is marked by an abrupt negative carbon isotope excursion (CIE) that coincides with an oxygen isotope decrease interpreted as the Paleocene–Eocene thermal maximum. Biogenic magnetite (Fe3O4) in the form of giant (micron-sized) spearhead-like and spindle-like magnetofossils, as well as nano-sized magnetotactic bacteria magnetosome chains, have been reported in clay-rich sediments in the New Jersey Atlantic Coastal Plain and were thought to account for the distinctive single-domain magnetic properties of these sediments. Uncalibrated strong field magnet extraction techniques have been typically used to provide material for scanning and transmission electron microscopic imaging of these magnetic particles, whose concentration in the natural sediment is thus difficult to quantify. In this study, we use a recently developed ultrahigh-resolution, synchrotron-based, full-field transmission X-ray microscope to study the iron-rich minerals within the clay sediment in their bulk state. We are able to estimate the total magnetization concentration of the giant biogenic magnetofossils to be only ∼10% of whole sediment. Along with previous rock magnetic studies on the CIE clay, we suggest that most of the magnetite in the clay occurs as isolated, near-equidimensional nanoparticles, a suggestion that points to a nonbiogenic origin, such as comet impact plume condensates in what may be very rapidly deposited CIE clays. PMID:26420869

Nuclear Repository steel canister: experimental corrosion rates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caporuscio, F.; Norskog, K.

2017-12-01

The U.S. Spent Fuel & Waste Science & Technology campaign evaluates various generic geological repositories for the disposal of spent nuclear fuel. This experimental work analyzed and characterized the canister corrosion and steel interface mineralogy of bentonite-based EBS 304 stainless steel (SS), 316 SS, and low-carbon steel coupons in brine at higher heat loads and pressures. Experiments contrasted EBS with and without an argillite wall rock. Unprocessed bentonite from Colony, Wyoming simulated the clay buffer and Opalinus Clay represented the wall rock. Redox conditions were buffered at the magnetite-iron oxygen fugacity univariant curve. A K-Na-Ca-Cl-based brine was chosen to replicate generic granitic groundwater compositions, while Opalinous Clay groundwater was used in the wall rock series of experiments. Most experiments were run at 150 bar and 300°C for 4 to 6 weeks and one was held at elevated conditions for 6 months. The two major experimental mixtures were 1) brine-bentonite clay- steel, and 2) brine-bentonite clay-Opalinus Clay-steel. Both systems were equilibrated at a high liquid/clay ratio. Mineralogy and aqueous geochemistry of each experiment were evaluated to monitor the reactions that took place. In total 4291 measurements were obtained: 2500 measured steel corrosion depths and 1791 were of phyllosilicate mineral reactions/growths at the interface. The low carbon steel corrosion mechanism was via pit corrosion, while 304 SS and 316 SS were by general corrosion. The low carbon steel corrosion rate (1.95 μm/day) was most rapid. The 304 SS corrosion rate (0.37 μm/day) was slightly accelerated versus the 316 SS corrosion rate (0.26 μm/day). Note that the six month 316 SS experiment shows inhibited corrosion rates (0.07 μm/day). This may be in part due to mantling by the Fe-saponite/chlorite authigenic minerals. All phyllosilicate growth rates at the interface exhibit similar growth rate patterns to the steels (i.e. LCS>304>316> 316 six month).

Production and characterization of a new biodegradable fenugreek seed gum based active nanocomposite film reinforced with nanoclays.

PubMed

Memiş, Saliha; Tornuk, Fatih; Bozkurt, Fatih; Durak, M Zeki

2017-10-01

In the present work, fenugreek seed gum (FSG)/clay nanocomposite films were prepared with nanoclays (Na + montmorillonite [MMT], halloysite [HNT] and Nanomer ® I.44 P [NM]) at different amounts (0, 2.5, 5.0 and 7.5g clay/100g FSG) by solution casting method and characterized. Increasing amount of nanoclay significantly (P<0.05) improved oxygen barrier and thermal properties of the biodegradable films. Agar diffusion tests revealed that FSG based nanocomposite films exhibited strong antimicrobial properties against foodborne pathogens namely Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus independently of clay type and concentration. In the case of mechanical properties, nanoclay incorporation up to 5% provided higher (P<0.05) tensile strength (TS) properties while elongation at break (EB) values of the films significantly (P<0.05) decreased in the presence of clay in the film matrix. SEM micrographs showed that especially lower levels (up to 5%) of nanoclay reinforcements provided a homogeneous and smooth film structure. In conclusion, FSG based nanocomposite films reinforced with nanoclays up to 5% showed a precious potential to be used in antimicrobial food packaging applications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hydraulic permeability of bentonite-polymer composites for application in landfill technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dehn, Hanna; Haase, Hanna; Schanz, Tom

2015-04-01

Bentonites are often used as barrier materials in landfill technology to prevent infiltration of leachates to the natural environment. Since decades, geoenvironmental engineering aims at improving the hydro-mechanical performance of landfill liners. Various studies on the permeability performance of geosynthetic clay liners (GCLs) show effects of non-standard liquids on behaviour of Na+-bentonite regarding its sealing capacity. With increasing concentration of chemical aggressive solutions the sealing capacity decreases (Shackelford et al. 2000). An opportunity to improve the hydraulic permeability of the bentonites is the addition of polymers. The changes in hydraulic permeability performance of polymer treated and untreated bentonites while adding chemical aggressive solutions were studied by several authors. Results obtained by Scalia et al. (2014) illustrate that an increase in permeability can be prevented by adding polymer to Na+-bentonite. On the other hand, Ashmawy et al. (2002) presented results on the incapability of several commercial bentonite-polymer-products. The objective of this study is to characterize the influence of polymer addition on hydraulic performance of Na+-bentonite systematically. Therefore, the influence of 1% polymer addition of cationic and anionic polyacrylamide on the swelling pressure and hydraulic permeability of MX 80 bentonite was investigated. Preparation of bentonite-polymer composites was conducted (1) in dry conditions and (2) using solution-intercalation method. Experiments on hydraulic permeability were carried out using distilled water as well as CaCl2-solution. References Ashmawy, A. K., El-Hajji, D., Sotelo, N. & Muhammad, N. (2002), `Hydraulic Performance of Untreated and Polymer-treated Bentonite in Inorganic Landfill Leachates', Clays and Clay Minerals 50(5), 546-552. Scalia, J., Benson, C., Bohnhoff, G., Edil, T. & Shackelford, C. (2014), 'Long-Term Hydraulic Conductivity of a Bentonite-Polymer Composite Permeated with Aggressive Inorganic Solutions', Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering 140(3). Shackelford, C. D., Benson, C. H., Katsumi, T., Edil, T. B. & Lin, L. (2000), 'Evaluating the hydraulic conductivity of GCLs permeated with non-standard liquids', Geotextiles and Geomembranes 18, 133-161.

Suitability of the methylene blue test for determination of cation exchange capacity of clay minerals related to ammonium acetate method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milošević, Maja; Logar, Mihovil; Dojčinović, Biljana; Erić, Suzana

2015-04-01

Cation exchange capacity (CEC) represents one of the most important parameters of clay minerals which reflects their ability to exchange cations with liquid phases in near contact. Measurement of CEC is used for characterizing sample plasticity, adsorbing and swelling properties which later define their usage in industrial purposes. Several methods have been developed over the years for determination of layer charge, charge density, charge distribution, etc. and have been published in numerous papers (Czimerova et al., 2006; Yukselen and Kaya, 2008). The main goal of present study is comparison of suitability of more recent method - methylene blue test in regard to older method - ammonium acetate for determination of CEC. For this study, we selected one montmorillonite clay (Bogovina, Serbia) and two mainly kaolinite clays (Miličinica, Serbia). Chemicals used for CEC determinations were solution of methylene blue (MB)(14*10-6M/ml) and ammonium acetate (AA) solution (1M). The obtained results are showing generally lower values in case of MB method. The main difference is due to molecular aggregation of MB on the clay surface. AA method is highly sensitive to the presence of CaO. Release of Ca ion from the sample into the solution can limit the saturation of exchange sites by the ammonium ion. This is clearly visible in case of montmorillonite clay. Fe2+ and Mg ions are difficult to move by the ammonium ion because of their ion radius, but in case of MB molecule there is no such restriction in removing them from the exchange sites. MB solution, even in a low concentration (2*10-6M/ml), is showing preferable results in moving the ions from their positions which is already visible after adding a small quantity of solution (25cm3). Both MB-titration and MB-spot test yield similar results and are much simpler methods than AA and they also give other information such as specific surface area (external and internal) whereas AA method only provides information about cations in exchangeable positions. Both methods, methylene blue test and ammonium acetate method, have advantages and disadvantages and differ in their requirements for the sample preparations but in general method selection is depending on the specific application of the given sample. References: - Yukselen, Y. and Kaya, A., Engineering Geology 102 (2008) 38-45 - Czimerova, A., Bujdak, J. and Dohrmann, R., Applied Clay Science 34 (2006) 2-13

Comment on "Evaluation of X-ray diffraction methods for determining the crystal growth mechanisms of clay minerals in mudstones, shales and slates," by L. N. Warr and D. R. Peacor

USGS Publications Warehouse

Eberl, D.D.; Srodon, J.; Drits, V.A.

2003-01-01

A recent paper by Warr and Peacor (2002) suggested that our use of the Bertaut-Warren-Averbach technique (MudMaster computer program) for studying changes in crystallite thickness distributions (CTDs) of clay minerals during diagenesis and very low-grade metamorphism is not reliable because it is dependent on many variables which can not be fully controlled. Furthermore, the authors implied that the measured shapes of CTDs cannot be used with confidence to deduce crystal growth mechanisms and histories for clays, based on our CTD simulation approach (using the Galoper computer program). We disagree with both points, and show that the techniques are powerful, reliable and useful for studying clay mineral alteration in rocks. ?? 2003 Schweiz. Mineral. Petrogr. Ges.

Mixed-layer kerolite/stevensite from the Amargosa Desert, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Eberl, Dennis D.; Jones, Blair F.; Khoury, Hani N.

1982-01-01

Mixed-layer clays composed of randomly interstratified kerolite/stevensite occur as lake and/or spring deposits of probable Pliocene and Pleistocene age in the Amargosa Desert of southern Nevada, U.S.A. The percentage of expandable layers of these clays, determined from computer-simulated X-ray diffractograms, ranges from almost 0 to about 80%. This range in expandabilities most likely results from differences in solution chemistry and/or temperature at the time of formation. An average structural formula for the purest clay (sample P-7), a clay with about 70% expandable layers, is:[(Mg2.72Al0.07Fe0.03Li0.09)(Si3.96Al0.04)O10(OH)0.2]-0.21[X+0.21]+0.21The data suggest that talc, kerolite, and stevensite form a continuous structural series based on layer charge.

Selective Clay Placement within a Silicate Clay-Epoxy Blend Nanocomposite and the Effect on Physical Properties

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, Sandi G.; Scheiman, Daniel A; Kohlmman, Lee W.

2009-01-01

Many epoxy systems under consideration for composite pressure vessels are composed of toughened epoxy resins. In this work, epoxy blends containing both rigid aromatic and flexible aliphatic components were prepared, to model toughened systems, and determine the optimum route of silicate addition. Compositions were chosen such that both glassy and rubbery resins were obtained at room temperature. The physical properties of the nanocomposites varied with T(g) and silicate placement, however, nanocomposite T(g)s were observed which exceeded that of the base resin by greater than 10 C. The tensile strength of the glassy resin remained constant or decreased on the dispersion of clay while that of the rubbery material doubled. Selectively placing the clay in the aliphatic component of the rubbery blend resulted in a greater than 100% increase in material toughness.

Constructing wetlands: measuring and modeling feedbacks of oxidation processes between plants and clay-rich material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saaltink, Rémon; Dekker, Stefan C.; Griffioen, Jasper; Wassen, Martin J.

2016-04-01

Interest is growing in using soft sediment as a building material in eco-engineering projects. Wetland construction in the Dutch lake Markermeer is an example: here the option of dredging some of the clay-rich lake-bed sediment and using it to construct 10.000 ha of wetland will soon go under construction. Natural processes will be utilized during and after construction to accelerate ecosystem development. Knowing that plants can eco-engineer their environment via positive or negative biogeochemical plant-soil feedbacks, we conducted a six-month greenhouse experiment to identify the key biogeochemical processes in the mud when Phragmites australis is used as an eco-engineering species. We applied inverse biogeochemical modeling to link observed changes in pore water composition to biogeochemical processes. Two months after transplantation we observed reduced plant growth and shriveling as well as yellowing of foliage. The N:P ratios of plant tissue were low and were affected not by hampered uptake of N but by enhanced uptake of P. Plant analyses revealed high Fe concentrations in the leaves and roots. Sulfate concentrations rose drastically in our experiment due to pyrite oxidation; as reduction of sulfate will decouple Fe-P in reducing conditions, we argue that plant-induced iron toxicity hampered plant growth, forming a negative feedback loop, while simultaneously there was a positive feedback loop, as iron toxicity promotes P mobilization as a result of reduced conditions through root death, thereby stimulating plant growth and regeneration. Given these two feedback mechanisms, we propose that when building wetlands from these mud deposits Fe-tolerant species are used rather than species that thrive in N-limited conditions. The results presented in this study demonstrate the importance of studying the biogeochemical properties of the building material and the feedback mechanisms between plant and soil prior to finalizing the design of the eco-engineering project.

Stochastic modeling of filtrate alkalinity in water filtration devices: Transport through micro/nano porous clay based ceramic materials

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Clay and plant materials such as wood are the raw materials used in manufacture of ceramic water filtration devices around the world. A step by step manufacturing procedure which includes initial mixing, molding and sintering is used. The manufactured ceramic filters have numerous pores which help i...

Geothermal alteration of basaltic core from the Snake River Plain, Idaho

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sant, Christopher J.

The Snake River Plain is located in the southern part of the state of Idaho. The eastern plain, on which this study focuses, is a trail of volcanics from the Yellowstone hotspot. Three exploratory geothermal wells were drilled on the Snake River Plain. This project analyzes basaltic core from the first well at Kimama, north of Burley, Idaho. The objectives of this project are to establish zones of geothermal alteration and analyze the potential for geothermal power production using sub-aquifer resources on the axial volcanic zone of the Snake River Plain. Thirty samples from 1,912 m of core were sampled and analyzed for clay content and composition using X-ray diffraction. Observations from core samples and geophysical logs are also used to establish alteration zones. Mineralogical data, geophysical log data and physical characteristics of the core suggest that the base of the Snake River Plain aquifer at the axial zone is located 960 m below the surface, much deeper than previously suspected. Swelling smectite clay clogs pore spaces and reduces porosity and permeability to create a natural base to the aquifer. Increased temperatures favor the formation of smectite clay and other secondary minerals to the bottom of the hole. Below 960 m the core shows signs of alteration including color change, formation of clay, and filling of other secondary minerals in vesicles and fractured zones of the core. The smectite clay observed is Fe-rich clay that is authigenic in some places. Geothermal power generation may be feasible using a low temperature hot water geothermal system if thermal fluids can be attained near the bottom of the Kimama well.

Permeability and porosity of hydrate-bearing sediments in the northern Gulf of Mexico

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Daigle, Hugh; Cook, Ann; Malinverno, Alberto

Hydrate-bearing sands are being actively explored because they contain the highest concentrations of hydrate and are the most economically recoverable hydrate resource. However, relatively little is known about the mechanisms or timescales of hydrate formation, which are related to methane supply, fluid flux, and host sediment properties such as permeability. We used logging-while-drilling data from locations in the northern Gulf of Mexico to develop an effective medium theory-based model for predicting permeability based on clay-sized sediment fraction. The model considers permeability varying between sand and clay endpoint permeabilities that are defined from laboratory data. We verified the model using permeabilitymore » measurements on core samples from three boreholes, and then used the model to predict permeability in two wells drilled in Walker Ridge Block 313 during the Gulf of Mexico Gas Hydrate Joint Industry Project Leg II expedition in 2009. We found that the cleanest sands (clay-sized fraction <0.05) had intrinsic (hydrate-free) permeability contrasts of 5-6 orders of magnitude with the surrounding clays, which is sufficient to provide focused hydrate formation due to advection of methane from a deep source or diffusion of microbial methane from nearby clay layers. In sands where the clay-sized fraction exceeds 0.05, the permeability reduces significantly and focused flow is less pronounced. In these cases, diffusion of dissolved microbial methane is most likely the preferred mode of methane supply for hydrate formation. In conclusion, our results provide important constraints on methane supply mechanisms in the Walker Ridge area and have global implications for evaluating rates of methane migration and hydrate formation in hydrate-bearing sands.« less

Permeability and porosity of hydrate-bearing sediments in the northern Gulf of Mexico

DOE PAGES

Daigle, Hugh; Cook, Ann; Malinverno, Alberto

2015-10-14

Hydrate-bearing sands are being actively explored because they contain the highest concentrations of hydrate and are the most economically recoverable hydrate resource. However, relatively little is known about the mechanisms or timescales of hydrate formation, which are related to methane supply, fluid flux, and host sediment properties such as permeability. We used logging-while-drilling data from locations in the northern Gulf of Mexico to develop an effective medium theory-based model for predicting permeability based on clay-sized sediment fraction. The model considers permeability varying between sand and clay endpoint permeabilities that are defined from laboratory data. We verified the model using permeabilitymore » measurements on core samples from three boreholes, and then used the model to predict permeability in two wells drilled in Walker Ridge Block 313 during the Gulf of Mexico Gas Hydrate Joint Industry Project Leg II expedition in 2009. We found that the cleanest sands (clay-sized fraction <0.05) had intrinsic (hydrate-free) permeability contrasts of 5-6 orders of magnitude with the surrounding clays, which is sufficient to provide focused hydrate formation due to advection of methane from a deep source or diffusion of microbial methane from nearby clay layers. In sands where the clay-sized fraction exceeds 0.05, the permeability reduces significantly and focused flow is less pronounced. In these cases, diffusion of dissolved microbial methane is most likely the preferred mode of methane supply for hydrate formation. In conclusion, our results provide important constraints on methane supply mechanisms in the Walker Ridge area and have global implications for evaluating rates of methane migration and hydrate formation in hydrate-bearing sands.« less

A framework for a decision support system for municipal solid waste landfill design.

PubMed

Verge, Ashley; Rowe, R Kerry

2013-12-01

A decision support system (Landfill Advisor or LFAdvisor) was developed to integrate current knowledge of barrier systems into a computer application to assist in landfill design. The program was developed in Visual Basic and includes an integrated database to store information. LFAdvisor presents the choices available for each liner component (e.g. leachate collection system, geomembrane liner, clay liners) and provides advice on their suitability for different situations related to municipal solid waste landfills (e.g. final cover, base liner, lagoon liner). Unique to LFAdvisor, the service life of each engineered component is estimated based on results from the latest research. LFAdvisor considers the interactions between liner components, operating conditions, and the existing site environment. LFAdvisor can be used in the initial stage of design to give designers a good idea of what liner components will likely be required, while alerting them to issues that are likely to arise. A systems approach is taken to landfill design with the ultimate goal of maximising long-term performance and service life.

Formation of metal clusters in halloysite clay nanotubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vinokurov, Vladimir A.; Stavitskaya, Anna V.; Chudakov, Yaroslav A.; Ivanov, Evgenii V.; Shrestha, Lok Kumar; Ariga, Katsuhiko; Darrat, Yusuf A.; Lvov, Yuri M.

2017-12-01

We developed ceramic core-shell materials based on abundant halloysite clay nanotubes with enhanced heavy metal ions loading through Schiff base binding. These clay tubes are formed by rolling alumosilicate sheets and have diameter of c.50 nm, a lumen of 15 nm and length 1 μm. This allowed for synthesis of metal nanoparticles at the selected position: (1) on the outer surface seeding 3-5 nm metal particles on the tubes; (2) inside the tube's central lumen resulting in 10-12 nm diameter metal cores shelled with ceramic wall; and (3) smaller metal nanoparticles intercalated in the tube's wall allowing up to 9 wt% of Ru, and Ag loading. These composite materials have high surface area providing a good support for catalytic nanoparticles, and can also be used for sorption of metal ions from aqueous solutions.

Formation of metal clusters in halloysite clay nanotubes.

PubMed

Vinokurov, Vladimir A; Stavitskaya, Anna V; Chudakov, Yaroslav A; Ivanov, Evgenii V; Shrestha, Lok Kumar; Ariga, Katsuhiko; Darrat, Yusuf A; Lvov, Yuri M

2017-01-01

We developed ceramic core-shell materials based on abundant halloysite clay nanotubes with enhanced heavy metal ions loading through Schiff base binding. These clay tubes are formed by rolling alumosilicate sheets and have diameter of c .50 nm, a lumen of 15 nm and length ~1 μm. This allowed for synthesis of metal nanoparticles at the selected position: (1) on the outer surface seeding 3-5 nm metal particles on the tubes; (2) inside the tube's central lumen resulting in 10-12 nm diameter metal cores shelled with ceramic wall; and (3) smaller metal nanoparticles intercalated in the tube's wall allowing up to 9 wt% of Ru, and Ag loading. These composite materials have high surface area providing a good support for catalytic nanoparticles, and can also be used for sorption of metal ions from aqueous solutions.

Antibacterial clay against gram-negative antibiotic resistant bacteria.

PubMed

Zarate-Reyes, Luis; Lopez-Pacheco, Cynthia; Nieto-Camacho, Antonio; Palacios, Eduardo; Gómez-Vidales, Virginia; Kaufhold, Stephan; Ufer, Kristian; García Zepeda, Eduardo; Cervini-Silva, Javiera

2018-01-15

Antibiotic resistant bacteria persist throughout the world because they have evolved the ability to express various defense mechanisms to cope with antibiotics and the immune system; thus, low-cost strategies for the treatment of these bacteria are needed, such as the usage of environmental minerals. This paper reports the antimicrobial properties of a clay collected from Brunnenberg, Germany, that is composed of ferroan saponite with admixtures of quartz, feldspar and calcite as well as exposed or hidden (layered at inner regions) nano Fe(0). Based on the growth curves (log phase) of six antibiotic resistant bacteria (4 gram-negative and 2 gram-positive), we concluded that the clay acted as a bacteriostat; however, the clay was only active against the gram-negative bacteria (except for resilient Klebsiella pneumonia). The bacteriostatic mode of action was evidenced by the initial lack of Colony Forming Units on agar plates with growth registered afterward, certainly after 24h, and can be explained because interactions between membrane lipopolysaccharides and the siloxane surfaces of the clay. Labile or bioavailable Fe in the clay (extracted by EDTA or DFO-B) induced the quantitative production of HO as well as oxidative stress, which, nevertheless, did not account for by its bacteriostatic activity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

In vitro toxicological assessment of clays for their use in food packaging applications.

PubMed

Maisanaba, Sara; Puerto, María; Pichardo, Silvia; Jordá, María; Moreno, F Javier; Aucejo, Susana; Jos, Ángeles

2013-07-01

Montmorillonite based clays have a wide range of applications that are going to contribute to increase human exposure to these materials. One of the most promising uses of clays is the development of reinforced food contact materials that results in nanocomposites with improved barrier properties. Different organoclays have been developed introducing modifiers in the natural clay which is commercially available. However, the toxicological aspects of these materials have been scarcely studied so far. In the present study, the cytotoxic effects of a non-modified clay (Cloisite Na+) and an organoclay (Cloisite 30B) have been investigated in the hepatic cell line HepG2. Only Cloisite 30B showed cytotoxicity. In order to elucidate the toxic mechanisms underlying these effects, apoptosis, inflammation, oxidative stress and genotoxicity biomarkers were assayed. Moreover, a morphology study with light and electron microscopy was performed. Results showed genotoxic effects and glutathione decrease. The most relevant ultraestructural alterations observed were mitochondrial degeneration, dilated endomembrane systems, heterophagosomes formation, fat droplets appearance and presence of nuclear lipid inclusions. Cloisite 30B, therefore, induces toxic effects in HepG2 cells. Further research is needed to assess the risk of this clay on the human health. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Desorption of intrinsic cesium from smectite: inhibitive effects of clay particle organization on cesium desorption.

PubMed

Fukushi, Keisuke; Sakai, Haruka; Itono, Taeko; Tamura, Akihiro; Arai, Shoji

2014-09-16

Fine clay particles have functioned as transport media for radiocesium in terrestrial environments after nuclear accidents. Because radiocesium is expected to be retained in clay minerals by a cation-exchange reaction, ascertaining trace cesium desorption behavior in response to changing solution conditions is crucially important. This study systematically investigated the desorption behavior of intrinsic Cs (13 nmol/g) in well-characterized Na-montmorillonite in electrolyte solutions (NaCl, KCl, CaCl2, and MgCl2) under widely differing cation concentrations (0.2 mM to 0.2 M). Batch desorption experiments demonstrated that Cs(+) desorption was inhibited significantly in the presence of the environmental relevant concentrations of Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) (>0.5 mM) and high concentrations of K(+). The order of ability for Cs desorption was Na(+) = K(+) > Ca(2+) = Mg(2+) at the highest cation concentration (0.2 M), which is opposite to the theoretical prediction based on the cation-exchange selectivity. Laser diffraction grain-size analyses revealed that the inhibition of Cs(+) desorption coincided with the increase of the clay tactoid size. Results suggest that radiocesium in the dispersed fine clay particles adheres on the solid phase when the organization of swelling clay particles occurs because of changes in solution conditions caused by both natural processes and artificial treatments.

The First 75 Years: History of Hydraulics Engineering at the Waterways Experiment Station

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-01-01

Report, 10-12. Gilsonite is a variety of asphalt that occurs in the Uinta Basin of northeastern Utah. Haydite is an expanded shale or clay...River Fish Mitigation: Gas Abatement." 76. John George i11terview. 77. "SCT Completes Mainstem Project Ranking," Columbia Basin Bulletin: Weekly...view of the Mississippi Basin Model looking toward the Gulf of Mexico. (Ohio River Basin in lower right foreground; Atchafalaya Basin in extreme

“Wave - Particle Duality” and Soil Liquefaction in Geotechnical Engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Demin

2017-10-01

In the disaster situation of multi-earthquake, with the phenomenon of vibrating phenomenon and the occurrence of cracks in the surface soil, the collapse of the buildings on the ground are caused. The author tries to explain the phenomenon of earthquake disaster in this geotechnical engineering by using the wave-particle duality theory of sunlight. And proposed the sun in the physics of the already high frequency of the weak light superimposed into the low frequency of the low light wave volatility, once again superimposed, superimposed as a lower frequency of linear light, the energy from low to high. Sunlight from weak light into a strong sunlight, that is, the sun near the observation may be weak light or black sunspots is composed of black holes. By long distance, the convergence of light becomes into a dazzling luminous body. Light from the numerous light quantum and an energy line form a half-space infinite volatility curve, and the role of light plays under the linear form of particles. When the night is manifested of l black approaching unconnected light quantum. The author plays the earth as the sun, compared to the deep pressure of low-viscosity clay soil pore, water performance is complex. Similar to the surface of the sun’s spectrum, saturated silty sand is showed volatility, Ground surface high-energy clay showed particle properties. Particle performance is shear strength.

Tc(VII) and Cr(VI) Interaction with Naturally Reduced Ferruginous Smectite from a Redox Transition Zone.

PubMed

Qafoku, Odeta; Pearce, Carolyn I; Neumann, Anke; Kovarik, Libor; Zhu, Mengqiang; Ilton, Eugene S; Bowden, Mark E; Resch, Charles T; Arey, Bruce W; Arenholz, Elke; Felmy, Andrew R; Rosso, Kevin M

2017-08-15

Fe(II)-rich clay minerals found in subsurface redox transition zones (RTZs) can serve as important sources of electron equivalents limiting the transport of redox-active contaminants. While most laboratory reactivity studies are based on reduced model clays, the reactivity of naturally reduced field samples remains poorly explored. Characterization of the clay size fraction of a fine-grained unit from the RTZ interface at the Hanford site, Washington, including mineralogy, crystal chemistry, and Fe(II)/(III) content, indicates that ferruginous montmorillonite is the dominant mineralogical component. Oxic and anoxic fractions differ significantly in Fe(II) natural content, but Fe TOTAL remains constant, demonstrating no Fe loss during its reduction-oxidation cyclings. At native pH of 8.6, the anoxic fraction, despite its significant Fe(II), ∼23% of Fe TOTAL , exhibits minimal reactivity with TcO 4 - and CrO 4 2- and much slower reaction kinetics than those measured in studies with biologically/chemically reduced model clays. Reduction capacity is enhanced by added/sorbed Fe(II) (if Fe(II) SORBED > 8% clay Fe(II) LABILE ); however, the kinetics of this conceptually surface-mediated reaction remain sluggish. Surface-sensitive Fe L-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy shows that Fe(II) SORBED and the resulting reducing equivalents are not available in the outermost few nanometers of clay surfaces. Slow kinetics thus appear related to diffusion-limited access to electron equivalents retained within the clay mineral structure.

Evaluation of clay/poly (L-lactide) microcomposites as anticancer drug, 6-mercaptopurine reservoir through in vitro cytotoxicity, oxidative stress markers and in vivo pharmacokinetics.

PubMed

Kevadiya, Bhavesh D; Chettiar, Shiva Shankaran; Rajkumar, Shalini; Bajaj, Hari C; Gosai, Kalpeshgiri A; Brahmbhatt, Harshad

2013-12-01

Intercalation of 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP), an antineoplastic drug in interlayer gallery of Na(+)-clay (MMT) was further entrapped in poly (L-lactide) matrix to form microcomposite spheres (MPs) in order to reduce the cell toxicity and enhance in vitro release and pharmacokinetic proficiency. The drug-clay hybrid was fabricated via intercalation by ion-exchange method to form MPs from hybrid. In vitro drug release showed controlled pattern, fitted to kinetic models suggested controlled exchange and partial diffusion through swollen matrix of clay inter layered gallery. The in vitro efficacy of formulated composites drug was tested in Human neuroblastoma cell line (IMR32) by various cell cytotoxic and oxidative stress marker indices. In vivo pharmacokinetics suggested that the intensity of formulated drug level in plasma was within remedial borders as compared to free drug. These clay based composites therefore have great potential of becoming a new dosage form of 6-MP. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

CIRF.B Reaction-Transport-Mechanical Simulator: Applications to CO2 Injection and Reservoir Integrity Prediction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, A. J.; Tuncay, K.; Ortoleva, P. J.

2003-12-01

An important component of CO2 sequestration in geologic formations is the reactions between the injected fluid and the resident geologic material. In particular, carbonate mineral reaction rates are several orders of magnitude faster than those of siliciclastic minerals. The reactions between resident and injected components can create complex flow regime modifications, and potentially undermine the reservoir integrity by changing their mineralogic and textural compositions on engineering time scale. This process can be further enhanced due to differences in pH and temperature of the injectant from the resident sediments and fluids. CIRF.B is a multi-process simulator originally developed for basin simulations. Implemented processes include kinetic and thermodynamic reactions between minerals and fluid, fluid flow, mass-transfer, composite-media approach to sediment textural description and dynamics, elasto-visco-plastic rheology, and fracturing dynamics. To test the feasibility of applying CIRF.B to CO2 sequestration, a number of engineering scale simulations are carried out to delineate the effects of changing injectant chemistry and injection rates on both carbonate and siliciclastic sediments. Initial findings indicate that even moderate amounts of CO2 introduced into sediments can create low pH environments, which affects feldspar-clay interactions. While the amount of feldspars reacting in engineering time scale may be small, its consequence to clay alteration and permeability modfication can be significant. Results also demonstrate that diffusion-imported H+ can affect sealing properties of both siliciclastic and carbonate formations. In carbonate systems significant mass transfer can occur due to dissolution and reprecipitation. The resulting shifts in in-situ stresses can be sufficient to initiate fracturing. These simulations allow characterization of injectant fluids, thus assisting in the implementation of effective sequestration procedures.

Overview of landslide problems, research, and mitigation, Cincinnati, Ohio, area

USGS Publications Warehouse

Baum, Rex L.; Johnson, Arvid M.

1996-01-01

Landslides cause much damage to property throughout the metropolitan area of Cincinnati, Ohio. Most landslides occur in unconsolidated deposits, including colluvium, till, glacial lake clays, and man-made fill derived from colluvium and glacial deposits. Landslides in thin colluvium are widespread on steeper slopes that wall the valleys of the Ohio River and its tributaries. Abundant landslides also form in thick colluvium on flatter slopes, especially where the colluvium has been disturbed by earthwork. Unusual block glides and block-extrusion glides form where till rests on lake clay. Through the years, knowledge of the distribution and causes of landslides has increased as a result of many investigations. This knowledge became part of the basis for landslide mitigation programs adopted by the City of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, Ohio. In 1974 the Cincinnati City Council passed an excavation and fill ordinance to help reduce landslide damage in areas of new construction. In 1989 following much additional study, Cincinnati created a geotechnical office within its Department of Public Works. The office, which is staffed by a geotechnical engineer, an engineering geologist, and two technicians, carries out a mitigation program. Since 1989, members of the geotechnical staff have worked in several ways to reduce landslide damage in the city; their work includes engineering-geologic mapping of selected parts of the city, inspection of retaining walls that impact public right-of-way, review of proposed construction in hillside areas, inspecting and arranging for repair of landslide areas that affect city property, and compiling geologic and geotechnical data on landslide areas within the city. In 1990, Hamilton County also adopted an excavation and fill ordinance to help reduce the damage due to landslides in areas of new construction.

[Research on the application of in-situ biological stabilization solidification technology in chromium contaminated site management].

PubMed

Zhang, Jian-rong; Li, Juan; Xu, Wei

2013-09-01

In-situ biological stabilization solidification (SS) technology is an effective ground water risk control method for chromium contaminated sites. Through on-site engineering test, this paper has preliminarily validated the remediation effect of in-situ SS method on a southern chromium contaminated site. The engineering test site has an area of approximately 600 m2, and is located at the upstream of the contaminated area. Due to the severe contamination of chromium, the total chromium concentration reached up to 11,850 mg x kg(-1), while the hexavalent chromium concentration reached up to 349 mg x kg(-1), and the most severely contaminated soil had a depth of -0.5 - -2 m. Variations in hexavalent chromium and total chromium concentration in groundwater were observed through the injection of reducing agents and microbial regulators into the injection wells in the test site, and through the monitoring analysis at different time and different depth under the action of the injection agents. Results of the engineering test showed that the on-site SS technology significantly changed the chromium speciation in soil and then reduced the migration of chromium, thus the groundwater risk was reduced. The injected agents had a good effect of hexavalent chromium remediation in groundwater within the effective range of the injection wells, and the SS rate of hexavalent chromium into trivalent chromium reached 94%-99.9%, the SS rate of total chromium fixation reached 83.9%-99.8%. The test results are of significant reference value for the remediation of contaminated sites with features of shallow groundwater depth and soil mainly consisting of silty clay and sandy clay.

Effects of clay after a grain challenge on milk composition and on ruminal, blood, and fecal pH in Holstein cows.

PubMed

Sulzberger, S A; Kalebich, C C; Melnichenko, S; Cardoso, F C

2016-10-01

Oral supplementation of clay has been reported to function as buffer in dairy cows. However, its effects on rumen, blood, and fecal pH have varied among studies. Our objective was to determine the effects of 3 concentrations of dietary clay supplementation after a grain challenge. Ten multiparous rumen-cannulated Holstein cows [body weight (mean ± standard deviation)=648±12kg] with 142±130 (60 to 502) days in milk were assigned to 1 of 5 treatments in a replicated 5×5 Latin square design balanced to measure carryover effects. Periods (21d) were divided into an adaptation phase (d 1 to 18, with regular total mixed ration fed ad libitum) and a measurement phase (d 19 to 21). Feed was restricted on d 18 to 75% of the average of the total mixed ration fed from d 15 to 17 (dry matter basis), and on d 19 cows received a grain challenge. The challenge consisted of 20% finely ground wheat administered into the rumen via a rumen cannula, based on the average dry matter intake obtained on d 15 to 17. Treatments were POS (no clay plus a grain challenge), 3different concentrations of clay (0.5, 1, or 2% of dietary dry matter intake), and control (C; no clay and no grain challenge). Statistical analysis was performed using the MIXED procedure of SAS (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC). Contrasts 1 (POS vs. C) and 2 (POS vs. the average of 0.5, 1, or 2%) were compared, along with linear and quadratic treatment effects. Rumen, fecal, and blood pH, along with blood metabolites, were measured at 0, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 36, and 48h relative to the grain challenge. Cows fed POS had lower rumen pH [(mean ± standard error) 6.03±0.06] than cows fed C (6.20±0.06). Cow fed POS had lower fecal pH (6.14±0.04) than cows fed C (6.38±0.04). We observed a linear treatment effect for rumen pH and fecal pH. Fecal pH (6.22±0.04) was higher for cows fed clay (contrast 2) then for cows fed POS (6.14±0.04). We also observed a treatment difference (contrast 2) for negative incremental area under the curve, pH below 5.6 × h/d, (0.5% clay=7.93±0.83, 1% clay=8.56±0.83, and 2% clay=7.79±0.83) compared with POS (11.0±0.83). Cows fed clay tended to have higher milk yield (0.5% clay=28.8±3.4kg, 1% clay=30.2±3.4kg, and 2% clay=29.1±3.4kg, contrast 2), and had higher 3.5% fat-corrected milk (0.5% clay=29.9±3.5kg, 1% clay=34.1±3.5kg, and 2% clay=33.1±3.4kg), and higher energy-corrected milk (0.5% clay=29.1±3.3kg, 1% clay=32.8±3.4kg, and 2% clay=31.6±3.3kg) than cows fed POS (27.7±3.4kg, 28.0±3.4kg, 27.7±3.3kg, respectively). In conclusion, cows fed clay had higher rumen pH, energy-corrected milk, fat-corrected milk, and a trend for milk yield than cows fed POS. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Long-term modeling of glass waste in portland cement- and clay-based matrices

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stockman, H.W.; Nagy, K.L.; Morris, C.E.

A set of ``templates`` was developed for modeling waste glass interactions with cement-based and clay-based matrices. The templates consist of a modified thermodynamic database, and input files for the EQ3/6 reaction path code, containing embedded rate models and compositions for waste glass, cement, and several pozzolanic materials. Significant modifications were made in the thermodynamic data for Th, Pb, Ra, Ba, cement phases, and aqueous silica species. It was found that the cement-containing matrices could increase glass corrosion rates by several orders of magnitude (over matrixless or clay matrix systems), but they also offered the lowest overall solubility for Pb, Ra,more » Th and U. Addition of pozzolans to cement decreased calculated glass corrosion rates by up to a factor of 30. It is shown that with current modeling capabilities, the ``affinity effect`` cannot be trusted to passivate glass if nuclei are available for precipitation of secondary phases that reduce silica activity.« less

Experimental Evaluation of pH and Temperature Effects on the Adsorption of Boron onto Clay Minerals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoenisch, B.; Marone, D.; Ruprecht, J.

2017-12-01

Modeling the secular evolution of the concentration [B] and isotopic composition (δ11B) of boron in seawater is hampered by limited constraints on the relative sources (i.e. riverine input of weathering products, hydrothermal convection at mid-ocean ridges and fluids expelled from accretionary prisms) and sinks (i.e. alteration of the oceanic crust, adsorption onto clays, and co-precipitation in carbonates) of boron to and from the ocean. Clays remove approximately 28% of total boron from the ocean and quantification of this sink thus represents a major factor for reconstructing the secular evolution of seawater [B] and δ11B over the Cenozoic. However, the relative strength of the clay sink could have been much smaller in the early Cenozoic compared to today, because borate ion as the charged species is preferentially adsorbed onto detrital clays over boric acid, and because the relative abundance of borate in seawater should have been lower under the more acidic conditions of the early Cenozoic. In addition, different clay minerals tend to fractionate boron isotopes differentially, and the relative composition of clay minerals has varied in the past with the dominant climate and weathering patterns on the continents. We have conducted a range of pH (7.5-8.4) and temperature (3-32°C) experiments with four clay minerals (Kaolinite, Illite, Montmorillonite and Chlorite), to build on previously published but limited experimental data. Similar to a previous study and as expected based on the relative abundance of borate ion in seawater, boron adsorption onto these clays increases at higher pH and lower temperatures, but whereas Montmorillonite and Illite absorb similar quantities of boron, Kaolinite is most and Chlorite least efficient in this process. We are now in the process of characterizing the boron isotope fractionation associated with these adsorption experiments.

Influence of smectite suspension structure on sheet orientation in dry sediments: XRD and AFM applications.

PubMed

Zbik, Marek S; Frost, Ray L

2010-06-15

The structure-building phenomena within clay aggregates are governed by forces acting between clay particles. Measurements of such forces are important to understand in order to manipulate the aggregate structure for applications such as dewatering of mineral processing tailings. A parallel particle orientation is required when conducting XRD investigation on the oriented samples and conduct force measurements acting between basal planes of clay mineral platelets using atomic force microscopy (AFM). To investigate how smectite clay platelets were oriented on silicon wafer substrate when dried from suspension range of methods like SEM, XRD and AFM were employed. From these investigations, we conclude that high clay concentrations and larger particle diameters (up to 5 microm) in suspension result in random orientation of platelets in the substrate. The best possible laminar orientation in the clay dry film, represented in the XRD 001/020 intensity ratio of 47 was obtained by drying thin layers from 0.02 wt.% clay suspensions of the natural pH. Conducted AFM investigations show that smectite studied in water based electrolytes show very long-range repulsive forces lower in strength than electrostatic forces from double-layer repulsion. It was suggested that these forces may have structural nature. Smectite surface layers rehydrate in water environment forms surface gel with spongy and cellular texture which cushion approaching AFM probe. This structural effect can be measured in distances larger than 1000 nm from substrate surface and when probe penetrate this gel layer, structural linkages are forming between substrate and clay covered probe. These linkages prevent subsequently smooth detachments of AFM probe on way back when retrieval. This effect of tearing new formed structure apart involves larger adhesion-like forces measured in retrieval. It is also suggested that these effect may be enhanced by the nano-clay particles interaction. 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Integrating auxiliary data and geophysical techniques for the estimation of soil clay content using CHAID algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abbaszadeh Afshar, Farideh; Ayoubi, Shamsollah; Besalatpour, Ali Asghar; Khademi, Hossein; Castrignano, Annamaria

2016-03-01

This study was conducted to estimate soil clay content in two depths using geophysical techniques (Ground Penetration Radar-GPR and Electromagnetic Induction-EMI) and ancillary variables (remote sensing and topographic data) in an arid region of the southeastern Iran. GPR measurements were performed throughout ten transects of 100 m length with the line spacing of 10 m, and the EMI measurements were done every 10 m on the same transect in six sites. Ten soil cores were sampled randomly in each site and soil samples were taken from the depth of 0-20 and 20-40 cm, and then the clay fraction of each of sixty soil samples was measured in the laboratory. Clay content was predicted using three different sets of properties including geophysical data, ancillary data, and a combination of both as inputs to multiple linear regressions (MLR) and decision tree-based algorithm of Chi-Squared Automatic Interaction Detection (CHAID) models. The results of the CHAID and MLR models with all combined data showed that geophysical data were the most important variables for the prediction of clay content in two depths in the study area. The proposed MLR model, using the combined data, could explain only 0.44 and 0.31% of the total variability of clay content in 0-20 and 20-40 cm depths, respectively. Also, the coefficient of determination (R2) values for the clay content prediction, using the constructed CHAID model with the combined data, was 0.82 and 0.76 in 0-20 and 20-40 cm depths, respectively. CHAID models, therefore, showed a greater potential in predicting soil clay content from geophysical and ancillary data, while traditional regression methods (i.e. the MLR models) did not perform as well. Overall, the results may encourage researchers in using georeferenced GPR and EMI data as ancillary variables and CHAID algorithm to improve the estimation of soil clay content.

Transient electromagnetic study of basin fill sediments in the Upper San Pedro Basin, Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bultman, M.W.; Gray, F.

2011-01-01

The Upper San Pedro River Basin in Mexico and the United States is an important riparian corridor that is coming under increasing pressure from growing populations and the associated increase in groundwater withdrawal. Several studies have produced three-dimensional maps of the basin fill sediments in the US portion of the basin but little work has been done in the Mexican portion of the basin. Here, the results of a ground-based transient electromagnetic (TEM) survey in the Upper San Pedro Basin, Mexico are presented. These basin fill sediments are characterized by a 10-40 m deep unsaturated surficial zone which is composed primarily of sands and gravels. In the central portion of the basin this unsaturated zone is usually underlain by a shallow clay layer 20-50 m thick. Beneath this may be more clay, as is usually the case near the San Pedro River, or interbedded sand, silt, and clay to a depth of 200-250 m. As you move away from the river, the upper clay layer disappears and the amount of sand in the sediments increases. At 1-2 km away from the river, sands can occupy up to 50% of the upper 200-250 m of the sediment fill. Below this, clays are always present except where bedrock highs are observed. This lower clay layer begins at a depth of about 200 m in the central portion of the basin (250 m or more at distances greater than 1-2 km from the river) and extends to the bottom of most profiles to depths of 400 m. While the depth of the top of this lower clay layer is probably accurate, its thickness observed in the models may be overestimated due to the relatively low magnetic moment of the TEM system used in this study. The inversion routine used for interpretation is based on a one-dimensional geologic model. This is a layer based model that is isotropic in both the x and y directions. Several survey soundings did not meet this requirement which invalidates the inversion process and the resulting interpretation at these locations. The results from these locations were rejected. ?? 2011 Springer-Verlag (outside the USA).

The spectroscopic, chemical, and photophysical properties of Martian soils and their analogs (MERC, phase 2)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Banin, Amos; Orenberg, James

1990-01-01

A series of variably proportioned iron/calcium smectite clays and iron loaded smectite clays containing iron up to the level found in the Martian soil were prepared from a typical montomorillonite clay using the Banin method. Evidence was obtained which supports the premise that these materials provide a unique and appropriate model soil system for the Martian surface in that they are consistent with the constraints imposed by the Viking surface elemental analysis, the reflectance data obtained by various spacecraft instruments and ground based telescopes, and the chemical reactivity measured by one of the Viking biology experiments, the Labeled Release (LR) experiment.

Controlled release in transdermal pressure sensitive adhesives using organosilicate nanocomposites.

PubMed

Shaikh, Sohel; Birdi, Anil; Qutubuddin, Syed; Lakatosh, Eric; Baskaran, Harihara

2007-12-01

Polydimethyl siloxane (PDMS) based pressure sensitive adhesives (PSA) incorporating organo-clays at different loadings were fabricated via solution casting. Partially exfoliated nanocomposites were obtained for the hydroxyl terminated PDMS in ethyl acetate solvent as determined by X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy. Drug release studies showed that the initial burst release was substantially reduced and the drug release could be controlled by the addition of organo-clay. Shear strength and shear adhesion failure temperature (SAFT) measurements indicated substantial improvement in adhesive properties of the PSA nanocomposite adhesives. Shear strength showed more than 200% improvement at the lower clay loadings and the SAFT increased by about 21% due to the reinforcement provided by the nano-dispersed clay platelets. It was found that by optimizing the level of the organosilicate additive to the polymer matrix, superior control over drug release kinetics and simultaneous improvements in adhesive properties could be attained for a transdermal PSA formulation.

Results of Laboratory Tests of the Filtration Characteristics of Clay-Cement Concrete

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sol’skii, S. V., E-mail: solskiysv@vniig.ru; Lopatina, M. G., E-mail: LoptainaMG@vniig.ru; Legina, E. E.

Laboratory studies of the filtration characteristics of clay-cement concrete materials for constructing filtering diaphragms of earth dams by the method of secant piles are reported. Areas for further study aimed at improving the quality of construction, increasing operational safety, and developing a standards base for the design, construction, and operation of these systems are discussed.

Modified clay sorbents for wastewater treatment and immobilization of heavy metals in soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burlakovs, Juris; Klavins, Maris; Vincevica-Gaile, Zane; Stapkevica, Mara

2014-05-01

Soil and groundwater pollution with heavy metals is the result of both, anthropogenic and natural processes in the environment. Anthropogenic influence in great extent appears from industry, mining, treatment of metal ores and waste incineration. Contamination of soil and water can be induced by diffuse sources such as applications of agrochemicals and fertilizers in agriculture, air pollution from industry and transport, and by point sources, e.g., wastewater streams, runoff from dump sites and factories. Treatment processes used for metal removal from polluted soil and water include methodologies based on chemical precipitation, ion exchange, carbon adsorption, membrane filtration, adsorption and co-precipitation. Optimal removal of heavy metal ions from aqueous medium can be achieved by adsorption process which is considered as one of the most effective methods due to its cost-effectiveness and high efficiency. Immobilization of metals in contaminated soil also can be done with different adsorbents as the in situ technology. Use of natural and modified clay can be developed as one of the solutions in immobilization of lead, zinc, copper and other elements in polluted sites. Within the present study clay samples of different geological genesis were modified with sodium and calcium chlorides, iron oxyhydroxides and ammonium dihydrogen phosphate in variable proportions of Ca/P equimolar ratio to test and compare immobilization efficiency of metals by sorption and batch leaching tests. Sorption capacity for raw clay samples was considered as relatively lower referring to the modified species of the same clay type. In addition, clay samples were tested for powder X-ray difractometry, cation exchange, surface area properties, elemental composition, as well as scanning electron microscopy pictures of clay sample surface structures were obtained. Modified clay sorbents were tested for sorption of lead as monocontaminant and for complex contamination of heavy metals. The highest sorption capacity was observed for clay modified with hydroxyapatite and calcium salts. Sorption capacity increased with a rise of temperature; the best pH value for sorption was 5. Immobilization of metals in soil, as well as industrial wastewater treatment can be accomplished by using sorbents on modified clay basis.

Hillslope Chromatography in Savannas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hartshorn, A.; Khomo, L.; Chadwick, O.; Rogers, K.; Kurtz, A.; Heimsath, A.

2005-12-01

In semiarid ecosystems, vegetation patterns are controlled in part by soil water availability. Along hillslopes in Kruger National Park, South Africa, water availability is strongly dependent on soil texture and textural differences with depth, which are a function of landscape position (convergent or divergent crests, midslopes, and footslopes) and parent material. We are studying weathering and landscape development on the western side of the park, which is underlain by granitic gneisses. Hillslopes in the park are often described as catenas, where rainfall catalyzes chemical weathering and drives the downslope transport of clays and weathering products, forming a predictable sequence of soil types. Sandy crest soils grade to midslope soils where sandy surface horizons overlie clayey subsurface horizons; footslopes generally have higher volumetric clay contents. The boundary between the sandy and clayey soils is of ecological significance because this is the location where run-on from upslope landscape positions is diverted to the surface, initiating overland flow and reducing infiltration. In a geochemical sense these hillslopes can be thought of as chromatographic columns that accentuate differential solute mobility along the long (~1-2 km) potential flowpaths. We use the compound topographic index (a terrain attribute that indexes soil wetness by dividing the upslope contributing area by the slope) to predict the redistribution of clays across these semiarid hillslopes and hope to demonstrate that landscape positions occupying comparable plan and profile curvatures contain clay and organic carbon in proportion to contributing area. Thus far, we have derived contributing area values for 40 soil pits using LiDAR-based digital elevation models and then tested how well contributing area and other terrain attributes predicted clay and carbon content for 218 horizons at these 40 locations. Depth-weighted soil clay ranged from 3 to 25% and total soil carbon ranged from 0.1 to 2.1%. Our preliminary results suggest that greater contributing area only produces greater soil clay content up to a threshold clay content, after which clay illuviation and in situ clay production slows following the diversion of water to the surface.

Is it efficient to co-compost and co-vermicompost green waste with biochar and/or clay to reduce CO2 emissions? A short-term laboratory experiment on (vermi)composts with additives.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barthod, Justine; Rumpel, Cornélia; Paradelo, Remigio; Dignac, Marie-France

2016-04-01

Intensive farming practices can lead to a depletion of soil organic matter, negatively impacting important soil properties such as structural stability, fertility and C storage. The addition of organic amendments such as compost and vermicompost, rich in carbon, helps maintaining soil organic matter levels or restoring degraded soils. Composting and vermicomposting are based on stabilization of organic matter through the mineralization of easily decomposable organic matter compounds, therefore releasing greenhouse gases, including CO2. The aim of this study was to evaluate the global potential reduction of such emissions by the use of additives (2:1 clay and/or biochar): during (vermi)composting processes and after use of the final products as soil amendments. We hypothesized that the interactions between the additives and organic matter may lead to carbon stabilization and that such interactions may be enhanced by the presence of worms (Eisenia). We added in different proportions clay (25% or 50%), biochar (10%) and a mixture of biochar (10%) with clay (25%) to pre-composted green waste. The CO2 emissions of the composting and vermicomposting processes were measured during 21 days. After that, the amendments were added to a loamy cambisol soil and the CO2 emissions were monitored during 30 days of a laboratory experiment. The most efficient treatments in terms of reducing global CO2 emissions were the co-vermicomposting process with 25% clay followed by co-composting with 50% clay and with 10% biochar plus 25% clay. In this treatment (vermicompost with 25% clay), the carbon emissions were decreased by up to 44% compared to regular compost. Addition of biochar reduced CO2 emissions only during composting. Co-composting with biochar could be a promising avenue to limit global CO2 emissions whereas in presence of worms clay additions are better suited. These findings suggest that the presence of worms increased the formation of organo-mineral associations and thus C protection up to a certain clay/organic matter ratio. This strategy could be used to enhance the stability of organic amendments and increase soil carbon sequestration.

Experimental Study on Vacuum Dynamic Consolidation Treatment of Soft Soil Foundation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu-lai, Ni; Xin, Wen; Xiao-bin, Zhang; Wei, Li

2017-11-01

In view of the deficiency of the saturated silt clay foundation reinforced by the dynamic consolidation method, combination the project of soft foundation treatment test area in Tangshan, the reaserch analysed indexes, included groundwater level, pore water pressure, settlement about soil layer and so on, by use of field tests and indoor geotechnical tests, The results showed that the whole reinforcement effect with vacuum dynamic compaction method to blow fill foundation is obvious, due to the result of vacuum precipitation, generally, the excess pore water pressure can be dissipated by 90% above in 2 days around and the effective compaction coefficient can reached more than 0.9,the research work in soft foundation treatment engineering provide a new method and thought to similar engineering.

Thermal and mechanical properties of palm oil-based polyurethane acrylate/clay nanocomposites prepared by in-situ intercalative method and electron beam radiation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Salih, A. M.; Ahmad, Mansor Bin; Ibrahim, Nor Azowa

2014-02-12

Palm oil based-polyurethane acrylate (POBUA)/clay nanocomposites were prepared via in-situ intercalative polymerization using epoxidized palm oil acrylate (EPOLA) and 4,4' methylene diphenyl diisocyante (MDI). Organically modified Montmorillonite (ODA-MMT) was incorporated in EPOLA (1, 3 and 5%wt), and then subjected to polycondensation reaction with MDI. Nanocomposites solid films were obtained successfully by electron beam radiation induced free radical polymerization (curing). FTIR results reveal that the prepolymer was obtained successfully, with nanoclay dispersed in the matrix. The intercalation of the clay in the polymer matrix was investigated by XRD and the interlayer spacing of clay was found to be increased up tomore » 37 Å, while the structure morphology of the nanocomposites was investigated by TEM and SEM. The nanocomposites were found to be a mixture of exfoliated and intercalated morphologies. The thermal stability of the nanocomposites was significantly increased by incorporation of nanoclay into the polymer matrix. DSC results reveal that the Tg was shifted to higher values, gradually with increasing the amount of filler in the nanocomposites. Tensile strength and Young's modulus of the nanocomposites showed remarkable improvement compared to the neat POBUA.« less

Geotechnical and mineralogical characteristics of marl deposits in Jordan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shaqour, Fathi M.; Jarrar, Ghaleb; Hencher, Steve; Kuisi, Mostafa

2008-10-01

Marls and marly limestone deposits cover most of Northern Jordan, where Amman City and its suburbs are located. These deposits serve as foundations for most buildings and roads as well as fill material for structural back filling, especially road bases and sub-bases. The present study aims at investigating the geotechnical characteristics and mineral composition of the marl units of these deposits through field investigations and laboratory testing. Using X-ray diffraction technique along with chemical analysis, representative samples of marl horizons were tested for mineral composition, and for a set of index and geotechnical properties including: specific gravity, grain size, Atterberg limits, Proctor compaction and shear strength properties. The test results show a positive linear relationship as expected between the clay content and both liquid and plastic limits. The tests results also show an inverse linear relationship between the clay content and the maximum dry density in both standard and modified compaction. This is attributed to the adsorption of water by the clay minerals. The relationship is more prominent in the case of modified compaction test. The results also indicate a similar relationship for the angle of internal friction. No clear correlation between cohesion and clay content was apparent.

Studies on Effective Elastic Properties of CNT/Nano-Clay Reinforced Polymer Hybrid Composite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thakur, Arvind Kumar; Kumar, Puneet; Srinivas, J.

2016-02-01

This paper presents a computational approach to predict elastic propertiesof hybrid nanocomposite material prepared by adding nano-clayplatelets to conventional CNT-reinforced epoxy system. In comparison to polymers alone/single-fiber reinforced polymers, if an additional fiber is added to the composite structure, it was found a drastic improvement in resultant properties. In this regard, effective elastic moduli of a hybrid nano composite are determined by using finite element (FE) model with square representative volume element (RVE). Continuum mechanics based homogenization of the nano-filler reinforced composite is considered for evaluating the volumetric average of the stresses and the strains under different periodic boundary conditions.A three phase Halpin-Tsai approach is selected to obtain the analytical result based on micromechanical modeling. The effect of the volume fractions of CNTs and nano-clay platelets on the mechanical behavior is studied. Two different RVEs of nano-clay platelets were used to investigate the influence of nano-filler geometry on composite properties. The combination of high aspect ratio of CNTs and larger surface area of clay platelets contribute to the stiffening effect of the hybrid samples. Results of analysis are validated with Halpin-Tsai empirical formulae.

Site-specific early performance and nutrition of two Salix species in SRIC in southern Quebec (Canada)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Labrecque, M.; Teodorescu, T.I.; Daigle, S.

1996-12-31

Salix discolor WU and Salix viminalis L. were planted under short-rotation intensive culture (SRIC) in three unirrigated and unfertilized abandoned farmland sites (S1, S2, S3) showing different soil textures: sandy loam, clay silt and clay loam. The aims of the experiment were to: (i) investigate first year response to site nutrient condition and (ii) diagnose factors limiting performance. Over the first season, stem biomass productivity was superior on the sandy site (S1) for S. discolor and did not vary between species on clay sites (S2, S3). The inferior performance of plants on clay sites was related to difficulty implanting unrootedmore » cuttings in compacted soil during an exceptionally dry period (May and June). The change in nutrient status was unapparent solely from comparison of critical levels or optimum ratios because leaf nutrient concentration was less affected by site. Diagnostic techniques based on vector analysis of leaf nutrient concentration, content, and dry mass allowed simultaneous comparison of the nutrient status of two species planted on three sites. The relative deficiency of all nutrients, based on vector magnitude and direction, on the two other clay sites (S2, S3) supports the hypothesis that specific edaphic conditions and dryness induced nutrient disorders in willows. Successful establishment of willows in SRIC depends strongly on the characteristics of the plantation site and on precipitation during the establishment phase in the first year of growth.« less

Unraveling the mineralogy of delta deposits on Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Osterloo, Mikki; Kierein-Young, Kathryn

2017-04-01

Detailed geologic characterizations of three of 50+ fan deltas on Mars have yielded important information on their mineralogy as well as formation processes. Data returned from the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) have been used to identify spectroscopic signatures consistent with phyllosilicates in fans or deltas within paleolake basins (i.e., Eberswalde, Holden, and Jezero) that indicate sustained subaqueous sediment deposition. Based on these results, two periods of martian history have been identified when the surface or near surface may have been habitable: (1) during the formation of the iron-magnesium smectite clays, likely in the Early Noachian and (2) during the Late Noachian to Early Hesperian fluvial surface activity that led to the formation of Jezero lake. On Earth, rapid deposition of deltaic sediments can preserve organic materials; hence Martian fan deltas may be ideal environments to investigate the past habitability of the planet. Rapid burial coupled with the identification of phyllosilicates within at least some of the martian deltas makes an even more intriguing argument for further investigation of the remainder of deltas. This is because phyllosilicates, and specifically smectite clays, have the ability to trap organic matter in the interlayer sites of their mineral structures and in terrestrial settings are commonly associated with the most organic rich units. Organic materials that were transported into paleolakes would likely have been buried relatively quickly. Hence, the organics would have been protected within the clay-rich deltaic and lacustrine deposits from oxidation and photochemical dissociation. We will present the initial results of a comprehensive study designed to investigate the compositional and mineralogical variability of the remainder of dust-free, previously un-characterized deltas on Mars (of which, there are 33). Our study aims to provide key information regarding differences in formation and preservation processes between the fan delta deposits. Our initial survey of the deltas indicates that almost all sites contain minor phyllosilicate detections, however only nine sites have significant abundances (i.e., spatially cohesive mapped deposits). Most of the phyllosilicate deposits consist of Fe/Mg clays such as nontronite and saponite, with a few sites showing detections of minor amounts of Al clays. Geologic observations indicate that most of the clays outcrop along the bottom edge of the deltas with a few sites showing a larger band of clays located just beyond the base of the delta. HiRISE images provide additional small-scale geologic context and indicate that most of the clay deposits are exposed as thin erosional layers. When clay deposits are located beyond the base of the delta they are typically more massive in outcrop. Our ongoing morphological, watershed, and catchment basin investigations will provide additional constraints on the style and extent of hydrologic activity. Coupling our detailed spectroscopic characterization with our ongoing work will provide key information on the geologic processes that produced the mineralogical diversity of martian deltas and will likely provide important clues regarding the past habitability of these environments.

Redox properties of structural Fe in clay minerals. 2. Electrochemical and spectroscopic characterization of electron transfer irreversibility in ferruginous smectite, SWa-1.

PubMed

Gorski, Christopher A; Klüpfel, Laura; Voegelin, Andreas; Sander, Michael; Hofstetter, Thomas B

2012-09-04

Structural Fe in clay minerals is an important, albeit poorly characterized, redox-active phase found in many natural and engineered environments. This work develops an experimental approach to directly assess the redox properties of a natural Fe-bearing smectite (ferruginous smectite, SWa-1, 12.6 wt % Fe) with mediated electrochemical reduction (MER) and oxidation (MEO). By utilizing a suite of one-electron-transfer mediating compounds to facilitate electron transfer between structural Fe in SWa-1 and a working electrode, we show that the Fe2+/Fe3+ couple in SWa-1 is redox-active over a large range of potentials (from E(H) = -0.63 V to +0.61 V vs SHE). Electrochemical and spectroscopic analyses of SWa-1 samples that were subject to reduction and re-oxidation cycling revealed both reversible and irreversible structural Fe rearrangements that altered the observed apparent standard reduction potential (E(H)(ø)) of structural Fe. E(H)(ø)-values vary by as much as 0.56 V between SWa-1 samples with different redox histories. The wide range of E(H)-values over which SWa-1 is redox-active and redox history-dependent E(H)(ø)-values underscore the importance of Fe-bearing clay minerals as redox-active phases in a wide range of redox regimes.

Evaluation of the predictive capability of coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical models for a heated bentonite/clay system (HE-E) in the Mont Terri Rock Laboratory

DOE PAGES

Garitte, B.; Shao, H.; Wang, X. R.; ...

2017-01-09

Process understanding and parameter identification using numerical methods based on experimental findings are a key aspect of the international cooperative project DECOVALEX. Comparing the predictions from numerical models against experimental results increases confidence in the site selection and site evaluation process for a radioactive waste repository in deep geological formations. In the present phase of the project, DECOVALEX-2015, eight research teams have developed and applied models for simulating an in-situ heater experiment HE-E in the Opalinus Clay in the Mont Terri Rock Laboratory in Switzerland. The modelling task was divided into two study stages, related to prediction and interpretation ofmore » the experiment. A blind prediction of the HE-E experiment was performed based on calibrated parameter values for both the Opalinus Clay, that were based on the modelling of another in-situ experiment (HE-D), and modelling of laboratory column experiments on MX80 granular bentonite and a sand/bentonite mixture .. After publication of the experimental data, additional coupling functions were analysed and considered in the different models. Moreover, parameter values were varied to interpret the measured temperature, relative humidity and pore pressure evolution. The analysis of the predictive and interpretative results reveals the current state of understanding and predictability of coupled THM behaviours associated with geologic nuclear waste disposal in clay formations.« less

Evaluation of the predictive capability of coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical models for a heated bentonite/clay system (HE-E) in the Mont Terri Rock Laboratory

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Garitte, B.; Shao, H.; Wang, X. R.

Process understanding and parameter identification using numerical methods based on experimental findings are a key aspect of the international cooperative project DECOVALEX. Comparing the predictions from numerical models against experimental results increases confidence in the site selection and site evaluation process for a radioactive waste repository in deep geological formations. In the present phase of the project, DECOVALEX-2015, eight research teams have developed and applied models for simulating an in-situ heater experiment HE-E in the Opalinus Clay in the Mont Terri Rock Laboratory in Switzerland. The modelling task was divided into two study stages, related to prediction and interpretation ofmore » the experiment. A blind prediction of the HE-E experiment was performed based on calibrated parameter values for both the Opalinus Clay, that were based on the modelling of another in-situ experiment (HE-D), and modelling of laboratory column experiments on MX80 granular bentonite and a sand/bentonite mixture .. After publication of the experimental data, additional coupling functions were analysed and considered in the different models. Moreover, parameter values were varied to interpret the measured temperature, relative humidity and pore pressure evolution. The analysis of the predictive and interpretative results reveals the current state of understanding and predictability of coupled THM behaviours associated with geologic nuclear waste disposal in clay formations.« less

Sensitivity of the acid-base properties of clays to the methods of preparation and measurement. 2. Evidence from continuous potentiometric titrations.

PubMed

Duc, Myriam; Gaboriaud, Fabien; Thomas, Fabien

2005-09-01

The effects of experimental procedures on the acid-base consumption titration curves of montmorillonite suspension were studied using continuous potentiometric titration. For that purpose, the hysteresis amplitudes between the acid and base branches were found to be useful to systematically evaluate the impacts of storage conditions (wet or dried), the atmosphere in titration reactor, the solid-liquid ratio, the time interval between successive increments, and the ionic strength. In the case of storage conditions, the increase of the hysteresis was significantly higher for longer storage of clay in suspension and drying procedures compared to "fresh" clay suspension. The titration carried out under air demonstrated carbonate contamination that could only be cancelled by performing experiments under inert gas. Interestingly, the increase of the time intervals between successive increments of titrant strongly emphasized the amplitude of hysteresis, which could be correlated with the slow kinetic process specifically observed for acid addition in acid media. Thus, such kinetic behavior is probably associated with dissolution processes of clay particles. However, the resulting curves recorded at different ionic strengths under optimized conditions did not show the common intersection point required to define point of zero charge. Nevertheless, the ionic strength dependence of the point of zero net proton charge suggested that the point of zero charge of sodic montmorillonite could be estimated as lower than 5.

Engineering New Layered Solids from Exfoliated Inorganics: a Periodically Alternating Hydrotalcite – Montmorillonite Layered Hybrid

PubMed Central

Chalasani, Rajesh; Gupta, Amit; Vasudevan, Sukumaran

2013-01-01

Two-dimensional (2D) nanosheets obtained by exfoliating inorganic layered crystals have emerged as a new class of materials with unique attributes. One of the critical challenges is to develop robust and versatile methods for creating new nanostructures from these 2D-nanosheets. Here we report the delamination of layered materials that belonging to two different classes - the cationic clay, montmorillonite, and the anionic clay, hydrotalcite - by intercalation of appropriate ionic surfactants followed by dispersion in a non-polar solvent. The solids are delaminated to single layers of atomic thickness with the ionic surfactants remaining tethered to the inorganic and consequently the nanosheets are electrically neutral. We then show that when dispersions of the two solids are mixed the exfoliated sheets self-assemble as a new layered solid with periodically alternating hydrotalcite and montmorillonite layers. The procedure outlined here is easily extended to other layered solids for creating new superstructures from 2D-nanosheets by self-assembly. PMID:24336682

Corrosion of copper and authigenic sulfide mineral growth in hydrothermal bentonite experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caporuscio, F. A.; Palaich, S. E. M.; Cheshire, M. C.; Jové Colón, C. F.

2017-03-01

The focus of this experimental work is to characterize interaction of bentonite with possible used-fuel waste container materials. Experiments were performed up to 300 °C at 150-160 bars for five to six weeks. Bentonite was saturated with a 1900 ppm K-Ca-Na-Cl-bearing water with Cu-foils. Copper rapidly degrades into chalcocite (CuS2) and minor covellite (CuS) in the presence of H2S. Chalcocite growth and corrosion pit depths were measured for four different experimental runs yielding corrosion rates between 8.8 and 116 μm/yr depending on duration of experiment, brine composition, and clay type (bentonite vs. Opalinus Clay). Results of this research show that although pit-corrosion is demonstrated on Cu substrates, experiments show that the reactions that ensue, and the formation of minerals that develop, are extraordinarily slow. This supports the use of Cu in nuclide-containment systems as a possible engineered barrier system material.

Intern Summary Reports

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

Topics covered include: Probe Station Antenna Range; LERCIP 2004 Summary; L.E.R.C.I.P. Internship Summary; Hubble Space Telescope Bi-Stem Thermal Shield Analyses; GRABER - the Duct Tape of Space and JIMO Heat Conducting Foam; CDF and PDF Comparison Between Humacao, Puerto Rico and Florida; Development of the On-board Aircraft Network; Development of the Planar Inlet Design and Analysis Process (PINDAP); An Overview of My 2004 Summer Internship [Non-destructive Evaluation]; My Summer Experience as an Administrative Officer Assistant [in the Safety and Assurance Directorate Office]; Programming an Experiment Control System; Reducing the Cation Exchange Capacity of Lithium Clay to Form Better Dispersed; Polymer-Clay Nanocomposites; Feasibility of EB Welded Hastelloy X and Combination of Refractory Metals; My Work in the NASA Glenn History Office and Records Management Office; Education, Technology, and Media: A Peak into My Summer Internship at NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio; [The Engineering and Technical Services Directorate at the Glenn Research Center]; Drinking Water Database; Design of an EXB Probe; and Texturing Carbon-carbon Composite Radiator Surfaces Utilizing Atomic Oxygen.

Corrosion of copper and authigenic sulfide mineral growth in hydrothermal bentonite experiments

DOE PAGES

Caporuscio, F. A.; Palaich, Sarah E. M.; Cheshire, M. C.; ...

2016-12-29

The focus of this experimental paper is to characterize interaction of bentonite with possible used-fuel waste container materials. Experiments were performed up to 300 °C at 150–160 bars for five to six weeks. Bentonite was saturated with a 1900 ppm K-Ca-Na-Cl-bearing water with Cu-foils. Copper rapidly degrades into chalcocite (CuS 2) and minor covellite (CuS) in the presence of H 2S. Chalcocite growth and corrosion pit depths were measured for four different experimental runs yielding corrosion rates between 8.8 and 116 μm/yr depending on duration of experiment, brine composition, and clay type (bentonite vs. Opalinus Clay). Results of this researchmore » show that although pit-corrosion is demonstrated on Cu substrates, experiments show that the reactions that ensue, and the formation of minerals that develop, are extraordinarily slow. Finally, this supports the use of Cu in nuclide-containment systems as a possible engineered barrier system material.« less

PEG-PE/clay composite carriers for doxorubicin: Effect of composite structure on release, cell interaction and cytotoxicity.

PubMed

Kohay, Hagay; Sarisozen, Can; Sawant, Rupa; Jhaveri, Aditi; Torchilin, Vladimir P; Mishael, Yael G

2017-06-01

A novel drug delivery system for doxorubicin (DOX), based on organic-inorganic composites was developed. DOX was incorporated in micelles (M-DOX) of polyethylene glycol-phosphatidylethanolamine (PEG-PE) which in turn were adsorbed by the clay, montmorillonite (MMT). The nano-structures of the PEG-PE/MMT composites of LOW and HIGH polymer loadings were characterized by XRD, TGA, FTIR, size (DLS) and zeta measurements. These measurements suggest that for the LOW composite a single layer of polymer intercalates in the clay platelets and the polymer only partially covers the external surface, while for the HIGH composite two layers of polymer intercalate and a bilayer may form on the external surface. These nanostructures have a direct effect on formulation stability and on the rate of DOX release. The release rate was reversely correlated with the degree of DOX interaction with the clay and followed the sequence: M-DOX>HIGH formulation>LOW formulation>DOX/MMT. Despite the slower release from the HIGH formulation, its cytotoxicity effect on sensitive cells was as high as the "free" DOX. Surprisingly, the LOW formulation, with the slowest release, demonstrated the highest cytotoxicity in the case of Adriamycin (ADR) resistant cells. Confocal microscopy images and association tests provided an insight into the contribution of formulation-cell interactions vs. the contribution of DOX release rate. Internalization of the formulations was suggested as a mechanism that increases DOX efficiency, particularly in the ADR resistant cell line. The employment of organic-inorganic hybrid materials as drug delivery systems, has not reached its full potential, however, its functionality as an efficient tunable release system was demonstrated. DOX PEG-PE/clay formulations were design as an efficient drug delivery system. The main aim was to develop PEG-PE/clay formulations of different structures based on various PEG-PE/clay ratios in order to achieve tunable release rates, to control the external surface characteristics and formulation stability. The formulations showed significantly higher toxicity in comparison to "free" DOX, explained by formulation internalization. For each cell line tested, sensitive and ADR resistant, a different formulation structure was found most efficient. The potential of PEG-PE/clay-DOX formulations to improve DOX administration efficacy was demonstrated and should be further explored and implemented for other cancer drugs and cells. Copyright © 2017 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modelling of Batch Lactic Acid Fermentation in
the Presence of Anionic Clay

PubMed Central

Jinescu, Cosmin; Aruş, Vasilica Alisa; Nistor, Ileana Denisa

2014-01-01

Summary Batch fermentation of milk inoculated with lactic acid bacteria was conducted in the presence of hydrotalcite-type anionic clay under static and ultrasonic conditions. An experimental study of the effect of fermentation temperature (t=38–43 °C), clay/milk ratio (R=1–7.5 g/L) and ultrasonic field (ν=0 and 35 kHz) on process dynamics was performed. A mathematical model was selected to describe the fermentation process kinetics and its parameters were estimated based on experimental data. A good agreement between the experimental and simulated results was achieved. Consequently, the model can be employed to predict the dynamics of batch lactic acid fermentation with values of process variables in the studied ranges. A statistical analysis of the data based on a 23 factorial experiment was performed in order to express experimental and model-regressed process responses depending on t, R and ν factors. PMID:27904318

Formation of metal clusters in halloysite clay nanotubes

DOE PAGES

Vinokurov, Vladimir A.; Stavitskaya, Anna V.; Chudakov, Yaroslav A.; ...

2017-02-16

We developed ceramic core-shell materials based on abundant halloysite clay nanotubes with enhanced heavy metal ions loading through Schiff base binding. These clay tubes are formed by rolling alumosilicate sheets and have diameter of c.50 nm, a lumen of 15 nm and length ~1 μm. This allowed for synthesis of metal nanoparticles at the selected position: (1) on the outer surface seeding 3-5 nm metal particles on the tubes; (2) inside the tube’s central lumen resulting in 10-12 nm diameter metal cores shelled with ceramic wall; and (3) smaller metal nanoparticles intercalated in the tube’s wall allowing up to 9more » wt% of Ru, and Ag loading. These composite materials have high surface area providing a good support for catalytic nanoparticles, and can also be used for sorption of metal ions from aqueous solutions.« less

Formation of metal clusters in halloysite clay nanotubes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vinokurov, Vladimir A.; Stavitskaya, Anna V.; Chudakov, Yaroslav A.

We developed ceramic core-shell materials based on abundant halloysite clay nanotubes with enhanced heavy metal ions loading through Schiff base binding. These clay tubes are formed by rolling alumosilicate sheets and have diameter of c.50 nm, a lumen of 15 nm and length ~1 μm. This allowed for synthesis of metal nanoparticles at the selected position: (1) on the outer surface seeding 3-5 nm metal particles on the tubes; (2) inside the tube’s central lumen resulting in 10-12 nm diameter metal cores shelled with ceramic wall; and (3) smaller metal nanoparticles intercalated in the tube’s wall allowing up to 9more » wt% of Ru, and Ag loading. These composite materials have high surface area providing a good support for catalytic nanoparticles, and can also be used for sorption of metal ions from aqueous solutions.« less

Analytical Expressions for Thermo-Osmotic Permeability of Clays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gonçalvès, J.; Ji Yu, C.; Matray, J.-M.; Tremosa, J.

2018-01-01

In this study, a new formulation for the thermo-osmotic permeability of natural pore solutions containing monovalent and divalent cations is proposed. The mathematical formulation proposed here is based on the theoretical framework supporting thermo-osmosis which relies on water structure alteration in the pore space of surface-charged materials caused by solid-fluid electrochemical interactions. The ionic content balancing the surface charge of clay minerals causes a disruption in the hydrogen bond network when more structured water is present at the clay surface. Analytical expressions based on our heuristic model are proposed and compared to the available data for NaCl solutions. It is shown that the introduction of divalent cations reduces the thermo-osmotic permeability by one third compared to the monovalent case. The analytical expressions provided here can be used to advantage for safety calculations in deep underground nuclear waste repositories.

Formation of metal clusters in halloysite clay nanotubes

PubMed Central

Vinokurov, Vladimir A.; Stavitskaya, Anna V.; Chudakov, Yaroslav A.; Ivanov, Evgenii V.; Shrestha, Lok Kumar; Ariga, Katsuhiko; Darrat, Yusuf A.; Lvov, Yuri M.

2017-01-01

Abstract We developed ceramic core-shell materials based on abundant halloysite clay nanotubes with enhanced heavy metal ions loading through Schiff base binding. These clay tubes are formed by rolling alumosilicate sheets and have diameter of c.50 nm, a lumen of 15 nm and length ~1 μm. This allowed for synthesis of metal nanoparticles at the selected position: (1) on the outer surface seeding 3–5 nm metal particles on the tubes; (2) inside the tube’s central lumen resulting in 10–12 nm diameter metal cores shelled with ceramic wall; and (3) smaller metal nanoparticles intercalated in the tube’s wall allowing up to 9 wt% of Ru, and Ag loading. These composite materials have high surface area providing a good support for catalytic nanoparticles, and can also be used for sorption of metal ions from aqueous solutions. PMID:28458738

Evidence of ancient alteration and subaqueous activity in Oxia Planum, the candidate landing site for Exomars 2020

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quantin-Nataf, Cathy; Carter, John; Thollot, Patrick; Loizeau, Damien; Davis, Joel; Grindrod, Peter; lozach, Loic

2017-04-01

The ExoMars 2018 mission (ESA) has for scientific objectives to search for signs of past and present life on Mars, to investigate the water/geochemical environment as a function of depth in the shallow subsurface, to study to Martian atmospheric trace gases and to characterize the surface environment. The landing site has to be relevant with regard to these objectives while fitting the restrictive engineering constrains. From the scientific point of view, the site must be ancient, from the Early Mars period, for which many scientific evidences favor the existence of a water-related cycle. In this paper, we present the unique location called Oxia Planum, a wide clay bearing plain located between 16° and 19° North and -23° to -28° East proposed as landing site for Exomars 2020 mission. Oxia Planum is located between Ares Vallis and Marwth Vallis in a wide basin just at the outlet of Cogoon Vallis System, with elevations ranging from -2800 m down to -3100 m. The regional compositional mapping of Oxia planum has been achieved based on OMEGA data at 2.5 km/pix well as CRISM multispectral data at 200 m/pix. Mg/Fe phyllosilicates, identified and mapped based on their diagnostic absorptions at 1.4, 1.9 and 2.3 µm are exposed over about 80% of the ellipse surface. The entire unit with phyllosilicates signatures corresponds to a light-toned layered unit that is observed over a large range of elevations (from -2600 m to -3100m) suggesting that like in Marwth Vallis region, the layered and altered formation overlaps a pre-existing topography . The age returned from crater count on the clay rich formation is 3.9 Ga. At the top or embedded within the layered formation, several fluvial morphologies such as former valleys or inverted channels are observed. Also, at the top of the layered clay-rich formation, a deltaic deposit is observed suggesting sub-aqueous episodes postdating the altered layered formation. In terms of mineralogy, the putative delta fan shows layers enriched in hydrated silica. This delta fan implies a second and distinct period of alteration in Oxia Planum signed by a distinct mineralogy. In term of age, the delta has a too small surface to allow a confident age assignment from crater count. We can only state that the delta-fan is older than 3.5 Ga. Oxia Planum recorded at least two clearly distinct alteration environments and contexts: 1) the alteration of the Noachian layers and 2) the fluvio-deltaic system post-dating the Noachian clay rich unit. Deciphering the formation environments for such diverse altered rocks would fulfill the goals of the ExoMars Rover.

Morphology and Structure of Amino-fatty Acid Intercalated Montmorillonite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reyes, Larry; Sumera, Florentino

2015-04-01

Natural clays and its modified forms have been studied for their wide range of applications, including polymer-layered silicate, catalysts and adsorbents. For nanocomposite production, montmorillonite (MMT) clays are often modified with organic surfactants to favor its intermixing with the polymer matrix. In the present study, Na+-montmorillonite (Na+-MMT) was subjected to organo-modification with a protonated 12-aminolauric acid (12-ALA). The amount of amino fatty acid surfactants loaded was 25, 50, 100 and 200% the cation exchange capacity (CEC) of Na+-MMT (25CEC-AMMT, 50CEC-AMMT, 100CEC-AMMT and 200CEC-AMMT). Fatty acid-derived surfactants are an attractive resource of intercalating agents for clays due to their renewability and abundance. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) were performed to determine the occurrence of intercalation of 12-ALA and their molecular structure in the clay's silicates. XRD analysis revealed that the interlayer spacing between the alumino-silicate layers increased from 1.25 nm to 1.82 nm with increasing ALA content. The amino fatty acid chains were considered to be in a flat monolayer structure at low surfactant loading, and a bilayered to a pseudotrilayered structure at high surfactant loading. On the other hand, FTIR revealed that the alkyl chains adopt a gauche conformation, indicating their disordered state based on their CH2symmetric and asymmetric vibrations. Thermogravimetric analyses (TGA) allows the determination of the moisture and organic content in clays. Here, TGA revealed that the surfactant in the clay was thermally stable, with Td ranging from 353° C to 417° C. The difference in the melting behavior of the pristine amino fatty acids and confined fatty acids in the interlayer galleries of the clay were evaluated by Differential Scanning Calorimerty (DSC). The melting temperatures (Tm) of the amino fatty acid in the clay were initially found to be higher than those of the free amino fatty acid, but decreased with increasing surfactant loading. This suggested that the amino fatty acid may be tethered to the clay structure via ionic interaction and/or ion-dipole attraction. Significant changes in the clay morphology, particle size and surface charge were observed after organo-modification. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that the organo-clays have a disordered and flaky morphology, while the unmodified MMT appeared to be dispersed spherical grains. The effective (Z) diameter of Na+-MMT was found to be ~520 nm, but increased up to ~937 nm upon intercalation of 12-ALA. The zeta potential (ξ) of the clay materials, on the other hand, ranged from -33 mV for undmodified MMT to -16 mv (200CEC-AMMT clay). The possible occupational hazards of working with nanoclays should also be explored. Presently, the MTT-dye reduction assay was performed to determine cell viability of mouse monocyte-macrophages (J774A.1) after direct exposure to the clays. The cytotoxicity of the clays exhibited a chemistry and dose dependent response, with unmodified Na+-MMT as the most cytotoxic while the organo-clays exhibited low toxicity. These results demonstrated the successful intercalation of the surfactant for the production of organophilic clay materials for a wide range of applications.

Modeling Coupled Processes in Clay Formations for Radioactive Waste Disposal

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu, Hui-Hai; Rutqvist, Jonny; Zheng, Liange

As a result of the termination of the Yucca Mountain Project, the United States Department of Energy (DOE) has started to explore various alternative avenues for the disposition of used nuclear fuel and nuclear waste. The overall scope of the investigation includes temporary storage, transportation issues, permanent disposal, various nuclear fuel types, processing alternatives, and resulting waste streams. Although geologic disposal is not the only alternative, it is still the leading candidate for permanent disposal. The realm of geologic disposal also offers a range of geologic environments that may be considered, among those clay shale formations. Figure 1-1 presents themore » distribution of clay/shale formations within the USA. Clay rock/shale has been considered as potential host rock for geological disposal of high-level nuclear waste throughout the world, because of its low permeability, low diffusion coefficient, high retention capacity for radionuclides, and capability to self-seal fractures induced by tunnel excavation. For example, Callovo-Oxfordian argillites at the Bure site, France (Fouche et al., 2004), Toarcian argillites at the Tournemire site, France (Patriarche et al., 2004), Opalinus clay at the Mont Terri site, Switzerland (Meier et al., 2000), and Boom clay at Mol site, Belgium (Barnichon et al., 2005) have all been under intensive scientific investigations (at both field and laboratory scales) for understanding a variety of rock properties and their relations with flow and transport processes associated with geological disposal of nuclear waste. Clay/shale formations may be generally classified as indurated and plastic clays (Tsang et al., 2005). The latter (including Boom clay) is a softer material without high cohesion; its deformation is dominantly plastic. For both clay rocks, coupled thermal, hydrological, mechanical and chemical (THMC) processes are expected to have a significant impact on the long-term safety of a clay repository. For example, the excavation-damaged zone (EDZ) near repository tunnels can modify local permeability (resulting from induced fractures), potentially leading to less confinement capability (Tsang et al., 2005). Because of clay's swelling and shrinkage behavior (depending on whether the clay is in imbibition or drainage processes), fracture properties in the EDZ are quite dynamic and evolve over time as hydromechanical conditions change. To understand and model the coupled processes and their impact on repository performance is critical for the defensible performance assessment of a clay repository. Within the Natural Barrier System (NBS) group of the Used Fuel Disposition (UFD) Campaign at DOE's Office of Nuclear Energy, LBNL's research activities have focused on understanding and modeling such coupled processes. LBNL provided a report in this April on literature survey of studies on coupled processes in clay repositories and identification of technical issues and knowledge gaps (Tsang et al., 2010). This report will document other LBNL research activities within the natural system work package, including the development of constitutive relationships for elastic deformation of clay rock (Section 2), a THM modeling study (Section 3) and a THC modeling study (Section 4). The purpose of the THM and THC modeling studies is to demonstrate the current modeling capabilities in dealing with coupled processes in a potential clay repository. In Section 5, we discuss potential future R&D work based on the identified knowledge gaps. The linkage between these activities and related FEPs is presented in Section 6.« less

Effect of Dissolved NaC1 on Freezing Curves of Kaolinite, Montmorillonite, and Sand Pastes,

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-01-01

test this procedure. Pastes of kaolinite clay, montmorillonite , and quartz sand were prepared by washing repeatedly with aque- ous solutions of 0.1...Cold Regions Research & Engineering Laboratory Effect of Dissolved NaCI on Freezing Curves of Kaolinite , Montmorillonite , and Sand Pastes S.A...of kaolinite pastes warmed from -66.6°C to 0°C 8 4. Unfrozen-water contents, as measured by pulsed NMR, of montmorillonite pastes cooled from 0

Using Natural Cementation Systems to Control Corrosion Dust on Un-surfaced Roads

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-02-01

metallurgical slags ), volcanic glass , fly ash and low-fired clays • Can use waste alkali from manufacturing operations • No Portland cement is involved Soil...solidified with alkali- activated glass slag US Army Corps of Engineers 4 Pohakuloa Training Area (PTA) as a Test Site • Serious dust problem at site...Conventional Cement? • Glass can be both the aggregate and form the cementing phase • Waste glass ( slag , fly ash) can be used • More alkaline solution is

Benthic Resources Assessment Technique Evaluation of Disposal Sites in Puget Sound and Adjacent Waters,

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-12-01

of potential impacts to demersal fish feeding habitat. sites. 2. One aspect of benthic habitat quality is the relative amount of trophic support that...a given benthic habitat provides demersal bottom- feeding fishes. Analytical procedures have been developed at the U.S. Army Engineer Waterways...suspend the larger material and to allow fine sands, silts and clays to pass through the screens. Residual material was 2 I! Ii placeL a cloth bags that

Analysis of a Floodplain I-Wall Embedded in Horizontally Stratified Soil Layers During Flood Events Using Corps I-Wall Software Version 1.0

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-07-01

and gap propagation engineering methodology implemented within the software (CI-Wall) makes use of a hydraulic fracturing criterion, as discussed in...moist unit weight). Soil unit weights: Because of the presence of the upper moist (i.e, non - saturated) region R01 clay layer that is immediately...from two series of complete soil-structure interaction (SSI) non - linear finite element studies for I-Walls at New Orleans and other locations

Engineered Structured Sorbents for the Adsorption of Carbon Dioxide and Water Vapor from Manned Spacecraft Atmospheres: Applications and Testing 2008/2009

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Howard, David F.; Perry, Jay L.; Knox, James C.; Junaedi, Christian

2009-01-01

This paper describes efforts to improve on typical packed beds of sorbent pellets by making use of structured sorbents and alternate bed configurations to improve system efficiency and reliability. The benefits of the alternate configurations include increased structural stability gained by eliminating clay bound zeolite pellets that tend to fluidize and erode, and better thermal control during sorption to increase process efficiency. Test results that demonstrate such improvements are described and presented.

The Streambank Erosion Control Evaluation and Demonstration Act of 1974, Section 32, Public Law 93-251. Appendix E. Missouri River Demonstration Projects. Volume 1.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-12-01

it can be seen that approximately 27% of the measured suspended load is silt and clay while the remaining 71% is made up of suspended sand size...alignment from project site to potential mobilization and material handling sites 3. Inginering Objectives . Engineering objectives are those goals...orientation 4. hmvirmu tal Objectives . These are environmental considerations taken Into account in the formulation and general design of individual projects

STS-118/Expedition 15 Crewmembers greet one another after Hatch Opening

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-08-10

S118-E-06097 (10 Aug. 2007) --- Barbara R. Morgan, STS-118 mission specialist, participates in what looks like a photographers' convention in the Destiny lab onboard the International Space Station. Her two "fellow delegates" are astronaut Alvin Drew (center), STS-118 mission specialist, and astronaut Clay Anderson, Expedition 15 flight engineer. The photo was taken not long after the hatches were open on the orbital outpost, an action that allowed the station's population to surge from three to ten in short order.

The Cultural Resources Investigation of the Wild Rice River - South Branch and Felton Ditch Flood Control Project Area, Clay and Norman Counties, Minnesota,

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-01-01

1979. Principal Investigator: An Archaeological Investigation of the Proposed Lagoon Site, Dam Site Recreation Area, Coralville Lake, ! Iowa River, Iowa ...Proposed Lagoon Site, Coralville Lake, Iowa . Winter, 1979. I Analysis of Material from the Site Survey of Blue Earth City Park, Faribault County...t Site Recreation Area, Coralville Lake, Iowa . With Richard A. Strachan. For the Rock Island DsrFct, U. S. Acmy Corps of Engineers. With Richard A

Case Report: Human Exposure to Dioxins from Clay

PubMed Central

Franzblau, Alfred; Hedgeman, Elizabeth; Chen, Qixuan; Lee, Shih-Yuan; Adriaens, Peter; Demond, Avery; Garabrant, David; Gillespie, Brenda; Hong, Biling; Jolliet, Olivier; Lepkowski, James; Luksemburg, William; Maier, Martha; Wenger, Yvan

2008-01-01

Context For the general population, the dominant source of exposure to dioxin-like compounds is food. As part of the University of Michigan Dioxin Exposure Study (UMDES), we measured selected polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in serum of 946 subjects who were a representative sample of the general population in five Michigan counties. Case presentation The total toxic equivalency (TEQ; based on 2005 World Health Organization toxic equivalency factors) of serum from the index case was 211 ppt on a lipid-adjusted basis, which was the highest value observed in the UMDES study population. This subject had no apparent opportunity for exposure to dioxins, except that she had lived on property with soil contaminated with dioxins for almost 30 years, and had been a ceramics hobbyist for > 30 years. Soil from her property and clay that she used for ceramics were both contaminated with dioxins, but the congener patterns differed. Discussion The congener patterns in this subject’s serum, soil, and ceramic clay suggest strongly that the dioxin contamination in clay and not soil was the dominant source of dioxin contamination in her serum. Relevance to public health practice: It appears that ceramic clay, in particular the process of firing clay with unvented kilns, can be a significant nonfood and nonindustrial source of human exposure to dioxins among ceramics hobbyists. The extent of human exposure from ceramic clay is unclear, but it may be widespread. Further work is needed to more precisely characterize the routes of exposure. PMID:18288324

Dynamics of confined reactive water in smectite clay-zeolite composites.

PubMed

Pitman, Michael C; van Duin, Adri C T

2012-02-15

The dynamics of water confined to mesoporous regions in minerals such as swelling clays and zeolites is fundamental to a wide range of resource management issues impacting many processes on a global scale, including radioactive waste containment, desalination, and enhanced oil recovery. Large-scale atomic models of freely diffusing multilayer smectite particles at low hydration confined in a silicalite cage are used to investigate water dynamics in the composite environment with the ReaxFF reactive force field over a temperature range of 300-647 K. The reactive capability of the force field enabled a range of relevant surface chemistry to emerge, including acid/base equilibria in the interlayer calcium hydrates and silanol formation on the edges of the clay and inner surface of the zeolite housing. After annealing, the resulting clay models exhibit both mono- and bilayer hydration structures. Clay surface hydration redistributed markedly and yielded to silicalite water loading. We find that the absolute rates and temperature dependence of water dynamics compare well to neutron scattering data and pulse field gradient measures from relevant samples of Ca-montmorillonite and silicalite, respectively. Within an atomistic, reactive context, our results distinguish water dynamics in the interlayer Ca(OH)(2)·nH(2)O environment from water flowing over the clay surface, and from water diffusing within silicalite. We find that the diffusion of water when complexed to Ca hydrates is considerably slower than freely diffusing water over the clay surface, and the reduced mobility is well described by a difference in the Arrhenius pre-exponential factor rather than a change in activation energy.

Clays on Mars: Review of chemical and mineralogical evidence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Banin, Amos; Gooding, James L.

1991-01-01

Mafic igneous bedrock is inferred for Mars, based on spectrophotometric evidence for pyroxene (principally in optically dark areas of the globe) and the pyroxenite-peridotite petrology of shergottite nakhlite chassignite (SNC) meteorites. Visible and infrared spectra of reddish-brown surface fines (which dominate Martian bright areas) indicate ferric iron and compare favorably (though not uniquely) with spectra of palagonitic soils. Laboratory studies of SNC's and Viking Lander results support a model for Martian soil based on chemical weathering of mafic rocks to produce layer structured silicates (clay minerals), salts, and iron oxides.

Adsorption effect on the degradation of 4,6-o-dinitrocresol and p-nitrophenol in a montmorillonite clay slurry by AFT.

PubMed

Ye, Peng; Lemley, Ann T

2009-03-01

The adsorption and degradation of 4,6-o-dinitrocresol (DNOC) and p-nitrophenol (PNP) in SWy-2 montmorillonite clay slurry were investigated. The pH and type of cation of the slurry were varied. Results showed that adsorption of DNOC and PNP increased at lower pH values, and when pH < pKa(4.4) of DNOC, DNOC was almost completely adsorbed on the clay under given experimental conditions. The specific cation also had a significant effect on adsorption, which was dramatically enhanced in the presence of K+ and NH4+, compared with the presence of Na+ or Ca2+. Anodic Fenton treatment (AFT) degradation of DNOC and PNP in the clay slurry was studied, and it was found that DNOC degradation rates were greatly affected by the initial pH and the types of electrolytes. Due to the higher adsorption, the degradation rate substantially decreased in the clay slurry system in the presence of K+ and low pH, with a large amount of DNOC residue remaining after 60 min treatment. AFT degradation of PNP was completed within 30 min treatment. Based on LC-MS data, a DNOC degradation pathway was proposed. Overall, the results showed the inhibition effect of adsorption on the degradation of nitroaromatic compounds in montmorillonite clay slurry by AFT, providing important implications for water and soil remediation.

The Impact of Halloysite on the Thermo-Mechanical Properties of Polymer Composites.

PubMed

Gaaz, Tayser Sumer; Sulong, Abu Bakar; Kadhum, Abdul Amir H; Al-Amiery, Ahmed A; Nassir, Mohamed H; Jaaz, Ahed Hameed

2017-05-20

Nanotubular clay minerals, composed of aluminosilicate naturally structured in layers known as halloysite nanotubes (HNTs), have a significant reinforcing impact on polymer matrixes. HNTs have broad applications in biomedical applications, the medicine sector, implant alloys with corrosion protection and manipulated transportation of medicines. In polymer engineering, different research studies utilize HNTs that exhibit a beneficial enhancement in the properties of polymer-based nanocomposites. The dispersion of HNTs is improved as a result of pre-treating HNTs with acids. The HNTs' percentage additive up to 7% shows the highest improvement of tensile strength. The degradation of the polymer can be also significantly improved by doping a low percentage of HNTs. Both the mechanical and thermal properties of polymers were remarkably improved when mixed with HNTs. The effects of HNTs on the mechanical and thermal properties of polymers, such as ultimate strength, elastic modulus, impact strength and thermal stability, are emphasized in this study.

Clay for Little Fingers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koster, Joan Bouza

1999-01-01

Discusses the renewed interest in clay as a modeling compound in early childhood programs; describes the nature of clay and presents a working vocabulary. Suggests methods of working with clay, including introducing clay to children, discovering its uses, clean up, firing clay, and finishing baked clay. Includes activity suggestions and…

Rates and time scales of clay-mineral formation by weathering in saprolitic regoliths of the southern Appalachians from geochemical mass balance

Treesearch

Jason R. Price; Michael A. Velbel; Lina C. Patino

2005-01-01

Rates of clay formation in three watersheds located at the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory, western North Carolina, have been determined from solute flux-based mass balance methods. A system of mass balance equations with enough equations and unknowns to allow calculation of secondary mineral formation rates as well as the more commonly determined primary-...

Application of Nucleic Acid-Based Tools for Monitoring Monitored Natural Attenuation (MNA), Biostimulation and Bioaugmentation at Chlorinated Solvent Sites

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-02-01

TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................... ii...gallons. In 1978, the lagoons were emptied by pumping the contents into the A-Block Lagoon (SWMU 22), a ESTCP ER-0518 Final Report 25...feet bgs, but deeper at some locations, the clay content increased significantly. In approximately 20 to 30 feet above bedrock, sandy clay and clayey

Incorporation of gypsum waste in ceramic block production: Proposal for a minimal battery of tests to evaluate technical and environmental viability of this recycling process.

PubMed

Godinho-Castro, Alcione P; Testolin, Renan C; Janke, Leandro; Corrêa, Albertina X R; Radetski, Claudemir M

2012-01-01

Civil engineering-related construction and demolition debris is an important source of waste disposed of in municipal solid waste landfills. After clay materials, gypsum waste is the second largest contributor to the residential construction waste stream. As demand for sustainable building practices grows, interest in recovering gypsum waste from construction and demolition debris is increasing, but there is a lack of standardized tests to evaluate the technical and environmental viability of this solid waste recycling process. By recycling gypsum waste, natural deposits of gypsum might be conserved and high amounts of the waste by-product could be reused in the civil construction industry. In this context, this paper investigates a physical property (i.e., resistance to axial compression), the chemical composition and the ecotoxicological potential of ceramic blocks constructed with different proportions of clay, cement and gypsum waste, and assesses the feasibility of using a minimal battery of tests to evaluate the viability of this recycling process. Consideration of the results for the resistance to axial compression tests together with production costs revealed that the best formulation was 35% of plastic clay, 35% of non-plastic clay, 10% of Portland cement and 20% of gypsum waste, which showed a mean resistance of 4.64MPa. Energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry showed calcium and sulfur to be the main elements, while quartz, gypsum, ettringite and nacrite were the main crystalline compounds found in this formulation. Ecotoxicity tests showed that leachate from this formulation is weakly toxic toward daphnids and bacteria (EC(20%)=69.0 and 75.0, respectively), while for algae and fish the leachate samples were not toxic at the EC(50%) level. Overall, these results show that the addition of 20% of gypsum waste to the ceramic blocks could provide a viable substitute for clay in the ceramics industry and the tests applied in this study proved to be a useful tool for the technical and environmental evaluation of this recycling process, bacterial and daphnid tests being more sensitive than algae and fish tests. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An experimental study on stabilization of Pekan clay using polyethylene and polypropylene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zukri, Azhani; Nazir, Ramli; Mender, Fatin Nabilah

2017-10-01

Many countries are expressing concern over the growing issues of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles and polypropylene (PP) products made by the household sector. The rapid increase in the generation of plastic waste all around the world is due to the economic development and population growth. PP is the world's second-most widely produced synthetic plastic, after polyethylene. Statistics show that nearly 50% of the municipal solid waste in Malaysia comes from the institutional, industrial, residential, and construction waste. This paper presents the results of an investigation on the utilisation of fibres as products of PET bottles and PP products in order to improve the engineering properties of clay soil in Pekan. The soil samples were taken from Kampung Tanjung Medang, Pekan, Pahang. The basic properties of the clay soil were determined as follows; optimum moisture content: 32.5%, maximum dry density: 13.43 kN/m3, specific gravity: 2.51, liquid limit: 74.67%, plastic limit: 45.98%, and plasticity index: 28.69%. This investigation concentrates on the shear strength of the reinforced clay soils with PET and PP in random orientation. The reinforced soil samples were subjected to unconfined compression test (UCT) to differentiate their shear strength with that of the unreinforced soil. The tests found that the waste fibres (PET and PP) improved the strength properties of the Pekan clayey soils. The unconfined compressive strength (UCS) value increased with the increasing percentage of PET fibre and reached the optimum content at 10% reinforcement, where it showed the highest improvement of 365 kN/m2 from 325 kN/m2 and depleted when the optimum content reached 20% reinforcement. For PP fibre, the reinforced soil showed the highest UCS at 20% reinforcement with the improvement of 367 kN/m2. The study concluded that the PET and PP fibres can be utilised successfully as reinforcement materials for the stabilisation of clayey soils. The use of these waste compounds as alternative materials for clay soil stabilisation is reasonable and cost effective since they are constantly available.

75 FR 15655 - Requirements for Control Technology Determinations for Major Sources in Accordance With Clean Air...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-30

... and/or copolymer products. Brick and Structural Clay Products...... 327121 Brick and structural clay tile manufacturing facilities. Brick and Structural Clay Products; Clay 327122 Ceramic wall and floor... Structural Clay Products...... 327123 Other structural clay products manufacturing facilities. Clay Ceramics...

Characterizing Fracturing of Clay-Rich Lower Watrous Rock: From Laboratory Experiments to Nonlocal Damage-Based Simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guy, N.; Seyedi, D. M.; Hild, F.

2018-06-01

The work presented herein aims at characterizing and modeling fracturing (i.e., initiation and propagation of cracks) in a clay-rich rock. The analysis is based on two experimental campaigns. The first one relies on a probabilistic analysis of crack initiation considering Brazilian and three-point flexural tests. The second one involves digital image correlation to characterize crack propagation. A nonlocal damage model based on stress regularization is used for the simulations. Two thresholds both based on regularized stress fields are considered. They are determined from the experimental campaigns performed on Lower Watrous rock. The results obtained with the proposed approach are favorably compared with the experimental results.

The Activity Profile of Young Tennis Athletes Playing on Clay and Hard Courts: Preliminary Data.

PubMed

Adriano Pereira, Lucas; Freitas, Victor; Arruda Moura, Felipe; Saldanha Aoki, Marcelo; Loturco, Irineu; Yuzo Nakamura, Fábio

2016-04-01

The aim of this study was to compare the kinematic characteristics of tennis matches between red clay and hard courts in young tennis players. Eight young tennis players performed two tennis matches on different court surfaces. The match activities were monitored using GPS units. The distance covered in different velocity ranges and the number of accelerations were analyzed. The paired t test and inference based on magnitudes were used to compare the match physical performance between groups. The total distance (24% of difference), high-intensity running distance (15 - 18 km/h) (30% of difference), the number of high-intensity activities (44% of difference), the body load (1% of difference), and accelerations >1.5 g (1.5-2 g and >2 g 7.8 and 8.1 % of difference, respectively) were significantly greater in clay court than hard court matches ( p < 0.05). Matches played on the red clay court required players to cover more total and high-intensity running distances and engage in more high-intensity activities than the matches played on the hard court. Finally, on the clay court the body load and the number of accelerations performed (>1.5 g) were possibly higher than on the hard court.

Polyimide Nanocomposites Prepared from High-Temperature, Reduced Charge Organoclays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Delozier, D. M.; Orwoll, R. A.; Cahoon, J. F.; Ladislaw, J. S.; Smith, J. G., Jr.; Connell, J. W.

2003-01-01

Montmorillonite clays modified with the dihydrochloride salt of 1,3-bis(3-aminophenoxy)benzene (APB) were used in the preparation of polyimide/organoclay hybrid films. Organoclays with varying surface charge based upon APB were prepared and examined for their dispersion behavior in the polymer matrix. High molecular weight poly(amide acid) solutions were prepared in the presence of the organoclays. Films were cast and subsequently heated to 300C to cause imidization. The resulting nanocomposite films, containing 3 wt% of organoclay, were characterized by transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The clay's cation exchange capacity (CEC) played a key role in determining the extent of dispersion in the polyimide matrix. Considerable dispersion was observed in some of the nanocomposite films. The most effective organoclay was found to have a CEC of 0.70 meq/g. Nanocomposite films prepared with 3-8 wt% of this organoclay were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thin-film tensile testing. High levels of clay dispersion could be achieved even at the higher clay loadings. Results from mechanical testing revealed that while the moduli of the nanocomposites increased with increasing clay loadings, both strength and elongation decreased.

Clays, specialty

USGS Publications Warehouse

Virta, R.L.

1998-01-01

Part of a special section on the state of industrial minerals in 1997. The state of the specialty clay industry worldwide for 1997 is discussed. The specialty clays mined in the U.S. are ball clay, fuller's earth, bentonite, fire clay, and kaolin. Sales of specialty clays in the U.S. were around 17 Mt in 1997. Approximately 53 kt of specialty clays were imported.

A scientific approach to the attribution problem of renaissance ceramic productions based on chemical and mineralogical markers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Padeletti, G.; Fermo, P.

2010-09-01

Renaissance lustred majolica shards from Gubbio and Deruta (Central Italy) were investigated in order to point out differences in chemical and mineralogical composition between these two very similar Italian potteries and furthermore to find correlations with the local raw clay materials probably used for their production. Chemical and mineralogical analysis on the ceramic body were performed by ICP-OES (inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy) and XRD (X-ray diffraction), respectively. Investigation of the ceramic body revealed significant differences on calcium content indicating that it could be used as a marker for the two different productions. A separation of the ceramic shards in groups, on the base of their provenance, has been achieved applying to the data set formed by the chemical compositional data some multivariate techniques, such as PCA (principal component analysis) and HCA (hierarchical cluster analysis). Even the mineralogical composition of the groups shows very interesting features, differing Gubbio production from Deruta one for the presence of several mineralogical species. The investigations carried out on clays that were collected in the two geographical places have confirmed these differences. In fact, the clay materials have a chemical composition coherent with that one found in the shards. Firing tests performed by heating these clay in different conditions (temperature and soaking time) have shown a different behaviour as concerns the formation of the minerals and it is compatible with the shard composition found. From the comparison between the fired clay and the ceramic shards, some assumptions about the firing conditions applied by the ancient potters have been drawn.

Assessing Atmospheric CO2 Entrapped in Clay Nanotubes using Residual Gas Analyzer.

PubMed

Das, Sankar; Maity, Abhijit; Pradhan, Manik; Jana, Subhra

2016-02-16

A residual gas analyzer (RGA) coupled with a high-vacuum chamber has been explored to measure atmospheric CO2 entrapped in aminosilane-modified clay nanotubes. Ambient CO2 uptake efficacy together with stability of these novel adsorbents composed of both primary and/or secondary amine sites has been demonstrated at standard ambient temperature and pressure. The unprecedented sensitivity and accuracy of the RGA-based mass spectrometry technique toward atmospheric CO2 measurement has been substantiated with a laser-based optical cavity-enhanced integrated cavity output spectroscopy. The adsorption kinetics of atmospheric CO2 on amine-functionalized clay nanotubes followed the fractional-order kinetic model compared to that of the pseudo-first-order or pseudo-second-order rate equations. The efficiency along with stability of these novel adsorbents has also been demonstrated by their repetitive use for CO2 capture in the oxidative environment. Our findings thus point to a fundamental study on the atmospheric CO2 adsorption by amine-loaded adsorbents using an easy handling and low-cost benchtop RGA-based mass spectrometer, opening a new strategy for CO2 capture and sequestering study.

Evaluation of theoretical and empirical water vapor sorption isotherm models for soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arthur, Emmanuel; Tuller, Markus; Moldrup, Per; de Jonge, Lis W.

2016-01-01

The mathematical characterization of water vapor sorption isotherms of soils is crucial for modeling processes such as volatilization of pesticides and diffusive and convective water vapor transport. Although numerous physically based and empirical models were previously proposed to describe sorption isotherms of building materials, food, and other industrial products, knowledge about the applicability of these functions for soils is noticeably lacking. We present an evaluation of nine models for characterizing adsorption/desorption isotherms for a water activity range from 0.03 to 0.93 based on measured data of 207 soils with widely varying textures, organic carbon contents, and clay mineralogy. In addition, the potential applicability of the models for prediction of sorption isotherms from known clay content was investigated. While in general, all investigated models described measured adsorption and desorption isotherms reasonably well, distinct differences were observed between physical and empirical models and due to the different degrees of freedom of the model equations. There were also considerable differences in model performance for adsorption and desorption data. While regression analysis relating model parameters and clay content and subsequent model application for prediction of measured isotherms showed promise for the majority of investigated soils, for soils with distinct kaolinitic and smectitic clay mineralogy predicted isotherms did not closely match the measurements.

The Use of Modified Bentonite for Removal of Aromatic Organics from Contaminated Soil.

PubMed

Gitipour; Bowers; Bodocsi

1997-12-15

This study investigates the clay-aromatic interactions with a view to the use of bentonite clay for binding benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and o-xylene (BTEX compounds) in contaminated soils. BTEX compounds are the most toxic aromatic constituents of gasoline present in many underground storage tanks. Modified (organophilic) and ordinary bentonites are used to remove these organics. The organophilic bentonites are prepared by replacing the exchangeable inorganic cations present in bentonite particles with a quaternary ammonium salt. Various clay-to-soil ratios were applied to determine the efficiency of the modified bentonite in enhancing the cement-based solidification/stabilization (S/S) of BTEX contaminated soils. Toxicity characteristics leaching procedure (TCLP) tests were performed on soil samples to evaluate the leaching of the organics. In addition, X-ray diffraction analyses were conducted to assess the changes in the basal spacing of the clays as a result of their interaction with BTEX compounds. The findings of this study reveal that organophilic bentonite can act as a successful adsorbent for removing the aromatic organics from contaminated soil. Thus, this material is viable for enhancing the performance of cement-based S/S processes, as an adsorbent for petroleum spills, and for landfill liners and slurry walls. Copyright 1997 Academic Press.

Mineralogy and Geochemistry of the Main Glauconite Bed in the Middle Eocene of Texas: Paleoenvironmental Implications for the Verdine Facies

PubMed Central

Harding, Sherie C.; Nash, Barbara P.; Petersen, Erich U.; Ekdale, A. A.; Bradbury, Christopher D.; Dyar, M. Darby

2014-01-01

The Main Glauconite Bed (MGB) is a pelleted greensand located at Stone City Bluff on the south bank of the Brazos River in Burleson County, Texas. It was deposited during the Middle Eocene regional transgression on the Texas Gulf Coastal Plain. Stratigraphically it lies in the upper Stone City Member, Crockett Formation, Claiborne Group. Its mineralogy and geochemistry were examined in detail, and verdine facies minerals, predominantly odinite, were identified. Few glauconitic minerals were found in the green pelleted sediments of the MGB. Without detailed mineralogical work, glaucony facies minerals and verdine facies minerals are easily mistaken for one another. Their distinction has value in assessing paleoenvironments. In this study, several analytical techniques were employed to assess the mineralogy. X-ray diffraction of oriented and un-oriented clay samples indicated a clay mixture dominated by 7 and 14Å diffraction peaks. Unit cell calculations from XRD data for MGB pellets match the odinite-1M data base. Electron microprobe analyses (EMPA) from the average of 31 data points from clay pellets accompanied with Mössbauer analyses were used to calculate the structural formula which is that of odinite: Fe3+ 0.89 Mg0.45 Al0.67 Fe2+ 0.30 Ti0.01 Mn0.01) Σ = 2.33 (Si1.77 Al0.23) O5.00 (OH)4.00. QEMSCAN (Quantitative Evaluation of Minerals by Scanning Electron Microscopy) data provided mineral maps of quantitative proportions of the constituent clays. The verdine facies is a clay mineral facies associated with shallow marine shelf and lagoonal environments at tropical latitudes with iron influx from nearby runoff. Its depositional environment is well documented in modern nearshore locations. Recognition of verdine facies clays as the dominant constituent of the MGB clay pellets, rather than glaucony facies clays, allows for a more precise assessment of paleoenvironmental conditions. PMID:24503875

Enhanced magnetization of the Marlboro Clay as a product of soil pyrogenesis at the Paleocene-Eocene boundary?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kent, Dennis V.; Lanci, Luca; Wang, Huapei; Wright, James D.

2017-09-01

The kaolinite-rich Marlboro Clay was deposited on the inner shelf in the Salisbury Embayment of the U.S. Atlantic margin at the onset of the carbon isotope excursion marking the 56 Ma Paleocene-Eocene boundary and is characterized by an anomalously high concentration of magnetic nanoparticles of enigmatic origin that give rise to notably intense bulk magnetization. Recent studies point to a magnetic assemblage that is dominated by single-domain magnetite particles that tend to be isolated rather than arranged in chains, the most distinguishing feature of magnetotactic bacteria fossils. On the other hand, it is very unlikely that the nanoparticles can be condensates of an impact plume given the meter-scale thickness of the Marlboro Clay. We obtained new data from a landward proximal site at Wilson Lake on the New Jersey Coastal Plain and find that the abrupt increase in magnetite nanoparticles is virtually coincident stratigraphically with the recently reported impact spherule layer at the base of the Marlboro Clay in the same core. Yet the high field magnetic susceptibility, a measure of total iron concentration, and strontium isotope values on bulk sediment, an indicator of sediment weathering provenance, are not different in the Marlboro Clay from the immediately underlying Vincentown Formation. We suggest that the distinctive magnetic properties of the Marlboro Clay originated from pyromagnetic soil enhancement by widespread wildfires on the adjoining drainage area. The pyrogenetic products were soon washed from the denuded landscape and rapidly deposited as mud-waves across the shelf, becoming the Marlboro Clay. A few percent of incinerated biomass ends up as calcite known as wood ash stone and can inherit its light carbon isotope composition. Disseminated wood ash stone entrained in the Marlboro Clay could contribute to the landward increase in amplitude of the carbon isotope excursion in bulk carbonate data. A plausible trigger for the initial conflagration is a fireball from the impact of a sizable extraterrestrial object at moderate range.

Activation of a Ca-bentonite as buffer material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Wei-Hsing; Chen, Wen-Chuan

2016-04-01

Swelling behavior is an important criterion in achieving the low-permeability sealing function of buffer material. A potential buffer material may be used for radioactive waste repository in Taiwan is a locally available clayey material known as Zhisin clay, which has been identified as a Ca-bentonite. Due to its Ca-based origin, Zhisin was found to exhibit swelling capacity much lower than that of Na-bentonite. To enhance the swelling potential of Zhisin clay, a cation exchange process by addition of Na2CO3 powder was introduced in this paper. The addition of Na2CO3 reagent to Zhisin clay, in a liquid phase, caused the precipitation of CaCO3 and thereby induced a replacement of Ca2+ ions by Na+ ions on the surface of bentonite. Characterization test conducted on Zhisin clay includes chemical analysis, cation exchange capacity, X-ray diffraction, and thermogravimetry (TG). Free-swelling test apparatus was developed according to International Society of Rock Mechanics recommendations. A series of free-swelling tests were conducted on untreated and activated specimens to characterize the effect of activation on the swelling capacity of Zhisin clay. Efforts were made to determine an optimum dosage for the activation, and to evaluate the aging effect. Also, the activated material was evaluated for its stability in various hydrothermal conditions for potential applications as buffer material in a repository. Experimental results show that Na2CO3-activated Zhisin clay is superior in swelling potential to untreated Zhisin clay. Also, there exists an optimum amount of activator in terms of improvements in the swelling capacity. A distinct time-swell relationship was discovered for activated Zhisin clay. The corresponding mechanism refers to exchange of cations and breakdown of quasi-crystal, which results in ion exchange hysteresis of Ca-bentonite. Due to the ion exchange hysteresis, activated bentonite shows a post-rise time-swell relationship different than the sigmoid-shaped time-swell curves of typical bentonites. That is, a greater part of swelling strain develops after the completion of primary swelling strain. At an optimal amount of 1% Na2CO3 in weight, the maximum swelling strain was found to be 3 times as much as that of untreated Zhisin clay. Furthermore, the Na2CO3-activated Zhisin clay exhibited improved resistance to thermal environments and behaved similar to Na-type bentonites under various hydrothermal temperatures.

Elaboration et caracterisation de nanocomposites polyethylene/montmorillonite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stoeffler, Karen

This research project consists in preparing polyethylene/montmorillonite nanocomposites for film packaging applications. Montmorillonite is a natural clay with an exceptional aspect ratio. In recent years, its incorporation in polymer matrices has attracted great interest. The pioneer work from Toyota on polyamide-6/montmorillonite composites has shown that it was possible to disperse the clay at a nanometric scale. Such a structure, so-called exfoliated, leads to a significant increase in mechanical, barrier and fire retardant properties, even at low volumetric fractions of clay. This allows a valorization of the polymeric material at moderate cost. Due to its high polarity, montmorilloite exfoliation in polymeric matrices is problematic. In the particular case of polyolefin matrices, the platelets dispersion remains limited: most frequently, the composites obtained exhibit conventional structures (microcomposites) or intercalated structures. To solve this problem, two techniques are commonly employed: the surface treatment of the clay, which allows the expansion of the interfoliar gallery while increasing the affinity between the clay and the polymer, and the use of a polar compatibilizing agent (grafted polyolefin). The first part of this thesis deals with the preparation and the characterization of highly thermally stable organophilic montmorillonites. Commercial organophilic montmorillonites are treated with quaternary ammonium intercalating agents. However, those intercalating agents present a poor thermal stability and are susceptible to decompose upon processing, thus affecting the clay dispersion and the final properties of the nanocomposites. In this work, it was proposed to modify the clay with alkyl pyridinium, alkyl imidazolium and alkyl phosphonium intercalating agents, which are more stable than ammonium based cations. Organophilic montmorillonites with enhanced thermal stabilites compared to commercial organoclays (+20°C to +70°C) were prepared. The effect of the chemical structure of the intercalating agent on the capacity of the organoclay to be dispersed in polyethylene matrices was analyzed. In addition, the influence of the dispersion on the thermal stability of the nanocomposites prepared is discussed. In a second part, the effect of the compatibilizing agent characteristics on the quality of the clay dispersion in polyethylene/montmorillonite nanocomposites was analyzed. The mechanical properties and the oxygen permeability of the nanocomposites were evaluated and related to the level of clay delamination and to the strength of the polymer/clay interface, which was evaluated through surface tension measurements.

Mineralogy and grain size of surficial sediment from the Big Lost River drainage and vicinity, with chemical and physical characteristics of geologic materials from selected sites at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Idaho

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bartholomay, R.C.; Knobel, L.L.; Davis, L.C.

1989-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey 's Idaho National Engineering Laboratory project office, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy, collected 35 samples of surficial sediments from the Big Lost River drainage and vicinity from July 1987 through August 1988 for analysis of grain-size distribution, bulk mineralogy, and clay mineralogy. Samples were collected from 11 sites in the channel and 5 sites in overbank deposits of the Big Lost River, 6 sites in the spreading areas that receive excess flow from the Big Lost River during peak flow conditions, 7 sites in the natural sinks and playas of the Big Lost River, 1 site in the Little Lost River Sink, and 5 sites from other small, isolated closed basins. Eleven samples from the Big Lost River channel deposits had a mean of 1.9 and median of 0.8 weight percent in the less than 0.062 mm fraction. The other 24 samples had a mean of 63.3 and median of 63.7 weight percent for the same size fraction. Mineralogy data are consistent with grain-size data. The Big Lost River channel deposits had mean and median percent mineral abundances of total clays and detrital mica of 10 and 10%, respectively, whereas the remaining 24 samples had mean and median values of 24% and 22.5% , respectively. (USGS)

Organically modified clay supported chitosan/hydroxyapatite-zinc oxide nanocomposites with enhanced mechanical and biological properties for the application in bone tissue engineering.

PubMed

Bhowmick, Arundhati; Banerjee, Sovan Lal; Pramanik, Nilkamal; Jana, Piyali; Mitra, Tapas; Gnanamani, Arumugam; Das, Manas; Kundu, Patit Paban

2018-01-01

The objective of this study is to design biomimetic organically modified montmorillonite clay (OMMT) supported chitosan/hydroxyapatite-zinc oxide (CTS/HAP-ZnO) nanocomposites (ZnCMH I-III) with improved mechanical and biological properties compared to previously reported CTS/OMMT/HAP composite. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy were used to analyze the composition and surface morphology of the prepared nanocomposites. Strong antibacterial properties against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains were established for ZnCMH I-III. pH and blood compatibility study revealed that ZnCMH I-III should be nontoxic to the human body. Cytocompatibility of these nanocomposites with human osteoblastic MG-63 cells was also established. Experimental findings suggest that addition of 5wt% of OMMT into CTS/HAP-ZnO (ZnCMH I) gives the best mechanical strength and water absorption capacity. Addition of 0.1wt% of ZnO nanoparticles into CTS-OMMT-HAP significantly enhanced the tensile strengths of ZnCMH I-III compared to previously reported CTS-OMMT-HAP composite. In absence of OMMT, control sample (ZnCH) also showed reduced tensile strength, antibacterial effect and cytocompatibility with osteoblastic cell compared to ZnCMH I. Considering all of the above-mentioned studies, it can be proposed that ZnCMH I nanocomposite has a great potential to be applied in bone tissue engineering. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Controlled Release in Transdermal Pressure Sensitive Adhesives using Organosilicate Nanocomposites

PubMed Central

Shaikh, Sohel; Birdi, Anil; Qutubuddin, Syed; Lakatosh, Eric; Baskaran, Harihara

2010-01-01

Polydimethyl siloxane (PDMS) based pressure sensitive adhesives (PSA) incorporating organo-clays at different loadings were fabricated via solution casting. Partially exfoliated nanocomposites were obtained for the hydroxyl terminated PDMS in ethyl acetate solvent as determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Drug release studies showed that the initial burst release was substantially reduced and the drug release could be controlled by the addition of organo-clay. Shear strength and shear adhesion failure temperature (SAFT) measurements indicated substantial improvement in adhesive properties of the PSA nanocomposite adhesives. Shear strength showed more than 200 % improvement at the lower clay loadings and the SAFT increased by about 21% due to the reinforcement provided by the nano-dispersed clay platelets. It was found that by optimizing the level of the organosilicate additive to the polymer matrix, superior control over drug release kinetics and simultaneous improvements in adhesive properties could be attained for a transdermal PSA formulation. PMID:17786555

Influence of clay particles on microfluidic-based preparation of hydrogel composite microsphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hong, Joung Sook

2016-05-01

For the successful fabrication of a hydrogel composite microsphere, this study aimed to investigate the influence of clay particles on microsphere formation in a microfluidic device which has flow focusing and a 4.5:1 contraction channel. A poly alginic acid solution (2.0 wt.%) with clay particles was used as the dispersed phase to generate drops in an oil medium, which then merged with drops of a CaCl2 solution for gelation. Drop generations were observed with different flow rates and particles types. When the flow rate increased, drop generation was enhanced and drop size decreased by the build-up of more favorable hydrodynamic flow conditions to detach the droplets. The addition of a small amount of particles insignificantly changed the drop generation behavior even though it reduced interfacial tension and increased the viscosity of the solution. Instead, clays particles significantly affected hydro-gelation depending on the hydrophobicity of particles, which produced further heterogeneity in the shape and size of microsphere.

Comparison of the Nanostructure and Mechanical Performance of Highly Exfoliated Epoxy-Clay Nanocomposites Prepared by Three Different Protocols

PubMed Central

Shiravand, Fatemeh; Hutchinson, John M.; Calventus, Yolanda; Ferrando, Francesc

2014-01-01

Three different protocols for the preparation of polymer layered silicate nanocomposites based upon a tri-functional epoxy resin, triglycidyl para-amino phenol (TGAP), have been compared in respect of the cure kinetics, the nanostructure and their mechanical properties. The three preparation procedures involve 2 wt% and 5 wt% of organically modified montmorillonite (MMT), and are: isothermal cure at selected temperatures; pre-conditioning of the resin-clay mixture before isothermal cure; incorporation of an initiator of cationic homopolymerisation, a boron tri-fluoride methyl amine complex, BF3·MEA, within the clay galleries. It was found that features of the cure kinetics and of the nanostructure correlate with the measured impact strength of the cured nanocomposites, which increases as the degree of exfoliation of the MMT is improved. The best protocol for toughening the TGAP/MMT nanocomposites is by the incorporation of 1 wt% BF3·MEA into the clay galleries of nanocomposites containing 2 wt% MMT. PMID:28788672

Winter Survival of Meloidogyne incognita in Six Soil Types

PubMed Central

Windham, G. L.; Barker, K. R.

1988-01-01

Winter survival of Meloidogyne incognita in six soil types (Fuquay sand, Norfolk loamy sand, Portsmouth loamy sand, muck, Cecil sandy clay loam, and Cecil sandy clay) was determined in microplots at one location from November 1981 to May 1982 and from November 1982 to March 1983. Survival, based on second-stage juveniles (J2) of M. incognita, from November 1981 until May 1982 ranged from 1% in the muck soil to 6% in a Cecil sandy clay loam, but survival rates were much higher the next year following a winter with higher average temperatures. Survival rates of J2 from November to March ranged from 20 to 40% the first winter and from 38 to 87% the second. Soil type did not have a striking effect on the overwintering capabilities ofM. incognita. There were no differences between clay and sand soils, whereas survival of J2 in the muck tended to be lower than in the mineral soils. PMID:19290193

Winter Survival of Meloidogyne incognita in Six Soil Types.

PubMed

Windham, G L; Barker, K R

1988-01-01

Winter survival of Meloidogyne incognita in six soil types (Fuquay sand, Norfolk loamy sand, Portsmouth loamy sand, muck, Cecil sandy clay loam, and Cecil sandy clay) was determined in microplots at one location from November 1981 to May 1982 and from November 1982 to March 1983. Survival, based on second-stage juveniles (J2) of M. incognita, from November 1981 until May 1982 ranged from 1% in the muck soil to 6% in a Cecil sandy clay loam, but survival rates were much higher the next year following a winter with higher average temperatures. Survival rates of J2 from November to March ranged from 20 to 40% the first winter and from 38 to 87% the second. Soil type did not have a striking effect on the overwintering capabilities ofM. incognita. There were no differences between clay and sand soils, whereas survival of J2 in the muck tended to be lower than in the mineral soils.

Sorption characteristics of organic compounds on hexadecyltrimethylammonium-smectite

USGS Publications Warehouse

Boyd, Stephen A.; Mortland, Max M.; Chiou, Cary T.

1988-01-01

When hexadedyltrimethylammonium (HDTMA) ion is exchanged for metal cations like calcium in smectite, the sorptive properties of the clay are greatly modified. The resultant HDTMA-smectite complex behaves as a dual sorbent, in the sorption of organic compounds, in which the mineral fraction functions as a solid adsorbent and the organic (HDTMA) phase as a partition medium. Capacities of mineral adsorption and partition uptake by HDTMA in the HDTMA-smectites are illustrated by sorption of benzene, trichloroethene (TCE), and water as vapors on the dry sample and by sorption of benzene and TCE from water. The exchanged HDTMA in clay is found to be a much more powerful partition medium than ordinary soil organic matter in the uptake of benzene and TCE. Based on this finding, HDTMA-smectite appears to be an effective sorbent for removing organic contaminants from water. It is suggested that such sorptive organo-clay complexes could be used to enhance the containment capabilities of clay landfill liners and bentonite slurry walls.

Comparison of the Nanostructure and Mechanical Performance of Highly Exfoliated Epoxy-Clay Nanocomposites Prepared by Three Different Protocols.

PubMed

Shiravand, Fatemeh; Hutchinson, John M; Calventus, Yolanda; Ferrando, Francesc

2014-05-30

Three different protocols for the preparation of polymer layered silicate nanocomposites based upon a tri-functional epoxy resin, triglycidyl para -amino phenol (TGAP), have been compared in respect of the cure kinetics, the nanostructure and their mechanical properties. The three preparation procedures involve 2 wt% and 5 wt% of organically modified montmorillonite (MMT), and are: isothermal cure at selected temperatures; pre-conditioning of the resin-clay mixture before isothermal cure; incorporation of an initiator of cationic homopolymerisation, a boron tri-fluoride methyl amine complex, BF₃·MEA, within the clay galleries. It was found that features of the cure kinetics and of the nanostructure correlate with the measured impact strength of the cured nanocomposites, which increases as the degree of exfoliation of the MMT is improved. The best protocol for toughening the TGAP/MMT nanocomposites is by the incorporation of 1 wt% BF₃·MEA into the clay galleries of nanocomposites containing 2 wt% MMT.

Microbial effects on colloidal agglomeration

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hersman, L.

1995-11-01

Colloidal particles are known to enhance the transport of radioactive metals through soil and rock systems. This study was performed to determine if a soil microorganism, isolated from the surface samples collected at Yucca Mountain, NV, could affect the colloidal properties of day particles. The agglomeration of a Wyoming bentonite clay in a sterile uninoculated microbial growth medium was compared to the agglomeration in the medium inoculated with a Pseudomonas sp. In a second experiment, microorganisms were cultured in the succinate medium for 50 h and removed by centrifugation. The agglomeration of the clay in this spent was compared tomore » sterile uninoculated medium. In both experiments, the agglomeration of the clay was greater than that of the sterile, uninoculated control. Based on these results, which indicate that this microorganism enhanced the agglomeration of the bentonite clay, it is possible to say that in the presence of microorganisms colloidal movement through a rock matrix could be reduced because of an overall increase in the size of colloidal particle agglomerates. 32 refs.« less

Development of novel composite membranes using quaternized chitosan and Na+-MMT clay for the pervaporation dehydration of isopropanol.

PubMed

Choudhari, Santosh K; Kariduraganavar, Mahadevappa Y

2009-10-01

Novel polymer-clay-based composite membranes were prepared by incorporating sodium montmorillonite (Na(+)-MMT) clay into quaternized chitosan. The resulting membranes were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WXAD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The effect of membrane swelling was studied by varying the water concentration in the feed. The membranes were employed for the pervaporation dehydration of isopropanol in terms of feed composition and Na(+)-MMT clay loading. The experimental results demonstrated that membrane containing 10 mass% of Na(+)-MMT clay showed the highest separation selectivity of 14,992 with a flux of 14.23x10(-2) kg/m(2) h at 30 degrees C for 10 mass% of water in the feed. The total flux and flux of water are found to be overlapping each other particularly for clay-incorporated membranes, signifying that the composite membranes developed in the present study involving quaternized chitosan and Na(+)-MMT clay are highly selective toward water. From the temperature-dependent diffusion and permeation values, the Arrhenius activation parameters were estimated. The resulting activation energy values obtained for water permeation (E(pw)) are much lower than those of isopropanol permeation (E(pIPA)), suggesting that the developed composite membranes have higher separation efficiency for the water-isopropanol system. The estimated E(p) and E(D) values ranged between 8.97 and 11.89, and 7.56 and 9.88 kJ/mol, respectively. The positive heat of sorption (DeltaH(s)) values were obtained for all the membranes, suggesting that Henry's mode of sorption is predominant in the process.

The Effects Of Physical And Biological Cohesion On Bedforms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parsons, D. R.; Schindler, R.; Baas, J.; Hope, J. A.; Malarkey, J.; Paterson, D. M.; Peakall, J.; Manning, A. J.; Ye, L.; Aspden, R.; Alan, D.; Bass, S. J.

2014-12-01

Most coastal sediments consist of complex mixtures of cohesionless sands, physically-cohesive clays and extra cellular polymeric substances (EPS) that impart biological cohesion. Yet, our ability to predict bedform dimensions in these substrates is reliant on predictions based exclusively on cohesionless sand. We present findings from the COHBED project - which explicitly examines how bedform dynamics are modified by natural cohesion. Our experimental results show that for ripples, height and length are inversely proportional to initial clay content and bedforms take longer to appear, with no ripples when clay content exceeds 18%. When clay is replaced by EPS the development time and time of first appearance of ripples both increase by two orders of magnitude, with no bedforms above 0.125% EPS. For dunes, height and length are also inversely proportional to initial substrate clay content, resulting in a transition from dunes to ripples normally associated with velocity decreases. Addition of low EPS concentrations into the substrate results in yet smaller bedforms at the same clay contents and at high EPS concentrations, biological cohesion supersedes all electrostatic bonding, and bedform size is no longer related to mud content. The contrast in physical and biological cohesion effects on bedform development result from the disparity between inter-particle electrostatic bonding of clay particles and EPS grain coating and strands that physically link sediments together, which effects winnowing rates as bedforms evolve. These findings have wide ranging implications for bedform predictions in both modern and ancient environments. Coupling of biological and morphological processes not only requires an understanding of how bedform dimensions influence biota and habitat, but also how benthic species can modify bedform dimensions. Consideration of both aspects provides a means in which fluid dynamics, sediment transport and ecosystem energetics can be linked to yield improved predictions of morphological and habitat adjustment.

Characterization of electron-beam-modified surface coated clay fillers and their influence on physical properties of rubbers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ray, Sudip; Bhowmick, Anil K.; Sarma, K. S. S.; Majali, A. B.; Tikku, V. K.

2002-12-01

A novel process of surface modification of clay filler has been developed by coating this with an acrylate monomer, trimethylol propane triacrylate (TMPTA) or a silane coupling agent, triethoxy vinyl silane (TEVS) followed by electron beam irradiation. Characterization of these surface modified fillers has been carried out by Fourier-transform infrared analysis (FTIR), electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA), wettability by dynamic wicking method measuring the rise of a liquid through a filler-packed capillary tube and water flotation test, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Presence of the acrylate and the silane coupling agent on the modified fillers has been confirmed from FTIR, ESCA, and EDX studies, which has also been supported by TGA studies. The contact angle measurement by dynamic wicking method suggests improvement in hydrophobicity of the treated fillers, which is supported by water flotation test especially in the case of silanized clay. However, XRD studies demonstrate that the entire modification process does not affect the bulk properties of the fillers. Finally, both unmodified and modified clay fillers have been incorporated in styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) and nitrile rubber (NBR). Rheometric and mechanical properties reveal that there is a definite improvement using these modified fillers specially in the case of silanized clay compared to the control sample, probably due to successful enhancement in interaction between the treated clay and the base polymer.

Predicting radiocaesium sorption characteristics with soil chemical properties for Japanese soils.

PubMed

Uematsu, Shinichiro; Smolders, Erik; Sweeck, Lieve; Wannijn, Jean; Van Hees, May; Vandenhove, Hildegarde

2015-08-15

The high variability of the soil-to-plant transfer factor of radiocaesium (RCs) compels a detailed analysis of the radiocaesium interception potential (RIP) of soil, which is one of the specific factors ruling the RCs transfer. The range of the RIP values for agricultural soils in the Fukushima accident affected area has not yet been fully surveyed. Here, the RIP and other major soil chemical properties were characterised for 51 representative topsoils collected in the vicinity of the Fukushima contaminated area. The RIP ranged a factor of 50 among the soils and RIP values were lower for Andosols compared to other soils, suggesting a role of soil mineralogy. Correlation analysis revealed that the RIP was most strongly and negatively correlated to soil organic matter content and oxalate extractable aluminium. The RIP correlated weakly but positively to soil clay content. The slope of the correlation between RIP and clay content showed that the RIP per unit clay was only 4.8 mmol g(-1) clay, about threefold lower than that for clays of European soils, suggesting more amorphous minerals and less micaceous minerals in the clay fraction of Japanese soils. The negative correlation between RIP and soil organic matter may indicate that organic matter can mask highly selective sorption sites to RCs. Multiple regression analysis with soil organic matter and cation exchange capacity explained the soil RIP (R(2)=0.64), allowing us to map soil RIP based on existing soil map information. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Case Study of Petroleum Degradation in Different Soil Textural Classes.

PubMed

Kogbara, Reginald B; Ayotamuno, Josiah M; Worlu, Daniel C; Fubara-Manuel, Isoteim

2016-01-01

Patents have been granted for a number of techniques for petroleum biodegradation including use of micro-organisms for degradation of hydrocarbon-based substances and for hydrocarbon degradation in oil reservoirs, but there is a dearth of information on hydrocarbon degradation in different soil textures. Hence, this work investigated the effects of different soil textures on degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons during a six-week period. Five soil textural classes commonly found in Port Harcourt metropolis, Nigeria, namely sand, loamy sand, sandy loam, silty clay and clay, were employed. The soils were contaminated with the same amount of crude oil and then remediated by biostimulation. Selected soil properties were monitored over time. Bacterial numbers declined significantly in the fine soil textures after petroleum contamination, but were either unaffected or increased significantly in the coarser soil textures. Hydrocarbon losses ranged from 42% - 99%; the sandy loam had the highest, while the clay soil had the least total hydrocarbon content (THC) reduction. The total heterotrophic bacterial (THB) counts generally corroborated the THC results. Fold increase in bacterial numbers due to remediation treatment decreased with increasing clay content. The results suggest that higher sand than clay content of soil favours faster hydrocarbon degradation. Hydrocarbon degradation efficiency increased with silt content among soil groupings such as fine and coarse soils but not necessarily with increasing silt content of soil. Thus, there seems to be cut-off sand and clay contents in soil at which the effect of the silt content becomes significant.

Improved Yield of High Molecular Weight DNA Coincides with Increased Microbial Diversity Access from Iron Oxide Cemented Sub-Surface Clay Environments

DOE PAGES

Hurt, Jr., Richard A.; Robeson II, Michael S.; Shakya, Migun; ...

2014-07-14

Despite more than three decades of progress, efficient nucleic acid extraction from microbial communities has remained difficult, particularly from clay environments. Lysis with concentrated guanidine followed by concentrated sodium phosphate extraction supported DNA and RNA recovery from high iron, low humus content clay. Alterating the extraction pH or using other ionic solutions (Na 2SO 4 and NH 4H 2PO 4) yielded no detectable nucleic acid. DNA recovered using a lysis solution with 500 mM phosphate buffer (PB) followed by a 1 M PB wash was 15.22±2.33 g DNA/g clay, with most DNA consisting of >20 Kb fragments, compared to 2.46±0.25more » g DNA/g clay with the Powerlyzer soil DNA system (MoBio). Increasing [PB] in the lysis reagent coincided with increasing DNA fragment length. Rarefaction plots based on16S rRNA (V1/V3 region) pyrosequencing libraries from A-horizon and clay soils showed an ~80% and ~400% larger accessed diversity compared to a previous grinding protocol or the Powerlyzer soil DNA system, respectively. The observed diversity from the Firmicutes showed the strongest increase with >3-fold more bacterial species recovered using this system. Additionally, some OTU's having more than 100 sequences in these libraries were absent in samples extracted using the PowerLyzer reagents or the previous lysis method.« less

Improved Yield of High Molecular Weight DNA Coincides with Increased Microbial Diversity Access from Iron Oxide Cemented Sub-Surface Clay Environments

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hurt, Jr., Richard A.; Robeson II, Michael S.; Shakya, Migun

Despite more than three decades of progress, efficient nucleic acid extraction from microbial communities has remained difficult, particularly from clay environments. Lysis with concentrated guanidine followed by concentrated sodium phosphate extraction supported DNA and RNA recovery from high iron, low humus content clay. Alterating the extraction pH or using other ionic solutions (Na 2SO 4 and NH 4H 2PO 4) yielded no detectable nucleic acid. DNA recovered using a lysis solution with 500 mM phosphate buffer (PB) followed by a 1 M PB wash was 15.22±2.33 g DNA/g clay, with most DNA consisting of >20 Kb fragments, compared to 2.46±0.25more » g DNA/g clay with the Powerlyzer soil DNA system (MoBio). Increasing [PB] in the lysis reagent coincided with increasing DNA fragment length. Rarefaction plots based on16S rRNA (V1/V3 region) pyrosequencing libraries from A-horizon and clay soils showed an ~80% and ~400% larger accessed diversity compared to a previous grinding protocol or the Powerlyzer soil DNA system, respectively. The observed diversity from the Firmicutes showed the strongest increase with >3-fold more bacterial species recovered using this system. Additionally, some OTU's having more than 100 sequences in these libraries were absent in samples extracted using the PowerLyzer reagents or the previous lysis method.« less

Synthesis and structural characterization of betaine- and imidazoline-based organoclays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lazorenko, Georgy; Kasprzhitskii, Anton; Yavna, Victor

2018-01-01

The samples of organic-modified clays based on a Wyoming SWy-2 sodium montmorillonite (Na+-Mt) with the cationic surfactant hydroxyethylalkyl imidazoline (HEAI) and the amphoteric surfactant oleylamidopropyl betaine (OAPB) were synthesized via a cation exchange process. The obtained materials were characterized using XRD analysis, ATR-FTIR spectroscopy, SEM, BET and Water contact angle measurements. The potential sites of binding of OAPB and HEAI to the mineral surface were determined by the DFT calculations. For the variants of the structure of the complex, DFT calculations is performed and the interaction energy of the surfactant and clay mineral is estimated.

Ball clay

USGS Publications Warehouse

Virta, Robert L.

2010-01-01

The article reports on the global market performance of ball clay in 2009 and presents an outlook for its 2010 performance. Several companies mined ball call in the country including Old Hickey Clay Co., Kentucky-Tennessee Clay Co., and H.C. Spinks Clay Co. Information on the decline in ball clay imports and exports is also presented.

77 FR 8004 - Fall 2011 Regulatory Agenda

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-13

.... Title Identifier No. 438 SAN No. 5367 NESHAP: Brick 2060-AP69 and Structural Clay Products and Clay...-Term Actions 438. NESHAP: Brick and Structural Clay Products and Clay Products Legal Authority: Not Yet... metals) emitted from brick and clay ceramics kilns and glazing operations at clay ceramics production...

Mineral Acquisition from Clay by Budongo Forest Chimpanzees.

PubMed

Reynolds, Vernon; Lloyd, Andrew W; English, Christopher J; Lyons, Peter; Dodd, Howard; Hobaiter, Catherine; Newton-Fisher, Nicholas; Mullins, Caroline; Lamon, Noemie; Schel, Anne Marijke; Fallon, Brittany

2015-01-01

Chimpanzees of the Sonso community, Budongo Forest, Uganda were observed eating clay and drinking clay-water from waterholes. We show that clay, clay-rich water, and clay obtained with leaf sponges, provide a range of minerals in different concentrations. The presence of aluminium in the clay consumed indicates that it takes the form of kaolinite. We discuss the contribution of clay geophagy to the mineral intake of the Sonso chimpanzees and show that clay eaten using leaf sponges is particularly rich in minerals. We show that termite mound soil, also regularly consumed, is rich in minerals. We discuss the frequency of clay and termite soil geophagy in the context of the disappearance from Budongo Forest of a formerly rich source of minerals, the decaying pith of Raphia farinifera palms.

Mineral Acquisition from Clay by Budongo Forest Chimpanzees

PubMed Central

Reynolds, Vernon; Lloyd, Andrew W.; English, Christopher J.; Lyons, Peter; Dodd, Howard; Hobaiter, Catherine; Newton-Fisher, Nicholas; Mullins, Caroline; Lamon, Noemie; Schel, Anne Marijke; Fallon, Brittany

2015-01-01

Chimpanzees of the Sonso community, Budongo Forest, Uganda were observed eating clay and drinking clay-water from waterholes. We show that clay, clay-rich water, and clay obtained with leaf sponges, provide a range of minerals in different concentrations. The presence of aluminium in the clay consumed indicates that it takes the form of kaolinite. We discuss the contribution of clay geophagy to the mineral intake of the Sonso chimpanzees and show that clay eaten using leaf sponges is particularly rich in minerals. We show that termite mound soil, also regularly consumed, is rich in minerals. We discuss the frequency of clay and termite soil geophagy in the context of the disappearance from Budongo Forest of a formerly rich source of minerals, the decaying pith of Raphia farinifera palms. PMID:26218593

Application of Spectral Gamma Ray for Lithofacies and Paleo-environmental Interpretation: A Case Study from the Late Ordovician Glaciogenic Deposits, Saudi Arabia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alqubalee, Abdullah; Abdullatif, Osman; Babalola, Lamidi

2017-04-01

This study is an integral part of multidisciplinary research being carried out on the Late Ordovician Sarah Formation in the Rub' Al-Khali Basin, Saudi Arabia. Sarah Formation proved to be important target for tight gas reservoir in Saudi Arabia. This study integrates lithofacies characteristics and spectral Gamma Ray of core samples so as to identify and differentiate among different depositional environments. Thorium (Th, ppm) and potassium (K, %) are acquired with approximately a reading point per inch using high-resolution Spectral Core Gamma. The cores description and analysis from six exploratory wells revealed four depositional environments ranging from the glaciofluvial, glaciolacustrine delta, subglacial to the nearshore environments. Based on lithofacies and geochemical analysis of the core samples, four groups of lithofacies including sandstone (G1), claystone and/or argillaceous sandstone (G2), calcareous and/or evaporitic sandstone (G3), and diamictites (G4) were recognized in each well. The bivariate plots of Th and K were used to delineate the minerals contents in each core and environment. The results showed that the G1 facies of the nearshore and glaciofluvial environments are characterized by similar distribution patterns of these elements exhibiting lower clay minerals variations than that in the other groups of lithofacies. These patterns consist of two mineral groups, the first one includes illite and montmorillonite clay minerals while the second one includes mica, glauconite, and feldspar. By contrast, G1 and G2 lithofacies of the glaciolacustrine delta environment are characterized by a range of clay minerals. However, G3 of this environment exhibits similar pattern of the nearshore and the glaciofluvial environments This is because the grains of G3 are cemented by anhydrite rather than by clays. Based on the lithological characteristic, matrix-supported and clast-supported diamictites were identified in the subglacial environment. The differences between these two lithofacies were clearly detected using Th/K plot. Both diamictites are characterized by a range of minerals including illite, mixed layer clays, glauconite, and feldspar. The matrix-supported diamictites contain higher proportions of these minerals. This study indicates that the relationship between Th and K can be used to predict the types of lithofacies and clay contents in different glaciogenic depositional environments. In addition, it can be used to predict the relative amounts of the clay minerals in each lithofacies. In turn, identifying the types and the amounts of clay minerals in lithofacies facilitate the prediction of reservoir quality and eventually lead to enhancement of their development and productivity.

Mineralogy and instrumental neutron activation analysis of seven National Bureau of Standards and three Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnologicas clay reference samples

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hosterman, John W.; Flanagan, F.J.; Bragg, Anne; Doughten, M.W.; Filby, R.H.; Grimm, Catherine; Mee, J.S.; Potts, P.J.; Rogers, N.W.

1987-01-01

The concentrations of 3 oxides and 29 elements in 7 National Bureau of Standards (NBS) and 3 Instituto de Pesquisas Techno16gicas (IPT) reference clay samples were etermined by instrumental neutron activation analysis. The analytical work was designed to test the homogeneity of constituents in three new NBS reference clays, NBS-97b, NBS-98b, and NBS-679. The analyses of variance of 276 sets of data for these three standards show that the constituents are distributed homogeneously among bottles of samples for 94 percent of the sets of data. Three of the reference samples (NBS-97, NBS-97a, and NBS-97b) are flint clays; four of the samples (NBS-98, NBS-98a, NBS-98b, and IPT-32) are plastic clays, and three of the samples (NBS-679, IPT-28, and IPT-42) are miscellaneous clays (both sedimentary and residual). Seven clays are predominantly kaolinite; the other three clays contain illite and kaolinite in the approximate ratio 3:2. Seven clays contain quartz as the major nonclay mineral. The mineralogy of the flint and plastic clays from Missouri (NBS-97a and NBS-98a) differs markedly from that of the flint and plastic clays from Pennsylvania (NBS-97, NBS-97b, NBS-98, and NBS-98b). The flint clay NBS-97 has higher average chromium, hafnium, lithium, and zirconium contents than its replacement, reference sample NBS-97b. The differences between the plastic clay NBS-98 and its replacement, NBS-98b, are not as pronounced. The trace element contents of the flint and plastic clays from Missouri, NBS-97a and NBS-98a, differ significantly from those of the clays from Pennsylvania, especially the average rare earth element (REE) contents. The trace element contents of clay sample IPT-32 differ from those of the other plastic clays. IPT-28 and IPT-42 have some average trace element contents that differ not only between these two samples but also from all the other clays. IPT-28 has the highest summation of the average REE contents of the 10 samples. The uranium content of NBS-98a, 46 parts per million, is very much higher than that of the other clays. Plots of average REE contents of the flint and plastic clays, normalized to chondritic abundances, show that the clays from Missouri differ from the same types of clay from Pennsylvania. The plot of REE contents for the miscellaneous clays shows that the normalized means for the elements lanthanum through samarium for IPT-28 are much greater than those for the other miscellaneous clays. The means for the elements europium through lutetium are similar for all three miscellaneous clays.

Deformation mechanisms and evolution of the microstructure of gouge in the Main Fault in Opalinus Clay in the Mont Terri rock laboratory (CH)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laurich, Ben; Urai, Janos L.; Vollmer, Christian; Nussbaum, Christophe

2018-01-01

We studied gouge from an upper-crustal, low-offset reverse fault in slightly overconsolidated claystone in the Mont Terri rock laboratory (Switzerland). The laboratory is designed to evaluate the suitability of the Opalinus Clay formation (OPA) to host a repository for radioactive waste. The gouge occurs in thin bands and lenses in the fault zone; it is darker in color and less fissile than the surrounding rock. It shows a matrix-based, P-foliated microfabric bordered and truncated by micrometer-thin shear zones consisting of aligned clay grains, as shown with broad-ion-beam scanning electron microscopy (BIB-SEM) and optical microscopy. Selected area electron diffraction based on transmission electron microscopy (TEM) shows evidence for randomly oriented nanometer-sized clay particles in the gouge matrix, surrounding larger elongated phyllosilicates with a strict P foliation. For the first time for the OPA, we report the occurrence of amorphous SiO2 grains within the gouge. Gouge has lower SEM-visible porosity and almost no calcite grains compared to the undeformed OPA. We present two hypotheses to explain the origin of gouge in the Main Fault: (i) authigenic generation consisting of fluid-mediated removal of calcite from the deforming OPA during shearing and (ii) clay smear consisting of mechanical smearing of calcite-poor (yet to be identified) source layers into the fault zone. Based on our data we prefer the first or a combination of both, but more work is needed to resolve this. Microstructures indicate a range of deformation mechanisms including solution-precipitation processes and a gouge that is weaker than the OPA because of the lower fraction of hard grains. For gouge, we infer a more rate-dependent frictional rheology than suggested from laboratory experiments on the undeformed OPA.

Antimicrobial nanocomposites based on natural modified materials: a review of carbons and clays.

PubMed

Martynková, Grazyna Simha; Valásková, Marta

2014-01-01

The review is focused on the recent research and development of antimicrobial nanocomposites based on selected carbon nanomaterials and natural nanoclay minerals. The nanocomposites comprised of two or several components, where at least one presents antimicrobial properties, are discussed. Yet the most popular agent remains silver as nanoparticle or in ionic form. Second, broadly studied group, are organics as additives or polymeric matrices. Both carbons and clays in certain forms possess antimicrobial properties. A lot of interest is put on to research graphene oxide. The low-environmental impact technologies-based on sustainable biopolymers have been studied. Testing of antimicrobial properties of nanomaterials is performed most frequently on E. coli and S. aureus bacterias.

Thermo Gravimetric and Differential Thermal Analysis of Clay of Western Rajasthan (india)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shekhawat, M. S.

The paper presents the study of thermo gravimetric and differential thermal analysis of blended clay. Western part of Rajasthan (India) is rich resource of Ball clays and it is mainly used by porcelain, sanitary ware, and tile industry. The quality and grade of clay available in the region vary from one deposit to other. To upgrade the fired colour and strength properties, different variety of clays may be blended together. The paper compares the results of thermal analysis one of blended clay B2 with reference clay of Ukraine which is imported by industries owners. The result revealed that the blended clay is having mineral kaolinite while the Ukrainian clay is Halloysite.

Investigation of nanoscopic free volume and interfacial interaction in an epoxy resin/modified clay nanocomposite using positron annihilation spectroscopy.

PubMed

Patil, Pushkar N; Sudarshan, Kathi; Sharma, Sandeep K; Maheshwari, Priya; Rath, Sangram K; Patri, Manoranjan; Pujari, Pradeep K

2012-12-07

Epoxy/clay nanocomposites are synthesized using clay modified with the organic modifier N,N-dimethyl benzyl hydrogenated tallow quaternary ammonium salt (Cloisite 10A). The purpose is to investigate the influence of the clay concentration on the nanostructure, mainly on the free-volume properties and the interfacial interactions, of the epoxy/clay nanocomposite. Nanocomposites having 1, 3, 5 and 7.5 wt. % clay concentrations are prepared using the solvent-casting method. The dispersion of clay silicate layers and the morphologies of the fractured surfaces in the nanocomposites are studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. The observed XRD patterns reveal an exfoliated clay structure in the nanocomposite with the lowest clay concentration (≤1 wt. %). The ortho-positronium lifetime (τ(3)), a measure of the free-volume size, as well as the fractional free volume (f(v)) are seen to decrease in the nanocomposites as compared to pristine epoxy. The intensity of free positron annihilation (I(2)), an index of the epoxy-clay interaction, decreases with the addition of clay (1 wt. %) but increases linearly at higher clay concentrations. Positron age-momentum correlation measurements are also carried out to elucidate the positron/positronium states in pristine epoxy and in the nanocomposites. The results suggest that in the case of the nanocomposite with the studied lowest clay concentration (1 wt. %), free positrons are primarily localized in the epoxy-clay interfaces, whereas at higher clay concentrations, annihilation takes place from the intercalated clay layers. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Natural and ion-exchanged illite clays reduce bacterial burden and inflammation in cutaneous meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections in mice

PubMed Central

Otto, Caitlin C.; Kilbourne, Jacquelyn

2016-01-01

Discoveries associated with antibacterial activity of hydrated clays necessitate assessments of in vivo efficacy, practical use and safety. Surface properties of clays can lead to variations in the composition and abundance of bound compounds or ions, thus affecting antibacterial activity. Since exchangeable metal ions released from the clay surface are responsible for in vitro antibacterial activity, we evaluated the in vivo antibacterial efficacy of four natural clays (one illite clay, two montmorillonite clays and one kaolinite clay) and three ion-exchanged, antibacterial clays against superficial, cutaneous meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections in mice. Superficial, cutaneous wounds on the back of SKH1-Elite mice were generated and subsequently infected with MRSA. Following twice daily applications of a hydrated clay poultice to infected wounds for 7 days, we observed significant differences in the in vivo antibacterial efficacy between different types of clays. The natural and ion-exchanged illite clays performed best, as measured by bacterial load, inflammatory response and gross wound morphology with significant decreases in bacterial viability and dermatitis. Topical application of kaolinite clay was the least effective, resulting in the lowest decrease in bacterial load and exhibiting severe dermatitis. These data suggest that specific types of clays may offer a complementary and integrative strategy for topically treating MRSA and other cutaneous infections. However, since natural clays exhibit in vitro antibacterial variability and vary vastly in surface chemistries, adsorptive/absorptive characteristics and structural composition, the properties and characteristics of illite clays could aid in the development of standardized and customized aluminosilicates for topical infections. PMID:26508716

On soil textural classifications and soil-texture-based estimations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ángel Martín, Miguel; Pachepsky, Yakov A.; García-Gutiérrez, Carlos; Reyes, Miguel

2018-02-01

The soil texture representation with the standard textural fraction triplet sand-silt-clay is commonly used to estimate soil properties. The objective of this work was to test the hypothesis that other fraction sizes in the triplets may provide a better representation of soil texture for estimating some soil parameters. We estimated the cumulative particle size distribution and bulk density from an entropy-based representation of the textural triplet with experimental data for 6240 soil samples. The results supported the hypothesis. For example, simulated distributions were not significantly different from the original ones in 25 and 85 % of cases when the sand-silt-clay and very coarse+coarse + medium sand - fine + very fine sand - silt+clay were used, respectively. When the same standard and modified triplets were used to estimate the average bulk density, the coefficients of determination were 0.001 and 0.967, respectively. Overall, the textural triplet selection appears to be application and data specific.

Visible and near infrared spectroscopy coupled to random forest to quantify some soil quality parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Santana, Felipe Bachion; de Souza, André Marcelo; Poppi, Ronei Jesus

2018-02-01

This study evaluates the use of visible and near infrared spectroscopy (Vis-NIRS) combined with multivariate regression based on random forest to quantify some quality soil parameters. The parameters analyzed were soil cation exchange capacity (CEC), sum of exchange bases (SB), organic matter (OM), clay and sand present in the soils of several regions of Brazil. Current methods for evaluating these parameters are laborious, timely and require various wet analytical methods that are not adequate for use in precision agriculture, where faster and automatic responses are required. The random forest regression models were statistically better than PLS regression models for CEC, OM, clay and sand, demonstrating resistance to overfitting, attenuating the effect of outlier samples and indicating the most important variables for the model. The methodology demonstrates the potential of the Vis-NIR as an alternative for determination of CEC, SB, OM, sand and clay, making possible to develop a fast and automatic analytical procedure.

Application of 2D electrical resistivity imaging and cone penetration test (CPT) to assess the harzadous effect of near surface water on foundations in Lagos Nigeria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adewoyin, O. O.; Joshua, E. O.; Akinyemi, M. L.; Omeje, M.; Joel, E. S.

2017-05-01

Adequate information on the condition of the subsurface is very important for site evaluation for engineering purposes. In this study two dimensional (2D) geoelectrical resistivity survey and cone penetration tests were conducted to study the hazardous effect of excess near surface water on the foundation of building in a reclaimed land located at Victoria Island area of Lagos State. The results of the inverted 2D geoelectrical resistivity data revealed three distinct geoelectrical layers characterized by low to moderate electrical resistivity of 2.23 and 129Ωm and 9.46 to 636Ωm respectively. The topsoil is characterized by wet sandy soil, which is underlain by sandy clay and banded at the below by a geologic formation of low resistivity which is suspected to be clay. The clay material may be responsible for the excess water retention observed in the area. The CPT method on the other hand revealed a geological formation of low resistance to penetration between 2-3 kg/cm2 from the topsoil to a depth of 7 m, which may be the effect of excess water in the near surface. This study revealed that the foundation of building may not be founded directly on the soil in any reclaimed land as this may result in collapse as a result of upward migration of water to the near surface.

Crystal structure control of aluminized clay minerals on the mobility of caesium in contaminated soil environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dzene, Liva; Ferrage, Eric; Viennet, Jean-Christophe; Tertre, Emmanuel; Hubert, Fabien

2017-02-01

Radioactive caesium pollution resulting from Fukushima Dai-ichi and Chernobyl nuclear plant accidents involves strong interactions between Cs+ and clays, especially vermiculite-type minerals. In acidic soil environments, such as in Fukushima area, vermiculite is subjected to weathering processes, resulting in aluminization. The crystal structure of aluminized clays and its implications for Cs+ mobility in soils remain poorly understood due to the mixture of these minerals with other clays and organic matter. We performed acidic weathering of a vermiculite to mimic the aluminization process in soils. Combination of structure analysis and Cs+ extractability measurements show that the increase of aluminization is accompanied by an increase in Cs+ mobility. Crystal structure model for aluminized vermiculite is based on the interstratification of unaltered vermiculite layers and aluminized layers within the same particle. Cs+ in vermiculite layers is poorly mobile, while the extractability of Cs+ is greatly enhanced in aluminized layers. The overall reactivity of the weathered clay (cation exchange capacity, Cs+ mobility) is then governed by the relative abundance of the two types of layers. The proposed layer model for aluminized vermiculite with two coexisting populations of caesium is of prime importance for predicting the fate of caesium in contaminated soil environments.

Study of Adsorption and Flocculation Properties of Natural Clays to Remove Prorocentrum lima

PubMed Central

Louzao, Maria Carmen; Abal, Paula; Fernández, Diego A.; Vieytes, Mercedes R.; Legido, José Luis; Gómez, Carmen P.; Pais, Jesus; Botana, Luis M.

2015-01-01

High accumulations of phytoplankton species that produce toxins are referred to as harmful algal blooms (HABs). HABs represent one of the most important sources of contamination in marine environments, as well as a serious threat to public health, fisheries, aquaculture-based industries, and tourism. Therefore, methods effectively controlling HABs with minimal impact on marine ecology are required. Marine dinoflagellates of the genera Dinophysis and Prorocentrum are representative producers of okadaic acid (OA) and dinophysistoxins responsible for the diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP) which is a human intoxication caused by the consumption of shellfish that bioaccumulate those toxins. In this work we explore the use of natural clay for removing Prorocentrum lima. We evaluate the adsorption properties of clays in seawater containing the dinoflagellates. The experimental results confirmed the cell removal through the flocculation of algal and mineral particles leading to the formation of aggregates, which rapidly settle and further entrain cells during their descent. Moreover, the microscopy images of the samples enable one to observe the clays in aggregates of two or more cells where the mineral particles were bound to the outer membranes of the dinoflagellates. Therefore, this preliminary data offers promising results to use these clays for the mitigation of HABs. PMID:26426051

The Activity Profile of Young Tennis Athletes Playing on Clay and Hard Courts: Preliminary Data

PubMed Central

Adriano Pereira, Lucas; Freitas, Victor; Arruda Moura, Felipe; Saldanha Aoki, Marcelo; Loturco, Irineu

2016-01-01

Abstract The aim of this study was to compare the kinematic characteristics of tennis matches between red clay and hard courts in young tennis players. Eight young tennis players performed two tennis matches on different court surfaces. The match activities were monitored using GPS units. The distance covered in different velocity ranges and the number of accelerations were analyzed. The paired t test and inference based on magnitudes were used to compare the match physical performance between groups. The total distance (24% of difference), high-intensity running distance (15 - 18 km/h) (30% of difference), the number of high-intensity activities (44% of difference), the body load (1% of difference), and accelerations >1.5 g (1.5-2 g and >2 g 7.8 and 8.1 % of difference, respectively) were significantly greater in clay court than hard court matches (p < 0.05). Matches played on the red clay court required players to cover more total and high-intensity running distances and engage in more high-intensity activities than the matches played on the hard court. Finally, on the clay court the body load and the number of accelerations performed (>1.5 g) were possibly higher than on the hard court. PMID:28149359

Characterization of structures of the Nankai Trough accretionary prism from integrated analyses of LWD log response, resistivity images and clay mineralogy of cuttings: Expedition 338 Site C0002

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jurado, Maria Jose; Schleicher, Anja

2014-05-01

The objective of our research is a detailed characterization of structures on the basis of LWD oriented images and logs,and clay mineralogy of cuttings from Hole C0002F of the Nankai Trough accretionary prism. Our results show an integrated interpretation of structures derived from borehole images, petrophysical characterization on LWD logs and cuttings mineralogy. The geometry of the structure intersected at Hole C0002F has been characterized by the interpretation of oriented borehole resistivity images acquired during IODP Expedition 338. The characterization of structural features, faults and fracture zones is based on a detailed post-cruise interpretation of bedding and fractures on borehole images and also on the analysis of Logging While Drilling (LWD) log response (gamma radioactivity, resistivity and sonic logs). The interpretation and complete characterization of structures (fractures, fracture zones, fault zones, folds) was achieved after detailed shorebased reprocessing of resistivity images, which allowed to enhance bedding and fracture's imaging for geometry and orientation interpretation. In order to characterize distinctive petrophysical properties based on LWD log response, it could be compared with compositional changes derived from cuttings analyses. Cuttings analyses were used to calibrate and to characterize log response and to verify interpretations in terms of changes in composition and texture at fractures and fault zones defined on borehole images. Cuttings were taken routinely every 5 m during Expedition 338, indicating a clay-dominated lithology of silty claystone with interbeds of weakly consolidated, fine sandstones. The main mineralogical components are clay minerals, quartz, feldspar and calcite. Selected cuttings were taken from areas of interest as defined on LWD logs and images. The clay mineralogy was investigated on the <2 micron clay-size fraction, with special focus on smectite and illite minerals. Based on X-ray diffraction analysis measured at room temperature and a relative humidity of ~30%, we compared the shape and size of illite and smectite, as well as their water content and their polytypes. The comparison of cuttings mineralogy with logging while drilling (LWD) data allowed us to characterize structural, petrophysical and mineralogical properties at fracture and fault zones. We also analyzed the relationship between deformation structures and compositional and mineralogical changes. We established a correlation between observed results on clay mineralogy and log responses in relation with the structures and trends characterized on logging data. In general, the log data provide a good correlation with the actual mineralogy and the relative abundance of clay. In particular we analyzed trends characterized by smectite water layers as indication of compaction. These trends were correlated with log response (on sonic velocity) within Unit IV. Our results show the integration of logging data and cutting sample analyses as a valuable tool for characterization of petrophysical and mineralogical changes of the structures of the Nankai accretionary prism.

MODIFIED REVERSE OSMOSIS SYSTEM FOR TREATMENT OF PRODUCED WATERS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

T.M. Whitworth; Liangxiong Li

2002-09-15

This report describes work performed during the first year of the project ''Modified Reverse Osmosis System for Treatment of Produced Waters.'' This research project has two objectives. The first objective is to test the use of clay membranes in the treatment of produced waters by reverse osmosis. The second objective is to test the ability of a system patented by the New Mexico Tech Research Foundation to remove salts from reverse osmosis waste streams as a solid. We performed 12 experiments using clay membranes in cross-flow experimental cells. We found that, due to dispersion in the porous frit used adjacentmore » to the membrane, the concentration polarization layer seems to be completely (or nearly completely) destroyed at low flow rates. This observation suggests that clay membranes used with porous frit material many reach optimum rejection rates at lower pumping rates than required for use with synthetic membranes. The solute rejection efficiency decreases with increasing solution concentration. For the membranes and experiments reported here, the rejection efficiency ranged from 71% with 0.01 M NaCl solution down to 12% with 2.3 M NaCl solution. More compacted clay membranes will have higher rejection capabilities. The clay membranes used in our experiments were relatively thick (approximately 0.5 mm). The active layer of most synthetic membranes is only 0.04 {micro}m (0.00004 mm), approximately 1250 times thinner than the clay membranes used in these experiments. Yet clay membranes as thin as 12 {micro}m have been constructed (Fritz and Eady, 1985). Since Darcy's law states that the flow through a material of constant permeability is inversely proportional to it's the material's thickness, then, based on these experimental observations, a very thin clay membrane would be expected to have much higher flow rates than the ones used in these experiments. Future experiments will focus on testing very thin clay membranes. The membranes generally exhibited reasonable stable rejection rates over time for chloride for a range of concentrations between 0.01 and 2.5 M. One membrane ran in excess of three months with no apparent loss of usability. This suggests that clay membranes may have a long useable life. Twenty different hyperfiltration-induced solute precipitation experiments were either attempted or completed and are reported here. The results of these experiments suggest that hyperfiltration-induced solute precipitation is possible, even for very soluble substances such as NaCl. However, the precipitation rates obtained in the laboratory do not appear to be adequate for commercial application at this time. Future experiments will focus on making the clay membranes more compact and thinner in order to obtain higher flux rates. Two alternative methods of removing solutes from solution, for which the New Mexico Tech Research Foundation is preparing patent applications, are also being investigated. These methods will be described in the next annual report after the patent applications are filed. Technology transfer efforts included two meetings (one in Farmington NM, and one in Hobbs, NM) where the results of this research were presented to independent oil producers and other interested parties. In addition, members of the research team gave seven presentations concerning this research and because of this research project T. M. (Mike) Whitworth was asked to sit on the advisory board for development of a new water treatment facility for the City of El Paso, Texas. Several papers are in preparation for submission to peer-reviewed journals based on the data presented in this report.« less

Fish DNA-modified clays: Towards highly flame retardant polymer nanocomposite with improved interfacial and mechanical performance.

PubMed

Zabihi, Omid; Ahmadi, Mojtaba; Khayyam, Hamid; Naebe, Minoo

2016-12-05

Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) has been recently found to be an efficient renewable and environmentally-friendly flame retardant. In this work, for the first time, we have used waste DNA from fishing industry to modify clay structure in order to increase the clay interactions with epoxy resin and take benefit of its additional thermal property effect on thermo-physical properties of epoxy-clay nanocomposites. Intercalation of DNA within the clay layers was accomplished in a one-step approach confirmed by FT-IR, XPS, TGA, and XRD analyses, indicating that d-space of clay layers was expanded from ~1.2 nm for pristine clay to ~1.9 nm for clay modified with DNA (d-clay). Compared to epoxy nanocomposite containing 2.5%wt of Nanomer I.28E organoclay (m-clay), it was found that at 2.5%wt d-clay loading, significant enhancements of ~14%, ~6% and ~26% in tensile strength, tensile modulus, and fracture toughness of epoxy nanocomposite can be achieved, respectively. Effect of DNA as clay modifier on thermal performance of epoxy nanocomposite containing 2.5%wt d-clay was evaluated using TGA and cone calorimetry analysis, revealing significant decreases of ~4000 kJ/m 2 and ~78 kW/m 2 in total heat release and peak of heat release rate, respectively, in comparison to that containing 2.5%wt of m-clay.

Fish DNA-modified clays: Towards highly flame retardant polymer nanocomposite with improved interfacial and mechanical performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zabihi, Omid; Ahmadi, Mojtaba; Khayyam, Hamid; Naebe, Minoo

2016-12-01

Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) has been recently found to be an efficient renewable and environmentally-friendly flame retardant. In this work, for the first time, we have used waste DNA from fishing industry to modify clay structure in order to increase the clay interactions with epoxy resin and take benefit of its additional thermal property effect on thermo-physical properties of epoxy-clay nanocomposites. Intercalation of DNA within the clay layers was accomplished in a one-step approach confirmed by FT-IR, XPS, TGA, and XRD analyses, indicating that d-space of clay layers was expanded from ~1.2 nm for pristine clay to ~1.9 nm for clay modified with DNA (d-clay). Compared to epoxy nanocomposite containing 2.5%wt of Nanomer I.28E organoclay (m-clay), it was found that at 2.5%wt d-clay loading, significant enhancements of ~14%, ~6% and ~26% in tensile strength, tensile modulus, and fracture toughness of epoxy nanocomposite can be achieved, respectively. Effect of DNA as clay modifier on thermal performance of epoxy nanocomposite containing 2.5%wt d-clay was evaluated using TGA and cone calorimetry analysis, revealing significant decreases of ~4000 kJ/m2 and ~78 kW/m2 in total heat release and peak of heat release rate, respectively, in comparison to that containing 2.5%wt of m-clay.

Fish DNA-modified clays: Towards highly flame retardant polymer nanocomposite with improved interfacial and mechanical performance

PubMed Central

Zabihi, Omid; Ahmadi, Mojtaba; Khayyam, Hamid; Naebe, Minoo

2016-01-01

Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) has been recently found to be an efficient renewable and environmentally-friendly flame retardant. In this work, for the first time, we have used waste DNA from fishing industry to modify clay structure in order to increase the clay interactions with epoxy resin and take benefit of its additional thermal property effect on thermo-physical properties of epoxy-clay nanocomposites. Intercalation of DNA within the clay layers was accomplished in a one-step approach confirmed by FT-IR, XPS, TGA, and XRD analyses, indicating that d-space of clay layers was expanded from ~1.2 nm for pristine clay to ~1.9 nm for clay modified with DNA (d-clay). Compared to epoxy nanocomposite containing 2.5%wt of Nanomer I.28E organoclay (m-clay), it was found that at 2.5%wt d-clay loading, significant enhancements of ~14%, ~6% and ~26% in tensile strength, tensile modulus, and fracture toughness of epoxy nanocomposite can be achieved, respectively. Effect of DNA as clay modifier on thermal performance of epoxy nanocomposite containing 2.5%wt d-clay was evaluated using TGA and cone calorimetry analysis, revealing significant decreases of ~4000 kJ/m2 and ~78 kW/m2 in total heat release and peak of heat release rate, respectively, in comparison to that containing 2.5%wt of m-clay. PMID:27917901

Mitigation of Hydrogen Gas Generation from the Reaction of Uranium Metal with Water in K Basin Sludge and Sludge Waste Forms

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sinkov, Sergey I.; Delegard, Calvin H.; Schmidt, Andrew J.

2011-06-08

Prior laboratory testing identified sodium nitrate and nitrite to be the most promising agents to minimize hydrogen generation from uranium metal aqueous corrosion in Hanford Site K Basin sludge. Of the two, nitrate was determined to be better because of higher chemical capacity, lower toxicity, more reliable efficacy, and fewer side reactions than nitrite. The present lab tests were run to determine if nitrate’s beneficial effects to lower H2 generation in simulated and genuine sludge continued for simulated sludge mixed with agents to immobilize water to help meet the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) waste acceptance drainable liquid criterion. Testsmore » were run at ~60°C, 80°C, and 95°C using near spherical high-purity uranium metal beads and simulated sludge to emulate uranium-rich KW containerized sludge currently residing in engineered containers KW-210 and KW-220. Immobilization agents tested were Portland cement (PC), a commercial blend of PC with sepiolite clay (Aquaset II H), granulated sepiolite clay (Aquaset II G), and sepiolite clay powder (Aquaset II). In all cases except tests with Aquaset II G, the simulated sludge was mixed intimately with the immobilization agent before testing commenced. For the granulated Aquaset II G clay was added to the top of the settled sludge/solution mixture according to manufacturer application directions. The gas volumes and compositions, uranium metal corrosion mass losses, and nitrite, ammonia, and hydroxide concentrations in the interstitial solutions were measured. Uranium metal corrosion rates were compared with rates forecast from the known uranium metal anoxic water corrosion rate law. The ratios of the forecast to the observed rates were calculated to find the corrosion rate attenuation factors. Hydrogen quantities also were measured and compared with quantities expected based on non-attenuated H2 generation at the full forecast anoxic corrosion rate to arrive at H2 attenuation factors. The uranium metal corrosion rates in water alone and in simulated sludge were near or slightly below the metal-in-water rate while nitrate-free sludge/Aquaset II decreased rates by about a factor of 3. Addition of 1 M nitrate to simulated sludge decreased the corrosion rate by a factor of ~5 while 1 M nitrate in sludge/Aquaset II mixtures decreased the corrosion rate by ~2.5 compared with the nitrate-free analogues. Mixtures of simulated sludge with Aquaset II treated with 1 M nitrate had uranium corrosion rates about a factor of 8 to 10 lower than the water-only rate law. Nitrate was found to provide substantial hydrogen mitigation for immobilized simulant sludge waste forms containing Aquaset II or Aquaset II G clay. Hydrogen attenuation factors of 1000 or greater were determined at 60°C for sludge-clay mixtures at 1 M nitrate. Hydrogen mitigation for tests with PC and Aquaset II H (which contains PC) were inconclusive because of suspected failure to overcome induction times and fully enter into anoxic corrosion. Lessening of hydrogen attenuation at ~80°C and ~95°C for simulated sludge and Aquaset II was observed with attenuation factors around 100 to 200 at 1 M nitrate. Valuable additional information has been obtained on the ability of nitrate to attenuate hydrogen gas generation from solution, simulant K Basin sludge, and simulant sludge with immobilization agents. Details on characteristics of the associated reactions were also obtained. The present testing confirms prior work which indicates that nitrate is an effective agent to attenuate hydrogen from uranium metal corrosion in water and simulated K Basin sludge to show that it is also effective in potential candidate solidified K Basin waste forms for WIPP disposal. The hydrogen mitigation afforded by nitrate appears to be sufficient to meet the hydrogen generation limits for shipping various sludge waste streams based on uranium metal concentrations and assumed waste form loadings.« less

Ball clay

USGS Publications Warehouse

Virta, R.L.

2013-01-01

Four companies — H.C. Spinks Clay Co., Inc., Imerys, Old Hickory Clay Co. and Unimin Corp. — mined ball clay in five U.S. states in 2012. Production, on the basis of preliminary data, was 900 kt (992,000 st), with an estimated value of $42.3 million. This was a slight increase in tonnage from 886 kt (977,000 st), with a value of $40.9 million in 2011. Tennessee was the leading ball clay producing state, with 63 percent of domestic production, followed by Texas, Mississippi, Kentucky and Indiana. Reported ball clay production from Indiana probably was fire clay rather than ball clay. About 69 percent of total ball clay production was airfloat, 20 percent was crude and 11 percent was water-slurried.

View of EAS as it moves away from the ISS during Expedition 15

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-07-23

ISS015-E-18967 (23 July 2007) --- An Early Ammonia Servicer (EAS) moves away from the International Space Station after it was jettisoned by astronaut Clay Anderson (out of frame), Expedition 15 flight engineer, during today's session of extravehicular activity (EVA). The EAS was installed on the P6 truss during STS-105 in August 2001, as an ammonia reservoir if a leak had occurred. It was never used, and was no longer needed after the permanent cooling system was activated last December.

The Relationship of Physical Property Indicators and Clay Soil Structural Strength of Tomsk Oblast Territory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kramarenko, V. V.; Nikitenkov, A. N.; Molokov, V. Y.; Matveenko, I. A.; Shramok, A. V.

2015-11-01

The article deals with the characteristic of initial condition in fine-grained soils - its structural strength - pstr. Estimation and measurement of this factor at soil testing are of primary importance for defining its physical and mechanical properties as well as for subsequent calculation of foundation settlements that is insufficiently covered in Code of practice, national standard and inefficiently applicable in practice of engineering geological investigations. The article reveals the relationship between soil physical property, its occurrence depth, which will make possible to forecast pstr over the given territory.

International Space Station (ISS)

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-08-01

As the construction continued on the International Space Station (ISS), STS-118 Astronaut Dave Williams, representing the Canadian Space Agency, participated in the fourth and final session of Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA). During the 5 hour space walk, Williams and Expedition 15 engineer Clay Anderson (out of frame) installed the External Wireless Instrumentation System Antenna, attached a stand for the shuttle robotic arm extension boom, and retrieved the two Materials International Space Station Experiments (MISSE) for return to Earth. MISSE collects information on how different materials weather in the environment of space.

Computer Implementation of the Bounding Surface Plasticity Model for Cohesive Soils.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-12-01

Contract # DACA 39-79-M-0059), the Civil Engineering Laboratory, Naval Construction Battalion Center (Re: Orders N62583-80-M-R478, N62583-81-M- R320, N62#74...correspondinga a expression in the equation of "Modification 5" (Section 1) is treated in a similar fashion. In general, this arbitrary action does not...Contract # DACA 39-79-M-0059), April 1980. 3. Dafalias, Y.F., L.R. Herrmann and J.S. DeNatale, "Prediction of the Response of the Natural Clays X and Y

Evaluation of Environmentally Acceptable Lubricants (EALS) for Dams Managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-08-01

power, and seal against dirt, dust, and water. Lubricants work by serving as a lower viscosity material between moving surfaces. The wearing surfaces...aluminum, clay , polyurea, sodium, and calcium are most common. Complex thickeners can be composed of metal soaps mixed with low-molecular-weight organic...Polyalkyl DAE N Polyest Rape Seed Viscosity Temperature Behavior (VI) 4 2 2 2 2 2 Low Temperature Behavior (Pourpoint) 5 1 3 1 2 3 Liquid Range 4 2 3 1 2 3

Mysterious Roving Rocks of Racetrack Playa

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

Intern Kyle Yawn marked the boundaries of this trail by placing pushpins into cracks in the clay. Now, he photographs the trail to document it. Photo credit: NASA/GSFC/Maggie McAdam To read a feature story on the Racetrack Playa go to: www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/roving-rocks.html NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is home to the nation's largest organization of combined scientists, engineers and technologists that build spacecraft, instruments and new technology to study the Earth, the sun, our solar system, and the universe. Follow us on Twitter Join us on Facebook

Proceedings of the Third International Symposium on Ground Freezing Held at Hanover, New Hampshire on 22-24 June 1982.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-01-01

The cyclicly changing axial stresses a . and a are leading to the dynamic stress path which loads the frozen soil [MN/m’) samples. It is obvious that...Fig. 5 are related to a sinoidal dynamic axial loading . Figure a sample temperature of T = -10*C, in 4 shows schematically a triaxial test re- Fig. 6...Czajkowski (1978), Behaviour of Fro-ry phase was not reached. zen Clay under Cyclic Axial Loading , Journal of the Geotechnical Engineer- ing Division

Mysterious Roving Rocks of Racetrack Playa

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

The trails have some curious features. Sometimes the clay gets pushed into a mound at the trail's end, as in this photo. Photo credit: NASA/GSFC/Cynthia Cheung To read a feature story on the Racetrack Playa go to: www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/roving-rocks.html NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is home to the nation's largest organization of combined scientists, engineers and technologists that build spacecraft, instruments and new technology to study the Earth, the sun, our solar system, and the universe. Follow us on Twitter Join us on Facebook

Use of Infrared Spectrometry to Determine the Effect of Temperature on the Description Rates of Trichloroethylene from Plastic Clay 98b

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-08-01

Laboratory, Infrared Grating Spectra, 19~77. 30. Serway , Raymond A . Physics for Scientists and Engineers. New York: McGraw-Hill 1986. 31. Hecht Eugene. Optics...Without him, this thesis could not have been done. I have learned a lot about laboratory research as well as several physics concepts form him. I...guidance, and encouragement. His tips, feedback, and great ideas made the accomplishment of this thesis possible and much easier. I learned a lot from him

International Space Station (ISS)

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-08-15

As the construction continued on the International Space Station (ISS), STS-118 astronaut and mission specialist Rick Mastracchio was anchored on the foot restraint of the Canadarm2 as he participated in the third session of Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA) for the mission. Assisting Mastracchio was Expedition 15 flight engineer Clay Anderson (out of frame). During the 5 hour, 28 minute space walk, the two relocated the S-band Antenna Sub-Assembly from the Port 6 (P6) truss to the Port 1 (P1) truss, installed a new transponder on P1 and retrieved the P6 transponder.

Soil physicochemical properties to evaluate soil degradation under different land use types in a high rainfall tropical region: A case study from South Sulawesi, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmad, A.; Lopulisa, C.; Imran, A. M.; Baja, S.

2018-05-01

Intensive cropping in the tropical region always becomes one of important driving forces of soil degradation. The primary aim of this study is to analyze the states and the dynamics of soil physicochemical properties to evaluate soil degradation in the tropical region a high rainfall on agricultural areas in South Sulawesi. A number of soil characteristics were analyzed for physical and chemical properties, and clay minerals with X-ray diffractometer. The degree of soil degradation is determined using Wischmeier and Smith equation. This study reveals that mean annual precipitation in 1979-2016 ranged from 1853.15 to 2981.30 mm/year. For land used for paddy field, palm oil, cacao and coffee plantation, the texture dominated with silt loam-clay loam, cation exchange capacity was 18.63-26.32 cmol+ kg-1, 0.98-2.91% of C-organic, 32-55% of base saturation, 0.1-3.5 cm h-1 of permeability, soil clay minerals were montmorillonite-kaolinite-halloysite, and the index erodibility was 0.3-0.5. Land used for mixed plants and shrubs, the texture dominated with silt loam-sandy clay loam, cation exchange capacity was 18.63-27.12 cmol+ kg-1, 1.09-2.89% of C-organic, 32-55% of base saturation, 0.2-4.9 cm/h of permeability, soil clay minerals were kaolinite-halloysite, and index erodibility was 0.1-0.3. Land use for cultivated in the high intensity of rainfall has changed the physicochemical properties of soils, but cultivated in monoculture has at some degree increased soil erodibility.

Hydrogeologic barriers to the infiltration of treated wastewater at the Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Land Application Site, Burlington County, New Jersey

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fiore, Alex R.

2016-09-02

For the final phase of wastewater treatment operations at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in Burlington County, New Jersey, treated effluent is pumped to 12 infiltration basins on a Land Application Site to recharge the unconfined Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system. Two of the 12 infiltration basins are operationally ineffective because discharged effluent fails to percolate and remains ponded on the basin surfaces. A study conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Defense, investigated the potential hydrogeologic conditions preventing infiltration in these basins by testing the geophysical, lithological, and hydraulic characteristics of the aquifer material underlying the site. Saturated sand, sandy clay, and unsaturated sand were encountered in succession through the upper 4 feet of sediment below land surface at the two ineffective basins. Water levels in auger borings penetrating the clay and underlying dry sand were measured as deeper than water levels in nested auger borings in the saturated sand overlying the clay, which indicates a downward vertical gradient was established after removal of the clay in the deeper borings created a conduit for drainage from the surficial saturated sands. Ground-penetrating radar surveys and additional water levels measured in piezometer wells adjacent to the infiltration basins indicated a lack of connectivity between the ponded basin water and the regional water table, and demonstrated that perched conditions were not present in native formation materials outside the inoperable basins. Therefore, the near-surface low permeability clay is likely preventing infiltration from the basin surface and causes the ineffectiveness of the two basins for wastewater land application operations.

Error Analysis of Clay-Rock Water Content Estimation with Broadband High-Frequency Electromagnetic Sensors—Air Gap Effect

PubMed Central

Bore, Thierry; Wagner, Norman; Delepine Lesoille, Sylvie; Taillade, Frederic; Six, Gonzague; Daout, Franck; Placko, Dominique

2016-01-01

Broadband electromagnetic frequency or time domain sensor techniques present high potential for quantitative water content monitoring in porous media. Prior to in situ application, the impact of the relationship between the broadband electromagnetic properties of the porous material (clay-rock) and the water content on the frequency or time domain sensor response is required. For this purpose, dielectric properties of intact clay rock samples experimental determined in the frequency range from 1 MHz to 10 GHz were used as input data in 3-D numerical frequency domain finite element field calculations to model the one port broadband frequency or time domain transfer function for a three rods based sensor embedded in the clay-rock. The sensor response in terms of the reflection factor was analyzed in time domain with classical travel time analysis in combination with an empirical model according to Topp equation, as well as the theoretical Lichtenecker and Rother model (LRM) to estimate the volumetric water content. The mixture equation considering the appropriate porosity of the investigated material provide a practical and efficient approach for water content estimation based on classical travel time analysis with the onset-method. The inflection method is not recommended for water content estimation in electrical dispersive and absorptive material. Moreover, the results clearly indicate that effects due to coupling of the sensor to the material cannot be neglected. Coupling problems caused by an air gap lead to dramatic effects on water content estimation, even for submillimeter gaps. Thus, the quantitative determination of the in situ water content requires careful sensor installation in order to reach a perfect probe clay rock coupling. PMID:27096865

Error Analysis of Clay-Rock Water Content Estimation with Broadband High-Frequency Electromagnetic Sensors--Air Gap Effect.

PubMed

Bore, Thierry; Wagner, Norman; Lesoille, Sylvie Delepine; Taillade, Frederic; Six, Gonzague; Daout, Franck; Placko, Dominique

2016-04-18

Broadband electromagnetic frequency or time domain sensor techniques present high potential for quantitative water content monitoring in porous media. Prior to in situ application, the impact of the relationship between the broadband electromagnetic properties of the porous material (clay-rock) and the water content on the frequency or time domain sensor response is required. For this purpose, dielectric properties of intact clay rock samples experimental determined in the frequency range from 1 MHz to 10 GHz were used as input data in 3-D numerical frequency domain finite element field calculations to model the one port broadband frequency or time domain transfer function for a three rods based sensor embedded in the clay-rock. The sensor response in terms of the reflection factor was analyzed in time domain with classical travel time analysis in combination with an empirical model according to Topp equation, as well as the theoretical Lichtenecker and Rother model (LRM) to estimate the volumetric water content. The mixture equation considering the appropriate porosity of the investigated material provide a practical and efficient approach for water content estimation based on classical travel time analysis with the onset-method. The inflection method is not recommended for water content estimation in electrical dispersive and absorptive material. Moreover, the results clearly indicate that effects due to coupling of the sensor to the material cannot be neglected. Coupling problems caused by an air gap lead to dramatic effects on water content estimation, even for submillimeter gaps. Thus, the quantitative determination of the in situ water content requires careful sensor installation in order to reach a perfect probe clay rock coupling.

Removal of clay by stingless bees: load size and moisture selection.

PubMed

Costa-Pereira, Raul

2014-09-01

Some organisms disperse energy, associated with the transportation of resource, which is not necessarily food. Stingless bees of Central Amazonia (Melipona flavolineata and M. lateralis) collect clay in banks along streams for nest building. The moisture of the clay varies along the bank, and bees collect clay from specific location, indicating that there is some sort of preference regarding their selection. This study aims at identifying: if larger bees carry more clay; if there is a preference for moisture of substrates; and if bees are less efficient accumulating and transporting clay when it is wet. In order to do so, I measured the size of the bees and of the pellets of clay found in the corbicula. I set up a field experiment to test substrate preferences. The amount of clay transported, increased exponentially in accordance to the size of the bee, and the preferred substrate was the driest clay. The amount and the efficiency of removal of clay were not affected by the moisture of the substrate. Despite the wet clay being denser, it does not reduce the efficiency of exploitation of the resource, but suggests that bees spend more energy to carry the same quantity of wet clay, which may be the underlying mechanism explaining their preference for removing drier clay.

Sustainable use of tannery sludge in brick manufacturing in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Juel, Md Ariful Islam; Mizan, Al; Ahmed, Tanvir

2017-02-01

Chromium-rich tannery sludge generated from tanneries has the potential to become a serious environmental burden in Bangladesh and a promising avenue for disposal of this sludge is by stabilizing it in clay brick products. But for sustainable industrial application of such technique it needs to be ensured first that the engineering properties of bricks as a building material are not diminished by addition of sludge, the process becomes energy efficient compared to alternatives and the use of such bricks do not pose any harmful environmental effects in the long run. In this study, clay bricks were prepared with different proportions of sludge (10%, 20%, 30% and 40% by dry weight) in both laboratory-controlled and field conditions and their suitability as a construction material was assessed based on their strength, water absorption, shrinkage, weight-loss on ignition and bulk density. For the sludge incorporated bricks, the compressive strength ranged from 10.98MPa to 29.61MPa and water absorption ranged from 7.2% to 20.9%, which in most cases met both the Bangladesh and ASTM criteria for bricks as a construction material. Volumetric shrinkage, weight loss and efflorescence properties of sludge-amended bricks were found to be favorable and it was estimated that an energy saving of 15-47% could potentially be achieved during firing with 10-40% tannery sludge-amended bricks. The quality of sludge-amended bricks made in the brick kiln was relatively inferior compared to bricks produced in the laboratory due to operating in a less-controlled environment with respect to maintaining adequate compaction and optimum moisture content. The leaching behavior of several heavy metals (Cr, As, Cu, Ni, Cd, Pb and Zn) from sludge-amended bricks has been found to be insignificant and far below the Dutch regulations and USEPA regulatory limits. Results from this study indicate that tannery sludge can be sustainably stabilized in clay bricks and large-scale application of this technique can be envisaged in the context of Bangladesh where brick remains a dominant building material. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Static and dynamic characterization of alluvial deposits in the Tiber River Valley: New data for assessing potential ground motion in the City of Rome

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bozzano, F.; Caserta, A.; Govoni, A.; Marra, F.; Martino, S.

2008-01-01

The paper presents the results of a case study conducted on the Holocene alluvial deposits of the Tiber River valley, in the city of Rome. The main test site selected for the study, Valco S. Paolo, is located about 2 km South of Rome's historical centre. The alluvial deposits were dynamically characterized in a comprehensive way via site investigations and geotechnical laboratory tests. Normalized shear modulus decay and damping curves (G/G0 and D/D0 vs γ) were obtained for the dominantly fine-grained levels. The curves demonstrate that these levels have a more marked shear stiffness decay if compared with the underlying Pliocene bedrock. Decay curves from laboratory tests for the Tiber alluvia correlated well with the trend of the function proposed by Hardin and Drnevich, making it possible to derive their specific interpolation function coefficients. Use was made of the extrapolation of the findings from the Valco S. Paolo test site to a large part of Rome's historical centre by means of two other test sites, supported by an engineering-geology model of the complex spatial distribution of the Tiber alluvia. The experimental Valco S. Paolo Vs profile was extrapolated to the other test sites on the basis of a stratigraphic criterion; the analysis of seismic noise measurements, obtained for the three test sites, validated the engineering-geology based extrapolation and showed that the main rigidity contrast occurs inside the alluvial body (at the contact with the underlying basal gravel-level G) and not between the alluvia and the Plio-Pleistocene bedrock, composed of highly consistent clay (Marne Vaticane). The 1D modeling of local seismic response to the maximum expected earthquakes in the city of Rome confirms that the deposits have one principal mode of vibration at about 1 Hz. However, the simulation also evidenced that the silty-clay deposits (level C), making up the most part of the Tiber alluvial body, play a key role in characterizing the soil column deformation profile since it can be affected by non linear effects induced by the maximum expected earthquake when some stratigraphic conditions are satisfied.

A Visual Basic program to classify sediments based on gravel-sand-silt-clay ratios

USGS Publications Warehouse

Poppe, L.J.; Eliason, A.H.; Hastings, M.E.

2003-01-01

Nomenclature describing size distributions is important to geologists because grain size is the most basic attribute of sediments. Traditionally, geologists have divided sediments into four size fractions that include gravel, sand, silt, and clay, and classified these sediments based on ratios of the various proportions of the fractions. Definitions of these fractions have long been standardized to the grade scale described by Wentworth (1922), and two main classification schemes have been adopted to describe the approximate relationship between the size fractions.Specifically, according to the Wentworth grade scale gravel-sized particles have a nominal diameter of ⩾2.0 mm; sand-sized particles have nominal diameters from <2.0 mm to ⩾62.5 μm; silt-sized particles have nominal diameters from <62.5 to ⩾4.0 μm; and clay is <4.0 μm. As for sediment classification, most sedimentologists use one of the systems described either by Shepard (1954) or Folk (1954, 1974). The original scheme devised by Shepard (1954) utilized a single ternary diagram with sand, silt, and clay in the corners to graphically show the relative proportions among these three grades within a sample. This scheme, however, does not allow for sediments with significant amounts of gravel. Therefore, Shepard's classification scheme (Fig. 1) was subsequently modified by the addition of a second ternary diagram to account for the gravel fraction (Schlee, 1973). The system devised by Folk (1954, 1974) is also based on two triangular diagrams (Fig. 2), but it has 23 major categories, and uses the term mud (defined as silt plus clay). The patterns within the triangles of both systems differ, as does the emphasis placed on gravel. For example, in the system described by Shepard, gravelly sediments have more than 10% gravel; in Folk's system, slightly gravelly sediments have as little as 0.01% gravel. Folk's classification scheme stresses gravel because its concentration is a function of the highest current velocity at the time of deposition, together with the maximum grain size of the detritus that is available; Shepard's classification scheme emphasizes the ratios of sand, silt, and clay because they reflect sorting and reworking (Poppe et al., 2000).

Delineation of a quick clay zone at Smørgrav, Norway, with electromagnetic methods under geotechnical constraints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalscheuer, Thomas; Bastani, Mehrdad; Donohue, Shane; Persson, Lena; Aspmo Pfaffhuber, Andreas; Reiser, Fabienne; Ren, Zhengyong

2013-05-01

In many coastal areas of North America and Scandinavia, post-glacial clay sediments have emerged above sea level due to iso-static uplift. These clays are often destabilised by fresh water leaching and transformed to so-called quick clays as at the investigated area at Smørgrav, Norway. Slight mechanical disturbances of these materials may trigger landslides. Since the leaching increases the electrical resistivity of quick clay as compared to normal marine clay, the application of electromagnetic (EM) methods is of particular interest in the study of quick clay structures. For the first time, single and joint inversions of direct-current resistivity (DCR), radiomagnetotelluric (RMT) and controlled-source audiomagnetotelluric (CSAMT) data were applied to delineate a zone of quick clay. The resulting 2-D models of electrical resistivity correlate excellently with previously published data from a ground conductivity metre and resistivity logs from two resistivity cone penetration tests (RCPT) into marine clay and quick clay. The RCPT log into the central part of the quick clay identifies the electrical resistivity of the quick clay structure to lie between 10 and 80 Ω m. In combination with the 2-D inversion models, it becomes possible to delineate the vertical and horizontal extent of the quick clay zone. As compared to the inversions of single data sets, the joint inversion model exhibits sharper resistivity contrasts and its resistivity values are more characteristic of the expected geology. In our preferred joint inversion model, there is a clear demarcation between dry soil, marine clay, quick clay and bedrock, which consists of alum shale and limestone.

Ball clay

USGS Publications Warehouse

Virta, R.L.

2011-01-01

The article discusses the latest developments in the global ball clay mining industry, particularly in the U.S., as of June 2011. It cites several firms that are involved in ball clay mining in the U.S., including HC Spins Clay Co. Inc., the Imerys Group and Old Hickory Clay Co. Among the products made from ball clay are ceramic tiles, sanitaryware, as well as fillers, extenders and binders.

Measuring delta volumetric change and composition using a streakline-based method on the Wax Lake Delta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hurlbut, K.; Estep, J. D.; Shaw, J.; Edmonds, D. A.

2016-12-01

Estimating river delta growth is essential for determining coastal sustainability. We use a new method to quantify the recent accretion and composition of the Wax Lake Delta, a rapidly prograding delta in Louisiana. The method identifies the area of significant (subaqueous) delta aggradation from delta flow patterns, which are visible in aerial imagery through biogenic streaklines that naturally occur on the water surface. Comparison of bathymetric maps and streaklines shows that channel tips and the associated seaward extent of significant delta deposition occur where the divergence of flow direction equals 0 (+/- 400 m). Delta volumes calculated using this method, the 1974 pre-delta shoreline, and a measured average delta thickness of 1.6 m provide an estimate of the delta volume which we found to increase by 2.0*106 m3/yr between 1992 and 2014. We then compared this rate to the total volume of silt and sand discharged to the WLD using USGS measurements. Over the same period, the WLD received 1.4*106 m3/yr of sand and 9.0*106 m3/yr of silt and clay. Assuming all sand supplied to the delta is sequestered, volume comparisons show that the sand fraction of the WLD is between 18-38%, lower than previous estimates. Further, between 44-69% of the total suspended silt and clay bypasses the delta. These composition estimates can be used to predict land growth from engineered diversions, and the method can be used to monitor the resulting delta growth.

Deep Boreholes Seals Subjected to High P,T conditions - Proposed Experimental Studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caporuscio, F.

2015-12-01

Deep borehole experimental work will constrain the P,T conditions which "seal" material will experience in deep borehole crystalline rock repositories. The rocks of interest to this study include mafic (amphibolites) and silicic (granitic gneiss) end members. The experiments will systematically add components to capture discrete changes in both water and EBS component chemistries. Experiments in the system wall rock-clay-concrete-groundwater will evaluate interactions among components, including: mineral phase stability, metal corrosion rates and thermal limits. Based on engineered barrier studies, experimental investigations will move forward with three focusses. First, evaluation of interaction between "seal" materials and repository wall rock (crystalline) under fluid-saturated conditions over long-term (i.e., six-month) experiments; which reproduces the thermal pulse event of a repository. Second, perform experiments to determine the stability of zeolite minerals (analcime-wairakitess) under repository conditions. Both sets of experiments are critically important for understanding mineral paragenesis (zeolites and/or clay transformations) associated with "seals" in contact with wall rock at elevated temperatures. Third, mineral growth at the metal interface is a principal control on the survivability (i.e. corrosion) of waste canisters in a repository. The objective of this planned experimental work is to evaluate physio-chemical processes for 'seal' components and materials relevant to deep borehole disposal. These evaluations will encompass multi-laboratory efforts for the development of seals concepts and application of Thermal-Mechanical-Chemical (TMC) modeling work to assess barrier material interactions with subsurface fluids and other barrier materials, their stability at high temperatures, and the implications of these processes to the evaluation of thermal limits.

Clays in prebiological chemistry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rao, M.; Oro, J.; Odom, D. G.

1980-01-01

The ways in which clays have been utilized in studies of prebiological chemistry are reviewed, and an assessment is given of the possible role of clays in prebiological systems. The adsorption of organic molecules on clays has been demonstrated, as has the synthesis of bioorganic monomers in the presence of clays. For instance, amino acids, purines and pyrimidines have been obtained from carbon monoxide and nitric acid in the presence of clays at relatively high temperatures (250-325 C). The oligomerization of biochemical monomers, mediated by clays, has also been shown to result in the formation of polymer molecules basic to life. Clays have also been found to affect the condensation of mononucleotides to oligonucleotides.

The Alberhill and other clay deposits of Temescal Canyon, Riverside County, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Daviess, Steven Norman; Bramlette, M.N.

1953-01-01

Clay is mined in open pits by several companies in the Alberhill district, and the refractory clays of relatively high alumina sediment are used largely for fire brick. The Alberhill Coal and Clay Company is the largest operator and has produced a little over 2,000,000 tons of clay, of which nearly half was the refractory type. The clay occurs at the contact of the lower Tertiary and the Mesozoic basement complex. The weathered surface of basement rocks includes much clay of high iron and low alumina content, and the better clay occurs in the basal Tertiary sediments. The clay deposits vary rather abruptly in thickness and quality, and only local lenses contain workable deposits. Structural deformation makes dips of 10 to 20 degrees common and the clay strata therefore pitch under excessive overburden in short distances. Extensive deposits of thick alluvial fan deposits cover the clay-bearing strata over most of the area, and add to the overburden problems. The apparent lack of clay deposits of good quality that would total several million tons of ore, and the geological conditions that would make exploration and mining difficult and expensive make this district unpromising.

[Mechanisms of removing red tide organisms by organo-clays].

PubMed

Cao, Xi-Hua; Song, Xiu-Xian; Yu, Zhi-Ming; Wang, Kui

2006-08-01

We tested the influence of the preparation conditions of the quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) modified clays on their capacities to remove red tide organisms, then discussed the mechanisms of the organo-clays removing red tide organisms. Hexadecyltrimethylammonium (HDTMA) improved the capacity of clays to flocculate red tide algae, and the HDTMA in metastable state enhanced the toxicity of the clay complexes to algae. The capacities of the organo-clays correlated with the toxicity and the adsorbed amount of the QACs used in clays modification, but as the incubation time was prolonged the stability of the organo-clays was improved and the algal removal efficiencies of the clay complexes decreased. When the adsorbed HDTMA was arranged in different clays in which the spatial resistance was different, there was more HDTMA in metastable state in the three-layer montmorillonite. Because of the homo-ion effect the bivalent or trivalent metal ions induced more HDTMA in metastable state and the corresponding organo-clays had high capacities to remove red tide organisms. When the reaction temperature was 60 degrees C the adsorbed HDTMA was easily arranged on cation exchange sites, if the temperature rose or fell the metastable HDTMA would increase so that the capacity of the clays was improved.

Understanding Radionuclide Interactions with Layered Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Y.

2015-12-01

Layered materials play an important role in nuclear waste management and environmental cleanup. Better understanding of radionuclide interactions with those materials is critical for engineering high-performance materials for various applications. This presentation will provide an overview on radionuclide interactions with two general categories of layered materials - cationic clays and anionic clays - from a perspective of nanopore confinement. Nanopores are widely present in layered materials, either as the interlayers or as inter-particle space. Nanopore confinement can significantly modify chemical reactions in those materials. This effect may cause the preferential enrichment of radionuclides in nanopores and therefore directly impact the mobility of the radionuclides. This effect also implies that conventional sorption measurements using disaggregated samples may not represent chemical conditions in actual systems. The control of material structures on ion exchange, surface complexation, and diffusion in layered materials will be systematically examined, and the related modeling approaches will be discussed. This work was performed at Sandia National Laboratories, which is a multiprogram laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed-Martin Company, for the DOE under contract DE-AC04-94AL8500.

Synchrotron SAXS/WAXD and rheological studies of clay suspensions in silicone fluid.

PubMed

Zhang, Li-Ming; Jahns, Christopher; Hsiao, Benjamin S; Chu, Benjamin

2003-10-15

Suspensions of two commercial smectite clays, montmorillonite KSF and montmorillonite K10, in a low-viscosity silicone oil (Dow Corning 245 Fluid) were studied by simultaneous synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS)/wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) techniques and rheological measurements. In the 0.5% (w/v) KSF clay suspension and two K10 clay suspensions (0.5% and 1.0%), WAXD profiles below 2theta=10.0 degrees did not display any characteristic reflection peaks associated with the chosen montmorillonite clays, while corresponding SAXS profiles exhibited distinct scattering maxima, indicating that both clays were delaminated by the silicone oil. In spite of the large increase in viscosity, the clay suspensions exhibited no gel characteristics. Dynamic rheological experiments indicated that the clay/silicone oil suspensions exhibited the behavior of viscoelasticity, which could be influenced by the type and the concentration of the clay. For the K10 clay suspensions, the frequency-dependent loss modulus (G") was greater in magnitude than the storage modulus (G') in the concentration range from 0.5 to 12.0%. The increase in the clay concentration shifted the crossover point between G' and G" into the accessible frequency range, indicating that the system became more elastic. In contrast, the KSF clay suspension exhibited lower G' and G" values, indicating a weaker viscoelastic response. The larger viscoelasticity response in the K10 clay suspension may be due to the acid treatment generating a higher concentration of silanol groups on the clay surface.

Environmental Assessment, United States Air Force Proposed Lease Replacement for Scandia Elementary School, Travis Air Force Base, California

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-01

brown, and light gray loam 19-inches thick. The subsoil is mottled, light yellowish brown, yellowish brown, and pale brown clay 41-inches thick...areas of Solano loam and Pescadero clay loam. The Antioch soil has slightly concave slopes, and the San Ysidro soil has slightly convex slopes (Web...Infrastructure and utilities include transportation, water supply, sanitary sewage/wastewater natural gas, electrical, communications, and liquid fuels

To what extent clay mineralogy affects soil aggregation? Consequences for soil organic matter stabilization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fernandez-Ugalde, O.; Barré, P.; Hubert, F.; Virto, I.; Chenu, C.; Ferrage, E.; Caner, L.

2012-12-01

Aggregation is a key process for soil functioning as it influences C storage, vulnerability to erosion and water holding capacity. While the influence of soil organic C on aggregation has been documented, much less is known about the role of soil mineralogy. Soils usually contain a mixture of clay minerals with contrasted surface properties, which should result on different abilities of clay minerals to aggregation. We took advantage of the intrinsic mineral heterogeneity of a temperate Luvisol to compare the role of clay minerals (illite, smectite, kaolinite, and mixed-layer illite-smectite) in aggregation. In a first step, grassland and tilled soil samples were fractionated in water in aggregate-size classes according to the hierarchical model of aggregation (Tisdall and Oades, 1982). Clay mineralogy and organic C in the aggregate-size classes were analyzed. The results showed that interstratified minerals containing swelling phases accumulated in aggregated fractions (>2 μm) compared to free clay fractions (<2 μm) in the two land-uses. The accumulation increased from large macro-aggregates (>500 μm) to micro-aggregates (50-250 μm). C concentration and C/N ratio followed the opposite trend. These results constitute a clay mineral-based evidence for the hierarchical model of aggregation, which postulates an increasing importance of the reactivity of clay minerals in the formation of micro-aggregates compared to larger aggregates. In the latter aggregates, formation relies on the physical enmeshment of particles by fungal hyphae, and root and microbial exudates. In a second step, micro-aggregates from the tilled soil samples were submitted to increasingly disaggregating treatments by sonication to evaluate the link between their water stability and clay mineralogy. Micro-aggregates with increasing stability showed an increase of interstratified minerals containing swelling phases and C concentration for low intensities of disaggregation (from 0 to 5 J mL-1). This suggests that swelling phases promote their stability. Swelling phases and organic C decreased for greater intensities of disaggregation. These results and the SEM images taken at different disaggregation intensities indicate that when increasing disaggregation intensity above 5 J mL-1, the recovered material consists on sand particles covered by physical coatings of illite and kaolinite. Our results show that different clay minerals have different contribution to soil aggregation. Swelling phases are especially important for water-stable aggregates formation, whereas illite and kaolinite can either contribute to aggregation or been coated to sand grains in "mineral aggregates", without porosity and organic C protection capability. In conclusion, soils with large proportion of swelling clay minerals have greater potential for carbon storage by occlusion in aggregates and greater resistance to erosion. Tisdall JM, Oades JM (1982) Organic matter and water-stable aggregates in soils. J Soil Sci 62: 141-163.

Bacterial interactions and transport in geological formation of alumino-silica clays.

PubMed

Vu, Kien; Yang, Guang; Wang, Boya; Tawfiq, Kamal; Chen, Gang

2015-01-01

Bacterial transport in the subsurface is controlled by their interactions with the surrounding environment, which are determined by the surface properties of the geological formation and bacterial surfaces. In this research, surface thermodynamic properties of Escherichia coli and the geological formation of alumino-silica clays were characterized based on contact angle measurements, which were utilized to quantify the distance-dependent interactions between E. coli and the geological formation according to the traditional and extended Derjaguin, Landau, Verwey and Overbeek (DLVO) theory. E. coli attachment to alumino-silica clays was evaluated in laboratory columns under saturated and steady-state flow conditions. E. coli deposition coefficient and desorption coefficient were simulated using convection-dispersion transport models against E. coli breakthrough curves, which were then linked to interactions between E. coli and the geological formation. It was discovered that E. coli deposition was controlled by the long-ranged electrostatic interaction and E. coli desorption was attributed to the short-ranged Lifshitz-van der Waals and Lewis acid-base interactions. E. coli transport in three layers of different alumino-silica clays was further examined and the breakthrough curve was simulated using E. coli deposition coefficient and desorption coefficient obtained from their individual column experiments. The well-fitted simulation confirmed that E. coli transport observations were interaction-dependent phenomena between E. coli and the geological formation. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Evaluation of the medicinal use of clay minerals as antibacterial agents.

PubMed

Williams, Lynda B; Haydel, Shelley E

2010-07-01

Natural clays have been used to heal skin infections since the earliest recorded history. Recently our attention was drawn to a clinical use of French green clay (rich in Fe-smectite) for healing Buruli ulcer, a necrotizing fasciitis ('flesh-eating' infection) caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans. These clays and others like them are interesting as they may reveal an antibacterial mechanism that could provide an inexpensive treatment for this and other skin infections, especially in global areas with limited hospitals and medical resources.Microbiological testing of two French green clays, and other clays used traditionally for healing, identified three samples that were effective at killing a broad-spectrum of human pathogens. A clear distinction must be made between 'healing clays' and those we have identified as antibacterial clays. The highly adsorptive properties of many clays may contribute to healing a variety of ailments, although they are not antibacterial. The antibacterial process displayed by the three identified clays is unknown. Therefore, we have investigated the mineralogical and chemical compositions of the antibacterial clays for comparison with non-antibacterial clays in an attempt to elucidate differences that may lead to identification of the antibacterial mechanism(s).The two French green clays used to treat Buruli ulcer, while similar in mineralogy, crystal size, and major element chemistry, have opposite effects on the bacterial populations tested. One clay deposit promoted bacterial growth whereas another killed the bacteria. The reasons for the difference in antibacterial properties thus far show that the bactericidal mechanism is not physical (e.g., an attraction between clay and bacteria), but by a chemical transfer or reaction. The chemical variables are still under investigation.Cation exchange experiments showed that the antibacterial component of the clay can be removed, implicating exchangeable cations in the antibacterial process. Furthermore, aqueous leachates of the antibacterial clays effectively kill the bacteria. Progressively heating the clay leads first to dehydration (200 degrees C), then dehydroxylation (550 degrees C or more), and finally to destruction of the clay mineral structure by (~900 degrees C). By identifying the elements lost after each heating step, and testing the bactericidal effect of the heated product, we eliminated many toxins from consideration (e.g., microbes, organic compounds, volatile elements) and identified several redox-sensitive refractory metals that are common among antibacterial clays. We conclude that the pH and oxidation state buffered by the clay mineral surfaces is key to controlling the solution chemistry and redox related reactions occurring at the bacterial cell wall.

Distribution of clay minerals in surface sediments of the western Gulf of Thailand: Sources and transport patterns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Xuefa; Liu, Shengfa; Fang, Xisheng; Qiao, Shuqing; Khokiattiwong, Somkiat; Kornkanitnan, Narumol

2015-06-01

A high density sampling program during two joint China-Thailand scientific cruises in 2011-2012 included collection of 152 gravity box cores in the Gulf of Thailand (GoT). Samples from the top 5 cm of each core were analyzed by X-ray diffraction for clay mineral content. Several systemic analytical approaches were applied to examine the distribution pattern and the constraint factors of clay minerals in the surface sediments of the western GoT. The clay minerals mainly comprise illite, kaolinite, chlorite and smectite, having the average weight percent distributions of 50%, 34%, 14% and 2%, respectively. Based on the spatial distribution characteristics and statistical results, the study area can be classified into three provinces. Province I contains high concentrations of smectite, and covers the northern GoT, sediments in this province are mainly from rivers discharging into the upper GoT, especially the Chao Phraya and Mae Klong Rivers. Sediments in Province II are characterized by higher values of illite, located in the central GoT, where fine sediments are contributed by the Mekong River and from the South China Sea. Province Ш, in the coastal regions of southwestern GoT close to Malaysia, exhibits a clay mineral assemblage with complex distribution patterns, and may contain terrestrial materials from the Mae Klong River as well as re-suspended sediments. Results of integrative analysis also demonstrate that the hydrodynamic environment in the study area, especially the seasonal various circumfluence and eddies, play an important role in the spatial distribution and dispersal of clay fraction in sediments.

Spectroscopic analyses of Fe and water in clays: A Martian surface weathering study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bishop, J. L.; Pieters, Carle M.; Edwards, J. O.; Coyne, L. M.; Chang, S.

1991-01-01

Martian surface morphology suggests the presence of liquid H2O on Mars in the past. Reflectance spectra of the Martian surface include features which correspond to the crystal field transitions of iron, as well as features supporting the presence of ice and minerals containing structural OH and surface water. Researchers initiated further spectroscopic studies of surface iron and water and structural OH in clays in order to determine what remotely obtained spectra can indicate about the presence of clays on Mars based on a clearer understanding of the factors influencing the spectral features. Current technology allows researchers to better correlate the low frequency fundamental stretching and bending vibrations of O-H bonds with the diagnostic near infrared overtone and combination bands used in mineral characterization and identification.

Thickness of surficial sediment at and near the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Idaho

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Anderson, S.R.; Liszewski, M.J.; Ackerman, D.J.

1996-06-01

Thickness of surficial sediment was determined from natural-gamma logs in 333 wells at and near the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory in eastern Idaho to provide reconnaissance data for future site-characterization studies. Surficial sediment, which is defined as the unconsolidated clay, silt, sand, and gravel that overlie the uppermost basalt flow at each well, ranges in thickness from 0 feet in seven wells drilled through basalt outcrops east of the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant to 313 feet in well Site 14 southeast of the Big Lost River sinks. Surficial sediment includes alluvial, lacustrine, eolian, and colluvial deposits that generally accumulated duringmore » the past 200 thousand years. Additional thickness data, not included in this report, are available from numerous auger holes and foundation borings at and near most facilities.« less

78 FR 44315 - Spring 2013 Regulatory Agenda

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-23

... Structural Clay Products Manufacturing and Clay Ceramics Manufacturing. 238 Standards of Performance 2060... (NESHAP): Brick and Structural Clay Products Manufacturing and Clay Ceramics Manufacturing Legal Authority... pollutants (HF, HCl, and metals) emitted from brick and clay ceramics kilns, as well as dryers and glazing...

A microstructural study of SAFOD gouge from actively creeping San Andreas Fault zone; Implications for shear localization models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blackburn, E. D.; Hadizadeh, J.; Babaie, H. A.

2009-12-01

The prevailing models of shear localization in fault gouges are mainly based on experimental aggregates that necessarily neglect the effects of chemical and mechanical maturation with time. The SAFOD cores have provided a chance to test whether cataclasis as a deformation mechanism and factors such as porosity and particle size, critical in some existing shear localization models continue to be critical in mature gouges. We studied a core sample from 3194m MD in the SAFOD phase 3, which consists of intensely foliated shale-siltstone cataclasites in contact with less deformed shale. Microstructures were studied in 3 perpendicular planes with reference to foliation using high resolution scanning electron microscopy, cathodoluminescence imaging, X-ray fluorescence mapping, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The cataclastic foliation, recognizable at length scales >100 μm, is primarily defined by bands of clay gouge with distinct microstructure, clay content, and porosity. Variations in elemental composition and porosity of the clay gouge were measured continuously across the foliation. Prominent features within the foliation bands include lens-shaped clusters of highly brecciated and veined siltstone fragments, pyrite smears, and pyrite-cemented cataclasites. The microstructural relations and chemical data provide clear evidence of multiple episodes of veining and deformation with some possibility of relative age determination for the episodes. There is evidence of syn-deformation hydrothermal changes including growth and brittle shear of pyrite, alteration of host shale clays to illite-smectite clays and Fe-rich smectite. Evidence of grain-boundary corrosion of non-clay mineral fragments suggests pressure solution creep. The gouge porosity estimates varied from 0-18% (about 3% in less deformed shale) with the highest value in the bands with abundant siltstone fragments. The banding is mechanically significant since it pervasively segregates the gouge into regions of low clay content, high-porosity and regions of low-porosity, high clay content. It appears from our data that shear localization in the gouge involves pressure solution as well as cataclastic flow assisted by alteration-softening. While the porous bands are potential conduits for fluid flow and could be sites for pressure solution creep, the clay-rich bands could serve as sites of shear localization due to their lower dilatancy rate. A better understanding of interaction between the two deformation mechanisms might shed light on the nature of microearthquake activity in the creeping segment of the SAF.

Chemically-bonded brick production based on burned clay by means of semidry pressing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voroshilov, Ivan; Endzhievskaya, Irina; Vasilovskaya, Nina

2016-01-01

We presented a study on the possibility of using the burnt rocks of the Krasnoyarsk Territory for production of chemically-bonded materials in the form of bricks which are so widely used in multistory housing and private house construction. The radiographic analysis of the composition of burnt rock was conducted and a modifier to adjust the composition uniformity was identified. The mixing moisture content was identified and optimal amount at 13-15% was determined. The method of semidry pressing has been chosen. The process of obtaining moldings has been theoretically proved; the advantages of chemically-bonded wall materials compared to ceramic brick were shown. The production of efficient artificial stone based on material burnt rocks, which is comparable with conventionally effective ceramic materials or effective with cell tile was proved, the density of the burned clay-based cell tile makes up to 1630-1785 kg m3, with compressive strength of 13.6-20.0 MPa depending on the compression ratio and cement consumption, frost resistance index is F50, and the thermal conductivity in the masonry is λ = 0,459-0,546 W m * °C. The clear geometric dimensions of pressed products allow the use of the chemically-bonded brick based on burnt clay as a facing brick.

[Interaction of clay minerals with microorganisms: a review of experimental data].

PubMed

Naĭmark, E B; Eroshchev-Shak, V A; Chizhikova, N P; Kompantseva, E I

2009-01-01

A review of publications containing results of experiments on the interaction of microorganisms with clay minerals is presented. Bacteria are shown to be involved in all processes related to the transformation of clay minerals: formation of clays from metamorphic and sedimentary rocks, formation of clays from solutions, reversible transitions of different types of clay minerals, and consolidation of clay minerals into sedimentary rocks. Integration of these results allows to conclude that bacteria reproduced all possible abiotic reactions associated with the clay minerals, these reactions proceed much faster with the bacteria being involved. Thus, bacteria act as a living catalyst in the geochemical cycle of clay minerals. The ecological role of bacteria can be considered as a repetition of a chemical process of the abiotic world, but with the use of organic catalytic innovation.

Safety-relevant hydrogeological properties of the claystone barrier of a Swiss radioactive waste repository: An evaluation using multiple lines of evidence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gautschi, Andreas

2017-09-01

In Switzerland, the Opalinus Clay - a Jurassic (Aalenian) claystone formation - has been proposed as the first-priority host rock for a deep geological repository for both low- and intermediate-level and high-level radioactive wastes. An extensive site and host rock investigation programme has been carried out during the past 30 years in Northern Switzerland, comprising extensive 2D and 3D seismic surveys, a series of deep boreholes within and around potential geological siting regions, experiments in the international Mont Terri Rock Laboratory, compilations of data from Opalinus Clay in railway and motorway tunnels and comparisons with similar rocks. The hydrogeological properties of the Opalinus Clay that are relevant from the viewpoint of long-term safety are described and illustrated. The main conclusions are supported by multiple lines of evidence, demonstrating consistency of conclusions based on hydraulic properties, porewater chemistry, distribution of natural tracers across the Opalinus Clay as well as small- and large-scale diffusion models and the derived conceptual understanding of solute transport.

Hyperspectral analysis of clay minerals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Janaki Rama Suresh, G.; Sreenivas, K.; Sivasamy, R.

2014-11-01

A study was carried out by collecting soil samples from parts of Gwalior and Shivpuri district, Madhya Pradesh in order to assess the dominant clay mineral of these soils using hyperspectral data, as 0.4 to 2.5 μm spectral range provides abundant and unique information about many important earth-surface minerals. Understanding the spectral response along with the soil chemical properties can provide important clues for retrieval of mineralogical soil properties. The soil samples were collected based on stratified random sampling approach and dominant clay minerals were identified through XRD analysis. The absorption feature parameters like depth, width, area and asymmetry of the absorption peaks were derived from spectral profile of soil samples through DISPEC tool. The derived absorption feature parameters were used as inputs for modelling the dominant soil clay mineral present in the unknown samples using Random forest approach which resulted in kappa accuracy of 0.795. Besides, an attempt was made to classify the Hyperion data using Spectral Angle Mapper (SAM) algorithm with an overall accuracy of 68.43 %. Results showed that kaolinite was the dominant mineral present in the soils followed by montmorillonite in the study area.

Comparison of rapid methods for chemical analysis of milligram samples of ultrafine clays

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rettig, S.L.; Marinenko, J.W.; Khoury, Hani N.; Jones, B.F.

1983-01-01

Two rapid methods for the decomposition and chemical analysis of clays were adapted for use with 20–40-mg size samples, typical amounts of ultrafine products (≤0.5-µm diameter) obtained by modern separation methods for clay minerals. The results of these methods were compared with those of “classical” rock analyses. The two methods consisted of mixed lithium metaborate fusion and heated decomposition with HF in a closed vessel. The latter technique was modified to include subsequent evaporation with concentrated H2SO4 and re-solution in HCl, which reduced the interference of the fluoride ion in the determination of Al, Fe, Ca, Mg, Na, and K. Results from the two methods agree sufficiently well with those of the “classical” techniques to minimize error in the calculation of clay mineral structural formulae. Representative maximum variations, in atoms per unit formula of the smectite type based on 22 negative charges, are 0.09 for Si, 0.03 for Al, 0.015 for Fe, 0.07 for Mg, 0.03 for Na, and 0.01 for K.

In Situ Study of CO2 and H2O Partitioning Between Na-Montmorillonite and Variably Wet Supercritical Carbon Dioxide

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Loring, John S.; Ilton, Eugene S.; Chen, Jeffrey

Shale formations play fundamental roles in large-scale geologic carbon sequestration (GCS) aimed primarily to mitigate climate change, and in smaller-scale GCS targeted mainly for CO2-enhanced gas recovery operations. In both technologies, CO2 is injected underground as a supercritical fluid (scCO2), where interactions with shale minerals could influence successful GCS implementation. Reactive components of shales include expandable clays, such as montmorillonites and mixed-layer illite/smectite clays. In this work, we used in situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) and in situ infrared (IR) spectroscopy to investigate the swelling/shrinkage and water/CO2 sorption of a pure montmorillonite, Na-SWy-2, when the clay is exposed to variably hydratedmore » scCO2 at 50 °C and 90 bar. Measured interlayer spacings and sorbed water concentrations at varying levels of scCO2 hydration are similar to previously reported values measured in air at ambient pressure over a range of relative humidities. IR spectra show evidence of both water and CO2 intercalation, and variations in peak shapes and positions suggest multiple sorbed types with distinct chemical environments. Based on the intensity of the asymmetric CO stretching band of the CO2 associated with the Na-SWy-2, we observed a significant increase in sorbed CO2 as the clay expands from a 0W to a 1W state, suggesting that water props open the interlayer so that CO2 can enter. However, as the clay transitions from a 1W to a 2W state, CO2 desorbs sharply. These observations were placed in the context of two conceptual models concerning hydration mechanisms for expandable clays and were also discussed in light of recent theoretical studies on CO2-H2O-clay interactions. The swelling/shrinkage of expandable clays could affect solid volume, porosity, and permeability of shales. Consequently, the results from this work could aid predictions of shale caprock integrity in large-scale GCS, as well as methane transmissivity in enhanced gas recovery operations.« less

Production of biomass/energy crops on phosphatic clay soils in central Florida

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stricker, J.A.; Prine, G.M.; Woodard, K.R.

1993-12-31

Phosphatic clay is a byproduct of phosphate mining. Presently more than 40,470 ha have been created, most in central Florida, and about 810 ha are being added each year. Phosphatic clays have high fertility and high water holding capacity, reducing fertilization costs and producing high yields without irrigation. Based on 10 years of research, scientists have selected tall annual-regenerating perennial C-4 grasses as having the greatest potential for biomass production in Florida. The purpose of this work was to determine the feasibility of growing these tall perennial grasses for biomass on phosphatic clay. Elephantgrass, sugarcane and energycane, and erianthus weremore » planted in duplicate replications on phosphatic clay soil in late August, 1986. yield was measured by one harvest in December or January each year for four years. Nitrogen fertilization included 112 kg ha{sup {minus}1} the first year followed by 134 kg ha{sup {minus}1} for the next three years. Nitrogen is the only supplemental nutrient needed to grow all tall grass crops on phosphatic clay. The average annual oven dry matter yield over the 4-yr period was 36.3 Mg ha{sup {minus}1} for PI 300086 elephantgrass, 45.2 for N51 elephantgrass, 42.5 for L79-1002 energycane, 49.0 for US72-1153 energycane, 49.7 for US78-1009 sugarcane, 52.2 for US56-9 sugarcane, 56.2 for CP72-1210 sugarcane, and 48.8 for 1K-7647 erianthus. More recent work has utilized domestic sewage sludge as a nitrogen source for the tall grasses. Preliminary sugar yields of selected sugarcane accessions & sweet sorghum were 4.7 Mg ha{sup {minus}1} for CP72-1210, 12.5 for US67-2022, 3.4 for US78-1009 and 1.3 Mg ha{sup {minus}1} for sweet sorghum. The high yields of the tall grasses grown on phosphatic clay with low inputs indicate a great potential for these crops as a source of renewable energy. A sustainable cropping system may be maintained by utilizing municipal sewage sludge as a nitrogen source with tall grasses on phosphatic clay.« less

Advances in authigenic silicate geochemistry: Evidence for Precessional Control of Pleistocene Lake Salinity at Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deocampo, D.; Simpson, A. J.; Cuadros, J.; Beverly, E.; Ashley, G. M.; Delaney, J. S.; Longstaffe, F. J.

2017-12-01

Magnesium enrichment of authigenic clays is an indicator of elevated salinity in hydrologically closed lake basins. Studies at Olduvai Gorge over the last four decades have shown that chemically-precipitated clay minerals form a substantial portion of the sedimentary succession, in some intervals even dominating the sediment. Outcrops of lacustrine mud in two localities near the depocenter were examined using a new geochronological framework based on Ar/Ar dating of volcaniclastic sanidine (Deino, 2012). Olduvai's clay mineralogy is dominated by 2:1 clays, including smectite, illite, and interstratified illite-smectite. Previous work has shown that clay alteration includes octahedral Mg-enrichment, Fe-reduction, K-fixation, and low-temperature illitization. Here we show that long term environmental conditions in Paleolake Olduvai indicated by sub-micron clay geochemistry were generally saline and alkaline between 1.78 and 1.92 Ma, but 6 episodes of freshened paleolake water are indicated by intervals of lower Mg content. Five of these freshening episodes occurred at peak climatic precession. The sub-micron clay geochemistry agrees with infrared spectroscopy and whole-rock geochemical compositions, and the same stratigraphic variation is observed at both localities, separated laterally by 330m. Preliminary analyses show that the <0.1µm clay mineral δ18Oclay suggest a δ18OH2O range of about -4 to +3‰ (SMOW) through this stratigraphic interval. No significant correlation is found with elemental composition, but lighter isotopic values are associated stratigraphically with geochemically defined freshening events. This suggests that isotopic and elemental equilibrium may not be reached at the same time, or that diagenetic events may have differentially altered the isotopic record. The environmental changes recorded in the Olduvai sediments occurred at a time when zonal Walker circulation increasingly affected global climate, new stone technologies emerged, and the genus Homo spread beyond Africa. Unraveling the details of mineralogical records such as those at Olduvai will be important in characterizing details of continental Quaternary environmental change, particularly in stratigraphic intervals where biotic proxies are unavailable.

Examination and Manipulation of Clay Aggregates - Initial Inquiry

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-06-06

and the first conclusions in the examination and testing of clay aggregates composed of montmorillonite clay and a polysaccharide (xanthan gum, also...and the first conclusions in the examination and testing of clay aggregates composed of montmorillonite clay and a polysaccharide (xanthan gum, also...PSU and the X-gum content from 0% to 10% of the mineral content of the clay (by weight). Montmorillonite was used in all the suspensions prepared

Domestic Aluminum Resources: Dilemmas of Development. Volume II. Appendixes II-VII. Detailed Agency Comments and GAO Response.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-07-17

31 Clay/hydrochloric acid, gas - induced crystallization 32 Clay/nitric acid evaporative crystallization 32 Clay/hydrochloric acid, evapora- tive...ALUMINA AND ALUMINUM TECHNOLOGIES 53 Evaluation of nonbauxitic alumina production processes 54 Clay/carbo-chlorination 54 Clay/hydrochloric acid, gas ...reports that the miniplant program is centered on a single process-- clay/hydrochloric acid- gas precipitation. The Bureau of Mines has not retreated

Ball clay

USGS Publications Warehouse

Virta, R.L.

2007-01-01

The article offers information on ball clay. Among the companies that mine ball clay in the U.S. are H.C. Spinks Clay, Kentucky-Tennessee Clay and Old Hickory Clay. In 2006, an estimated 1.2 million tons of the mineral was sold or used domestically and exported. Forty-percent of the total sales is accounted for ceramic floor and wall tile followed by sanitaryware and miscellaneous ceramics. Its average value was $ 45 per ton in 2006.

Sediment management and renewability of floodplain clay for structural ceramics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van der Meulen, M. J.; Wiersma, A. P.; Middelkoop, H.; van der Perk, M.; Bakker, M.; Maljers, D.; Hobo, N.; Makaske, B.

2009-04-01

The Netherlands have vast resources of clay that are exploited for the fabrication of structural ceramic products such as bricks and roof tiles. The extraction of clay creates land surface lowerings of about 1.5 m, of which the majority are located in the embanked floodplains of the rivers Rhine and Meuse. At these surface lowerings, clay is replenished within several decades. This study explores to which extent the clay can be regarded as a renewable resource, with potential for sustainable use. For this purpose, first the current and past clay consumption is calculated. Subsequently, clay deposition in the floodplains is estimated from literature data on clay accumulation using sediment traps, heavy metal and radionuclide distribution in soil profiles, and from morphological modelling studies. These estimates of clay-deposition and consumption are then compared following three approaches that consider various temporal and spatial scales of clay deposition. This allows us to establish the extent to which man determines sedimentary processes in the Dutch floodplains. Consequently, using the sediment response to the land surface lowering resulting from clay extraction, we explore sediment management options for the Dutch Rhine and Meuse. Altogether we argue that clay has been, probably is, and certainly can be managed as a renewable mineral resource.

Clays causing adhesion with tool surfaces during mechanical tunnel driving

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spagnoli, G.; Fernández-Steeger, T.; Stanjek, H.; Feinendegen, M.; Post, C.; Azzam, R.

2009-04-01

During mechanical excavation with a tunnel boring machine (TBM) it is possible that clays stick to the cutting wheel and to other metal parts. The resulting delays in the progress of construction work, cause great economic damage and often disputes between the public awarding authorities and executing companies. One of the most important factors to reduce successfully the clay adhesion is the use of special polymers and foams. But why does the clay stick to the metal parts? A first step is to recognize which kind of clay mineralogy shows serious adhesion problems. The mechanical properties of clay and clay suspensions are primarily determined by surface chemistry and charge distribution at the interfaces, which in turn affect the arrangement of the clay structure. As we know, clay is a multi-phase material and its behaviour depends on numerous parameters such as: clay mineralogy, clay fraction, silt fraction, sand fraction, water content, water saturation, Atterberg limits, sticky limit, activity, cation exchange capacity, degree of consolidation and stress state. It is therefore likely that adhesion of clay on steel is also affected by these clay parameters. Samples of clay formations, which caused problems during tunnel driving, will be analyzed in laboratory. Mineralogical analyses (diffractometry, etc.) will be carried out to observe which minerals are responsible for adherence problems. To manipulate the physical properties, batch tests will be carried out in order to eliminate or reduce the adhesion on tool surfaces through variation of the zeta potential. Second step is the performance of vane shear tests on clay samples. Different pore fluid (distilled water, pure NaCl solution, ethanol and methanol) will be used to study the variation of the mechanical behaviour of clay depending on the dielectric constant of the fluids. This project is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the DFG (German Research Foundation) in the frame of the programme GEOTECHNOLOGIEN.

Retention and loss of water extractable carbon in soils: effect of clay properties.

PubMed

Nguyen, Trung-Ta; Marschner, Petra

2014-02-01

Clay sorption is important for organic carbon (C) sequestration in soils, but little is known about the effect of different clay properties on organic C sorption and release. To investigate the effect of clay content and properties on sorption, desorption and loss of water extractable organic C (WEOC), two experiments were conducted. In experiment 1, a loamy sand alone (native) or mixed with clay isolated from a surface or subsoil (78 and 96% clay) resulting in 90, 158 and 175 g clay kg(-1) soil. These soil treatments were leached with different WEOC concentrations, and then CO2 release was measured for 28 days followed by leaching with reverse osmosis water at the end of experiment. The second experiment was conducted to determine WEOC sorption and desorption of clays isolated from the loamy sand (native), surface soil and subsoil. Addition of clays isolated from surface and subsoil to sandy loam increased WEOC sorption and reduced C leaching and cumulative respiration in percentage of total organic C and WEOC added when expressed per g soil and per g clay. Compared to clays isolated from the surface and subsoil, the native clay had higher concentrations of illite and exchangeable Ca(2+), total organic C and a higher CEC but a lower extractable Fe/Al concentration. This indicates that compared to the clay isolated from the surface and the subsoil, the native clay had fewer potential WEOC binding sites because it had lower Fe/Al content thus lower number of binding sites and the existing binding sites are already occupied native organic matter. The results of this study suggest that in the soils used here, the impact of clay on WEOC sorption and loss is dependent on its indigenous organic carbon and Fe and/or Al concentrations whereas clay mineralogy, CEC, exchangeable Ca(2+) and surface area are less important. © 2013.

Evaluation of the medicinal use of clay minerals as antibacterial agents

PubMed Central

Williams, Lynda B.; Haydel, Shelley E.

2010-01-01

Natural clays have been used to heal skin infections since the earliest recorded history. Recently our attention was drawn to a clinical use of French green clay (rich in Fe-smectite) for healing Buruli ulcer, a necrotizing fasciitis (‘flesh-eating’ infection) caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans. These clays and others like them are interesting as they may reveal an antibacterial mechanism that could provide an inexpensive treatment for this and other skin infections, especially in global areas with limited hospitals and medical resources. Microbiological testing of two French green clays, and other clays used traditionally for healing, identified three samples that were effective at killing a broad-spectrum of human pathogens. A clear distinction must be made between ‘healing clays’ and those we have identified as antibacterial clays. The highly adsorptive properties of many clays may contribute to healing a variety of ailments, although they are not antibacterial. The antibacterial process displayed by the three identified clays is unknown. Therefore, we have investigated the mineralogical and chemical compositions of the antibacterial clays for comparison with non-antibacterial clays in an attempt to elucidate differences that may lead to identification of the antibacterial mechanism(s). The two French green clays used to treat Buruli ulcer, while similar in mineralogy, crystal size, and major element chemistry, have opposite effects on the bacterial populations tested. One clay deposit promoted bacterial growth whereas another killed the bacteria. The reasons for the difference in antibacterial properties thus far show that the bactericidal mechanism is not physical (e.g., an attraction between clay and bacteria), but by a chemical transfer or reaction. The chemical variables are still under investigation. Cation exchange experiments showed that the antibacterial component of the clay can be removed, implicating exchangeable cations in the antibacterial process. Furthermore, aqueous leachates of the antibacterial clays effectively kill the bacteria. Progressively heating the clay leads first to dehydration (200°C), then dehydroxylation (550°C or more), and finally to destruction of the clay mineral structure by (~900°C). By identifying the elements lost after each heating step, and testing the bactericidal effect of the heated product, we eliminated many toxins from consideration (e.g., microbes, organic compounds, volatile elements) and identified several redox-sensitive refractory metals that are common among antibacterial clays. We conclude that the pH and oxidation state buffered by the clay mineral surfaces is key to controlling the solution chemistry and redox related reactions occurring at the bacterial cell wall. PMID:20640226

Performance-based seismic assessment of skewed bridges with and without considering soil-foundation interaction effects for various site classes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghotbi, Abdoul R.

2014-09-01

The seismic behavior of skewed bridges has not been well studied compared to straight bridges. Skewed bridges have shown extensive damage, especially due to deck rotation, shear keys failure, abutment unseating and column-bent drift. This research, therefore, aims to study the behavior of skewed and straight highway overpass bridges both with and without taking into account the effects of Soil-Structure Interaction (SSI) due to near-fault ground motions. Due to several sources of uncertainty associated with the ground motions, soil and structure, a probabilistic approach is needed. Thus, a probabilistic methodology similar to the one developed by the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center (PEER) has been utilized to assess the probability of damage due to various levels of shaking using appropriate intensity measures with minimum dispersions. The probabilistic analyses were performed for various bridge configurations and site conditions, including sand ranging from loose to dense and clay ranging from soft to stiff, in order to evaluate the effects. The results proved a considerable susceptibility of skewed bridges to deck rotation and shear keys displacement. It was also found that SSI had a decreasing effect on the damage probability for various demands compared to the fixed-base model without including SSI. However, deck rotation for all types of the soil and also abutment unseating for very loose sand and soft clay showed an increase in damage probability compared to the fixed-base model. The damage probability for various demands has also been found to decrease with an increase of soil strength for both sandy and clayey sites. With respect to the variations in the skew angle, an increase in skew angle has had an increasing effect on the amplitude of the seismic response for various demands. Deck rotation has been very sensitive to the increase in the skew angle; therefore, as the skew angle increased, the deck rotation responded accordingly. Furthermore, abutment unseating showed an increasing trend due to an increase in skew angle for both fixed-base and SSI models.

The Full Scale Seal Experiment - A Seal Industrial Prototype for Cigeo - 13106

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lebon, P.; Bosgiraud, J.M.; Foin, R.

2013-07-01

The Full Scale Seal (FSS) Experiment is one of various experiments implemented by Andra, within the frame of the Cigeo (the French Deep Geological Repository) Project development, to demonstrate the technical construction feasibility and performance of seals to be constructed, at time of Repository components (shafts, ramps, drifts, disposal vaults) progressive closure. FSS is built inside a drift model fabricated on surface for the purpose. Prior to the scale 1:1 seal construction test, various design tasks are scheduled. They include the engineering work on the drift model to make it fit with the experimental needs, on the various work sequencesmore » anticipated for the swelling clay core emplacement and the concrete containment plugs construction, on the specialized handling tools (and installation equipment) manufactured and delivered for the purpose, and of course on the various swelling clay materials and low pH (below 11) concrete formulations developed for the application. The engineering of the 'seal-as-built' commissioning means (tools and methodology) must also be dealt with. The FSS construction experiment is a technological demonstrator, thus it is not focused on the phenomenological survey (and by consequence, on the performance and behaviour forecast). As such, no hydration (forced or natural) is planned. However, the FSS implementation (in particular via the construction and commissioning activities carried out) is a key milestone in view of comforting phenomenological extrapolation in time and scale. The FSS experiment also allows for qualifying the commissioning methods of a real sealing system in the Repository, as built, at time of industrial operations. (authors)« less