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Effects of nano-biochar of different particle sizes on the shrinkage properties of kaolin

  • Soils, Sec 4 • Ecotoxicology • Short Original Communication
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose

Kaolin has been commonly used to construct the hydraulic barrier of landfill cover. Reduction in desiccation-induced volume shrinkage of compacted kaolin is crucial to reduce the possibility of cracking during desiccation. Nano-biochar has been found to be a potential soil amendment. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of particle size of nano-biochar on the shrinkage behavior of kaolin amended with nano-biochar.

Materials and methods

The kaolin used in the present study had an average particle size of 14.5 μm and was classified as high plasticity clay (CH). Two nano-biochars with the same composition but different average particle sizes were adopted, including NB-I of the average particle size of 20 nm and NB-II of 300 nm. Each type of nano-biochar was mixed with kaolin in different mass percentages, including 2%, 4%, 6%, and 10%.The shrinkage properties of pure kaolin and nano-biochar-amended kaolin were determined by wax method. Afterwards, the microstructure and pore-size distribution of the specimens were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP), respectively.

Results and discussion

The optimal content of NB-I was 4%, at which the shrinkage limit of kaolin increased by 66.7% (i.e., volume reduction decreased from about 30% to 10%), due to more micropores (pore diameter D < 1000 nm) but less macropores (D > 10,000 nm) after nano-biochar amendment as revealed by MIP test. Yet, the shrinkage limit of the kaolin decreased as NB-I content further increased, when NB-I content exceeded 4%. It was due to more macropores at higher NC-I content (> 4%) caused by the aggregation of the fine nano-particle. In contrast, the shrinkage limit of kaolin increased at a reduced rate as NC-II content increased, which was consistent with the more micropores observed in soil specimens.

Conclusions

Nano-biochar was a feasible soil amendment to enhance the shrinkage limit of kaolin and hence reduced the risk of desiccation-induced cracks. From an economic and practical point of view, 4% of NB-I was suggested to reduce volume shrinkage of kaolin and crack formation during desiccation.

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Funding

This study is financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 51908134, 52178320, 51808125, 42177120, 51625805 and 41861134011), the Key Laboratory of Soft Soils and Geoenvironmental Engineering (Zhejiang University), Ministry of Education (grant No. 2019P06), and the Key Laboratory of Geohazard Prevention of Hilly Mountains, Ministry of Natural Resources (Fujian Key Laboratory Of Geohazard Prevention) (grant No.FJKLGH2021K003).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Zijin School of Geology and Mining, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, China

    Hongwei Liu

  2. Key Laboratory of Geohazard Prevention of Hilly Mountains, Ministry of Natural Resources, Fuzhou, China

    Hongwei Liu

  3. Sichuan Highway Planning, Survey, Design and Research Institute Ltd, Chengdu, China

    Hongwei Liu

  4. Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China

    Hongwei Liu

  5. College of Civil Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, China

    Song Feng

  6. MOE Key Laboratory of Soft Soils and Geoenvironmental Engineering, Department of Civil Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China

    Song Feng

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  1. Hongwei Liu
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  2. Song Feng
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Correspondence to Song Feng.

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Liu, H., Feng, S. Effects of nano-biochar of different particle sizes on the shrinkage properties of kaolin. J Soils Sediments 22, 1511–1520 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-022-03161-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-022-03161-8

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