Yeliz Yukselen

ZETA POTENTIAL OF KAOLINITE IN THE PRESENCE OF ALKALI, ALKALINE EARTH AND HYDROLYZABLE METAL IONS

Electrokinetic remediation is one of the promising subsurface clean up techniques whose efficiency is directly affected by the zeta potential of clay minerals. To determine the factors affecting the zeta potential, in turn, electrokinetic remediation, the zeta potential of kaolinite is determined usingelectrophoretic mobility in the salt and heavy metals ions asfunctions of pH and concentration. The zeta potential of kaolinite ranged from -25 mV (pH 3) to -42 mV (pH 11) in water. The zeta potential of kaolinite became more negativewith increasing pH. The zeta potential of kaolinite was also found to be sensitive to the valence of ions. Results, furthermore, revealed that kaolinite has higher zeta potentialvalues in the presence of NaCl and LiCl than in water. However, the zeta potential of kaolinite decreased with divalent cationssuch as Ca2+ and Mg2+. The zeta potential of kaolinitewith heavy metal ions such as Cu2+, Co2+ and Pb2+ showed a similar trend, i.e., increase in the concentration ofthese ions caused a decrease in the zeta potential up to neutral pH, then it became positive. In highly basic environments, thezeta potential became negative again, giving two apparent pzcs. One of two apparent pzcs was attributed to kaolinite and the other one to the precipitation of these ions in highly basic solutions (pH ≥ 9).

Settling of Kaolinite in Different Aqueous Environment

Settling characteristics of soils carry great importance for geotechnical engineers since sediments properties are formed during the settling of soil particles in an aqueous environment. In this study, settling characteristics of kaolinite are investigated. Different ionic strengths of NaCl, CaCl2 and AlCl3 were considered as a function of pH in aqueous environment of varying solid concentrations. Factors affecting the settling characteristics and fabric of kaolinitic sediments have been identified. The results of the study reveal that kaolinite settles in either flocculated or dispersed forms depending on pH and ion concentration. Flocculated settling occurs in acidic pH due to formation of flocs in edge-to-face structure with increasing positive charges at the particle edges. Dispersed settling occurs in alkaline pHs when ionic strength is low. When ionic strength is increased in alkaline pHs, kaolinite particles settle in flocculated form. Furthermore, the results show that pH has a significant role on the final sediment thickness or void ratio of kaolinite. Densely packed structures in alkaline and loosely packed structures in acidic aqueous environments are formed depending on pH level. Results also show that as the solid concentration increases, the settling rate decreases due to buoyancy effect. Finally, the zeta potential of kaolinite is correlated with the final sediment thickness or void ratio of kaolinite as a function of pH. This correlation proves that there is a good agreement between zeta potential and the final sediment thickness or void ratio, especially when the soil is settled in a dispersed form.

Prediction of cation exchange capacity from soil index properties

Abstract In many areas of geotechnical engineering it is necessary to have an estimate of the cation exchange capacity (CEC) of a soil in order to allow preliminary design estimates. Standard methods of CEC determination are time-consuming and involve several steps (e.g. displacement of the saturating cation requires several washings with alcohol). Therefore, a rapid method of CEC estimation would be very useful. During preliminary site investigations, the soil engineering parameters can be estimated from the considerable number of correlations available in the literature. In this study, relationships between CEC and various other soil engineering properties have been investigated, resulting in a quick method for estimating CEC. Simple correlations were developed between CEC and specific surface area (SSA), soil organic matter (OM), clay fraction (CF), activity (A), Atterberg limits (liquid (LL), plastic (PL), and shrinkage (SL)), and modified free swell index (MFSI) of the soils. Strong correlations are observed between the CEC values and those for ethylene glycol monoethyl ether (EGME) uptake and methylene blue (MB) titration. However, no significant correlation was found between CEC and N2_SSA. No unique relationship was seen between CEC and CF (r2 <0.5). No relationship was observed between CEC and OM in this study. The best correlation coefficient between the CEC and Atterberg limits exists between CEC and LL (r2 = 0.61). No significant relationship was seen between CEC and PL or SL. The correlation coefficient between CEC and MFSI was 0.65. Multiple linear regression analyses were developed to investigate the contributions of different soil parameters to CEC. These analyses show that EGME_SSA, in combination with LL, accounted for 91% of the variation in CEC. Correlations between CEC and EGME_SSA, MB_SSA and LL appear to be sufficiently good to enable an indication of CEC to be estimated from these parameters.

Geomechanics of Landfills—Innovative Technology for Liners

Cracks in clayey landfill liner, which cannot be closed up upon re-wetting, affect the long-term performance of a landfill. In this paper, the mixture bentonite-zeolite (BEZ) is presented as a potential liner material due to its plastic properties. Also, it may fulfill an existing demand, in developing countries, for liners that are cost-effective, natural and in compliance with environmental regulations. Traditional liners have shortcomings: (i) clayey soil is suitable for liners if the temperature and moisture fluctuations are not high; otherwise, they may form cracks; (ii) geomembranes, considered as the best alternatives for liners, are out of reach of most underdeveloped countries for their high price, and do not last more than 4 years; (iii) the interface of a CGL (clay geosynthetic liner) is susceptible to sliding. In the studies performed, the low volumetric shrinkage of the BEZ indicates that it is not affected by moisture content fluctuations, and its hydraulic conductivity in the order of 10 −10 cm/s meets regulatory agency requirements. Also, its inherent chemical properties (specially clinoptilolite zeolite) and its natural selectivity indicates that it will adsorb heavy metals such as Pb 2+ , Zn 2+ , Cd 2+ , Ni 2+ ,Fe 2+ , and Mn 2+ that may be present in leachate. Therefore, BEZ is a potential innovative material for liners in landfills.