Effect of coir geotextile and geocell on ephemeral gully erosion in the Mollisol region of Northeast China

The unique geomorphological features and farming methods in the Mollisol region of Northeast China increase water catchment flow and aggravate the erosion of ephemeral gully(EG).Vegetation suffers from rain erosion and damage during the growth stage,which brings serious problems to the restoration of grass in the early stage.Therefore,effects of coir geotextile and geocell on EG erosion under four confluence intensities were researched in this study.Results of the simulated water discharge erosion test showed that when the confluence strength was less than 30 L/min,geocell and coir geotextile had a good effect on controlling EG erosion,and sediment yield of geocell and coir geotextile was reduced by 25.95%–37.82%and 73.73%–88.96%,respectively.However,when confluence intensity increased to 40 L/min,protective effect of coir geotextile decreased,and sediment yield rate increased sharply by 189.03%.When confluence intensity increased to 50 L/min,the protective effect of coir geotextile was lost.On the other hand,geocell showed that the greater the flow rate,the better the protective effect.In addition,with the increase in confluence intensity,erosion pattern of coir geotextile developed from sheet erosion to intermittent fall and then to completion of main rill,and the protective effect was gradually weakened.In contrast,the protective effect of EG under geocell was gradually enhanced from the continuous rill to the intermittent rill and finally to the intermittent fall.This study shows that coir geotextile and geocell can prevent EG erosion,and the effect of geocell is better than that of coir geotextile on the surface of EG.

Performance evaluation of laterite soil embankment stabilized with bottom ash,coir fiber,and lime

In tropical regions,heavy rainfall induces erosion and shallow landslides on road embankments.Cement-based stabilization methods,common in these regions,contribute to climate change due to their high carbon footprint.This study explored the potential application of coir fiber-reinforced laterite soil-bottom ash mixtures as embankment materials in the tropics.The objective is to enhance engineered embankment slopes'erosion resistance and stability while offering reuse options for industrial byproducts.This study examined various mix designs for unconfined compressive strength(UCS)and permeability,utilizing 30%bottom ash(BA)and 1%coir fiber(CF)with varying sizes ranging from 10 to 40 mm,6%lime,and laterite soil(LS),followed by microstructural analyses.The results demonstrate that the compressive strength increases as the CF length increases to 25 mm.In contrast,permeability increases continuously with increasing CF length.Lime-treated mixtures exhibit superior short-and long-term strength and reduce permeability owing to the formation of cementitious materials,as confirmed by microstructural analyses.A lab-scale slope box was constructed to evaluate the surface erosion of the stabilized laterite soil embankment.Based on the rainfall simulation results,the LS-BA-CF mixtures show better resistance to erosion and deformation compared to untreated LS,especially when lime is added to the top layer.This study provides insights into a sustainable and cost-effective approach for slope stabilization using BA and CF,offering a promising solution for tropical regions susceptible to surface erosion and landslides.

Dynamic Behaviour of Pond Ash Mixed with Coir and Crumb Rubber

An experimental program was conducted to determine the dynamic properties of pond ash(PA)and pond ash mixed with admixtures like crumb rubber(CR)and coir fiber(CF)which are wastes of different industries.Additives CR and CF were mixed separately with pond ash in a percentage ranging from 0%–20%at an interval of 5%and 0%–2%at an interval of 0.5%by weight of pond ash,respectively.Dynamic properties(Shear modulus,Number of cycles to initiate liquefaction,Degradation index and Damping ratio)for pond ash mixes were determined using strain-controlled cyclic tri-axial apparatus.The shear strain was kept constant at 1.2%and the frequency varied from 0.4 to 1 Hz.Liquefaction resistance improves when crumb rubber is added to pond ash,however adding Coir fiber to pond ash has essentially no effect on the number of cycles required to initiate liquefaction.The dynamic shear modulus decreases when crumb rubber was mixed in pond ash whereas when coir fiber is added to pond ash,the dynamic shear modulus increases significantly.A mix of PA,CR,and CF was also tried to balance the number of cycles required to initiate liquefaction and shear modulus.The mixed sample in the proportion of PA(84%)+CR(15)+CF(1%)can be termed a balanced mix as the number of cycles to initiate liquefaction was more than all PA-CF mixes and also the shear modulus was more than all PA-CR mixes.Damping ratio increases with increasing frequency of loading(0.4 to 1 Hz).

Optimization of Mortar Compressive Strength Prepared with Waste Glass Aggregate and Coir Fiber Addition Using Response Surface Methodology

Waste Glass(WGs)and Coir Fiber(CF)are not widely utilized,even though their silica and cellulose content can be used to create construction materials.This study aimed to optimize mortar compressive strength using Response Surface Methodology(RSM).The Central Composite Design(CCD)was applied to determine the optimization of WGs and CF addition to the mortar compressive strength.Compressive strength and microstructure testing with Scanning Electron Microscope(SEM),Fourier-transform Infrared Spectroscopy(FT-IR),and X-Ray Diffraction(XRD)were conducted to specify the mechanical ability and bonding between the matrix,CF,and WGs.The results showed that the chemical treatment of CF produced 49.15%cellulose,with an average particle size of 1521μm.The regression of a second-order polynomial model yielded an optimum composition consisting of 12.776%WGs and 2.344%CF with a predicted compressive strength of 19.1023 MPa.C-S-H gels were identified in the mortars due to the dissolving of SiO_(2) in WGs and cement.The silica from WGs increased the C-S-H phase.CF plays a role in preventing,bridging,and branching micro-cracks before reaching maximum stress.WGs aggregates and chemically treated CF are suitable to be composited in mortar to increase compressive strength.

A Model Study on Accelerated Consolidation of Coir Reinforced Lateritic Lithomarge Soil Blends with Vertical Sand Drains for Pavement Foundations

Sub-grade soils of lateritic origin encountered in the construction of highway embankments in various regions of India, often comprise intrusions of soft lithomargic soils that result in large settlements during constructions, and differential settlements at later stages. This necessitates the use of appropriate soil improvement techniques to improve the load-carrying capacity of pavements. This work deals with accelerated consolidation of un-reinforced and coir-rein- forced lateritic lithomargic soil blends, provided with three vertical sand drains. The load-settlement characteristics were studied for various preloads ranging from 50 kg (0.0013 N/mm2) to 500 kg (0.013N/mm2) on soil specimens prepared in circular ferro-cement moulds. It was observed that at lower preloads up to 200kg, across the blends, the relative increase in consolidation (Rct) for randomly reinforced soil with vertical drains was sig-nificantly higher than that of un-reinforced soil without vertical drains, with an average value of 124.8%. Also, the Rct for un-reinforced soil with vertical drains was quite higher than that of un-reinforced soil without vertical drains, with an average value of 103.9%. In the case of higher preloads, the Rct values for randomly reinforced soil with vertical drains were moderate with an average value of 30.88%, while the same for un-reinforced soil with vertical drains was about 20.4%. The aspect-ratio of coir fibers used was 1:275.

Aqueous Lead Removal under Optimized Conditions Using Phosphoric Acid Activated Coconut Coir Activated Carbon

The global burden of heavy metal environmental pollution remains one of the most challenging issues to be addressed urgently. Lead (Pb) has been well recognized as a toxic environmental pollutant. The main objective of this study was to examine the adsorption efficiency of phosphoric activated coconut coir activated carbon for lead (II) removal from an aqueous solution. Synthesized activated carbon was characterized before and after the adsorption of Pb(II) by powder X-Ray diffraction, Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-Ray. Furthermore, the removal efficiency of Pb(II) of synthesized activated carbon was tested with different concentrations of Pb(II) solutions, pH levels, adsorbent dosages, and contact time. Atomic absorption spectroscopy was used to analyze the Pb(II) concentrations in water samples. The maximum Pb(II) removal percentage of 100% was obtained with 50 mL of 5 mg/L Pd(II) ion solution and 0.20 g of the synthesized activated carbon. Adsorption data were well fitted with the Freundlich adsorption isotherm model, and adsorption kinetics were fitted with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model with R2 of 0.99. These results conclude that the synthesized activated carbon can be used as a potential sorbent for the removal of lead from wastewaters.

Evaluation of Mechanical and Physical Properties of Pressed Coir Fiber/Epoxy Composite with NaOH and Microwave Treatment of Fiber

In this study,the influence of sodium hydroxide(NaOH)treatment and microwave treatment of coir fibers on the mechanical and physical properties of pressed coir fiber/epoxy composite were evaluated.The composite was fabricated with a hand lay-up method with compression molding.Before composite fabrication,pressed coir fiber was treated with NaOH and microwave treatments.Mechanical testing(tensile,flexural,and impact testing)of the composite was conducted.Then,water absorption and thickness swelling testing are also performed.The fractured composite surface morphology after the tensile test was analyzed by scanning electronic microscopy(SEM).The results revealed that tensile,flexural,and impact strengths of composite tend to increase after NaOH treatment of coir fiber followed by microwave treatment for 10 and 20 minutes of exposure time compared to untreated fiber.However,for NaOH treatment,the tensile,flexural and,impact strengths of composite reduce.The reducing of the tensile strength of the composite is due to the agglomeration fiber occurred,which is displayed in the SEM micrograph.Furthermore,microwave treatment of fiber for 10 minutes and NaOH treatment followed by microwave treatment for 20 minutes of exposure time decreases the water absorption and thickness swelling of the composite.

Crystallization and Dynamic Mechanical Behavior of Coir Fiber Reinforced Poly(Butylene Succinate)Biocomposites

The crystallization behavior,crystal morphology and form,and viscoelastic behavior of poly(butylene succinate)(PBS)and coir fiber/PBS composites(CPB)were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry(DSC),polarized optical microscopy(POM),X-ray diffraction(XRD)and dynamic mechanical analysis(DMA).The results of DSC measurement show that the crystallization temperature increases with the filling of coir fibers.POM images reveal that the spherulitic size and crystallization behavior of PBS are influenced by the coir fibers in the composites.XRD curves show that the crystal form of pure PBS and CPB are remaining almost identical.In addition,the storage modulus of CPB significantly increases comparing with the pure PBS.This predicted the dimensional stability and improved load-deformation temperature.In conclusion,the addition of coir fibers has a significant effect on the thermal properties of the matrix.

Research on the Geometry and Microstructure of the Coir Fiber

Coir fiber is derived from the coconut shells and considered to be an economical and natural material. In order to further extend its application fields,the geometry and microstructure of the coir fiber were thoroughly investigated in this research. The single fiber length measurement was carried out,and it was revealed that the length of the coir fiber was between 8 and 337 mm. Length distribution of the coir fiber was simulated by using the computer technology,and was found to be in coincidence with that of most natural fibers. The grouping measurement analysis was used to study the length-weight distribution and length-linear density distribution of the fiber. It was found that the average linear density was 27.89 tex and the linear density was between 18.265 and 70.442 tex. The length-weight distribution of the coir fiber showed a Poisson pattern,and the weight of fibers with the length between 50 and 230 mm accounted for 85.28% of the total fibers measured. In this research,scanning electron microscope (SEM) was applied to observe the morphological changes of coir fiber before and after alkali treatment;and the result shows that alkali treatment leads to the removal of lignin and pectin from both the cuticle and the inside walls,which is beneficial for the interfacial adhesion with polymer matrix in composite fabrication.

Evaluation and Optimization of Tensile Strength Responses of Coir Fibres Reinforced Polyester Matrix Composites (CFRP) Using Taguchi Robust Design

In this study, control factors which included aspect ratio of fibres, volume fraction of fibres and fibres orientation were the focus for determining the optimum tensile strengths of coir fibres reinforced polyester resin composites. After using Archimedes principle to determine the volume fraction of fibres, tensile test was conducted on the samples of treated and untreated coir fibres reinforced polyester resin composites, respectively. For the optimum properties to be obtained, a Universal Testing Machine-TUE-C-100 was used for the conducted tensile tests which established the levels of control factors settings for quality characteristics needed to optimize the mechanical properties being investigated. Applying Taguchi robust design technique for the greater-the-better, the highest signal-to-noise ratio (S/N ratio) for the quality characteristics being investigated was obtained employing Minitab 16 software. The optimum values of the control factors were established for treated coir fibres reinforced polyester resin composites and untreated coir fibres reinforced polyester resin composites. The treated coir fibres reinforced polyester matrix composite has the optimum tensile strength of 42.7 N/mm2 while the untreated coir fibres reinforced matrix composite has the optimum tensile strength of 21.9 N/mm2. The reinforcement combinations of control factors contribute greatly to the tensile properties, and the treated coir fibres reinforced polyester composites are stronger in tension than the untreated coir fibres reinforced polyester composites.

Biochemical changes during composting of coir pith waste as influenced by different agro industrial wastes

Coir pith, a byproduct of coconut husk is difficult to decompose due to its high lignin and cellulose content. In this study, coir pith was composted with different agro industrial by products such as cow dung, vegetable market waste, poultry waste and microbial consortium. The different treatment combinations used in the present study were Control, T1 (Coir pith + Cow dung + Vegetable market waste + Poultry waste + mixed microbial culture (Trichoderma viridae + Pleurotus sajar caju), T2 (Coir pith + Vegetable market waste + Poultry waste + Tank slit + Mixed microbial culture) and T3 (Coir pith + Cow dung + poultry waste + tank slit + mixed microbial culture). At the end of 12th week, in the treatment T1, C: N ratio of 21.8:1 was observed in the composted coir pith sample. Highest P content of 0.47% and K content of 1.2% and the least Cellulose and Lignin contents of 22.8% and 10.03% were recorded in the T1 treatment after a composting period of 12 weeks. Highest pH of 7.4 was observed in the treatment T3, this was followed by T1 (7.2) treatment.

Some Effect of Chemical Treatment by Ferric Nitrate Salts on the Structure and Morphology of Coir Fibre Composites

The present study shows some important effects of chemical treatment on the structure and morphology of coir fibre. The objective of the present study is to optimise overall properties of coir fibre so as to use coir fibre as a reinforcing agent in thermoplastic and thermosetting polymers. In the present study, coir fibre is treated with ferric nitrate salt. A thermal treatment has been done at temperature of 1000&degC by using annealing method. X-ray diffraction of the treated coir fibre reveals the crystalline nature of the fibre. Change in morphology has been found in coir fibre when subjected to scanning electron microscopy. Finally, the Fourier transform and infrared spectrographs show the presence of traces of iron oxide:fibre in the prepared composite.

Comparative Study of Physical Properties of Polymer Composites Reinforced with Uncarbonised and Carbonised Coir

This study involved the use of uncarbonised and carbonised coir in preparing composites of a given polymer. In this case natural rubber (NR) was used. Uncarbonised coir (UC) and carbonised coir (CC) were separately used to prepare the polymer composites. Carbon black (CB) was also used differently and the filler loadings for all varied between 0 and 50 phr. Before using the uncarbonised coir and carbonised coir, they were characterised on the basis of moisture content, pH, particles size and surface area. The properties of the various composite samples prepared were then investigated. The results of the tests obtained for the NR-UC composites were compared with those of NR-CC and also with those of NR-CB composites. It was observed that for hardness, the results obtained from composites of UC and CC fillers showed similar trends with those of carbon black (CB) reinforced composites, increasing with increase in filler volume. For the tensile strength and modulus a trend of slight rise was observed. There were no sharp rises in values as filler volumes were increased. UC and CC fillers were observed to impart very poorly on the tensile strength and modulus relative to the CB reinforced composites. The results from test for elongation, compression set and flex fatigue showed a falling trend for all the fillers to a comparable level with CB. It was generally observed that the uncarbonised coir presented better potentials for reinforcement than the carbonised coir.

Load Settlement Characteristics of Model Footings Resting on Surface Treated Coir Fiber Reinforced BC Soil Overlying Loose Stratum

In nature there are situations where in foundation had to be placed over loose soil deposits. In such cases, deep foundations are recommended which increases cost of the structure. Black cotton soils, because of its high swelling and shrinkage characteristics, have been a challenge to geotechnical engineers, increasing the strength of Clayey soil which is formed introducing randomly distributed fibers results in comparatively more homogeneous soil mixture and is one of the popular methods of soil stabilization. In the present study, model footing resting on BC soil reinforced with optimum percentage of treated and untreated coir fiber underlain by loose soil deposit was conducted to study its influence on bearing capacity and settlement. Loose soil deposit has been simulated by compacting sawdust in prefabricated steel tank. BC soil reinforced with optimum percentage of treated and untreated coir fibers has been compacted over loose sawdust and load settlement characteristics were determined at various D/B ratio of 1,2, 3 and for different sized model footings. The results indicated that settlement of model footings is significantly small at lower D/B = 1 and 2 ratios. Bearing capacity of BC soil is also found to be significantly affected by fiber reinforcement.

椰糠型生态保育基质的水力-入渗特性及配比寻优

[目的]荒漠戈壁因降水量少、蒸发量大等环境因素胁迫,植被稀疏,水土流失严重。探索适宜的土壤改良方法,以提升其保水性、持水性,对于荒漠化防治及戈壁生态农业发展十分重要。[方法]以无椰糠基质组别T0(风沙土∶有机肥∶人造泥炭=7∶3∶1)为对照,对理化性质较好的3组配比椰糠型生态保育基质(风沙土∶椰糠∶有机肥∶人造泥炭=3.5∶3.5∶3∶1或3∶4∶3∶1或2∶5∶3∶1,依次为T1、T2、T3)进行水力-入渗特性试验;利用离心机法测定基质水分与吸力的关系,探究该基质的水力特性;再通过室内定水头土柱入渗试验分析基质的入渗特征;并以测定的各项指标为基础,结合坐标综合评定法进行配比寻优。[结果]T1、T2、T3组别较之T0组别,田间持水量分别增加10.22%,12.13%,14.99%,全有效水含量分别增加8.10%,8.81%,12.83%;在吸力水头的对数值P f=1.8~3.8阶段(基质吸力对数值),各组别比水容量均值大小为T3>T2>T1>T0;根据灰色关联分析,入渗能力大小为T3>T2>T0>T1。[结论]适宜比例椰糠混掺改变基质的有效水含量和孔隙分布比,显著提升基质的保水持水能力。从理化性质、水力及入渗特性角度综合来看,T3配比最优。

辽宁地区口感型番茄‘粉莓一号’春茬日光温室椰糠基质绿色栽培技术

近年来辽宁地区日光温室番茄栽培过程中土传病害较重,导致番茄品质逐渐降低,针对这种情况,辽宁省农业科学院蔬菜研究所栽培团队立项开展研究,最终总结出一套优质绿色的栽培技术。该研究介绍了在辽宁沈阳地区春茬日光温室内采用椰糠基质槽式栽培口感型番茄品种‘粉莓一号’,从番茄的品种特性、栽培构造及设施、基质准备等栽培管理细节、果实采收及运输等方面进行阐述,以期为栽培绿色、高品质口感型番茄提供技术指导,为现代化设施番茄栽培提供参考依据。

椰糠型生态保育基质栽培对辣椒品质及产量的影响

以‘甘科4号’辣椒为试材,以当地常规栽培作为对照(CK),采用温室大棚栽培的试验方法,研究椰糠、风沙土、人造泥炭、有机肥配比分别为5∶2∶1∶3(T1)、4∶3∶1∶3(T2)、3.5∶3.5∶1∶3(T3)、3∶4∶1∶3(T4)、2∶5∶1∶3(T5)、1∶6∶1∶3(T6)、0∶7∶1∶3(T7)复混形成的模块化生态保育基质对辣椒生长特性及产量的影响,以期为探索西部荒漠戈壁工业化土壤改良及特色生态农业发展提供新路径。结果表明:不同生育期下,T2~T5处理可促进辣椒长势(株高、茎粗、株幅),根系、品质和产量亦显著提高,且各项指标均随椰糠含量增加呈现先增大后降低的趋势;相较CK,T5处理下单株结果数和单株产量分别增加了9.47%、19.65%。利用VIKOR法对各处理的品质及产量进行综合评价显示,T5处理下辣椒品质及产量最优,利益比率最小,为0.019。研究结果进一步证明椰糠型生态保育基质(椰糠含量占比30%~55%)适合荒漠化土地上的辣椒种植。

椰壳纤维加筋土遗址生态注浆材料的性能

为提升土遗址注浆料的力学性能,以椰壳纤维掺和糯米浆、烧料礓石以及黄土改性注浆料为研究对象,研究了椰壳纤维长度和掺量(质量分数)对土遗址注浆料流动性、收缩性、抗压强度和抗折强度的影响.结果表明:椰壳纤维的掺量和长度越大,浆体的流动性越低,而椰壳纤维的长度与浆体的收缩率无明显相关性;椰壳纤维良好的桥接能力可以有效提高浆体固化后的抗压强度、抗折强度和延性;椰壳纤维的长度和掺量均存在最优值,建议最优配比为纤维长度6 mm、掺量0.5%~0.6%,此时浆体固化后的抗压强度、抗折强度分别提升49.09%和32.08%;过多、过长的椰壳纤维易发生弯折、团聚,导致浆体的流动性和强度大幅降低.

椰丝纤维长度对土体抗剪强度和抗压强度的影响

【目的】探究在客土喷播基材中添加不同长度纤维材料对土体抗剪强度和抗压强度的影响。【方法】采用控制变量的试验方法,以不同长度(1、2、3、4、5 cm)的椰丝纤维和砂土为试验材料,按0.4%(w/w)的质量比混合后进行了室内三轴试验和无侧限抗压试验。【结果】(1)各长度纤维加筋土在各围压下的主应力差峰值强度和抗压强度峰值都大于无纤维加筋的素土;(2)随着纤维长度的增加,主应力差峰值强度、内聚力、内摩擦角和加筋效果系数都呈现出先增加后减少的趋势,且在长度为3~4 cm时,强度达到峰值;(3)随着纤维长度的增加,抗压强度峰值,主应力差强度峰值及破坏后的残余强度都得到明显提升,应力-应变曲线逐渐由应变软化型过渡为应变硬化型。【结论】掺量为0.4%、长度为3~4 cm的椰丝纤维可以有效提升土体的抗剪强度和抗压强度。

椰壳纤维-MICP复合改良膨胀土膨胀特性研究

采用椰壳纤维联合微生物诱导碳酸钙沉积(MICP)技术对南水北调中线工程南阳段的膨胀土进行试验改良,对素土、纤维土、MICP土以及椰壳纤维-MICP复合改良土开展无荷膨胀率试验和有荷膨胀率试验,研究改良前后膨胀土无荷膨胀率、有荷膨胀率随纤维掺量的变化规律,并对比分析单一改良方式和复合改良方式下纤维掺量对膨胀土膨胀特性的影响,最后通过电镜扫描试验,观察土样微观结构,揭示纤维-MICP复合改良膨胀土特性的内在机理。结果表明:单掺椰壳纤维和MICP技术改良均可抑制膨胀土的膨胀性能,而椰壳纤维-MICP复合改良土的改良效果最明显,且随着纤维掺量的增加,纤维土和复合改良土的无荷膨胀率和有荷膨胀率呈现出先减后增的趋势,纤维最佳掺量为0.5%,电镜扫描试验显示椰壳纤维可发挥桥联的作用以增强MICP膨胀土的改良效果。