Preparation and Water Retention Properties of Clay-based Sand-fixing and Grass-planting Materials

Targeting the problem of available water conservation in sand fixation, the sand-fixing and grass-planting materials were prepared with clay modified by emulsifying vegetable waxes and octylphenol polyoxyethylene ether （OP4）. The water retention property was studied in simulating desertification environmental climate and the materials were characterized by means of UV-Vis, SEM, FTIR, XRD and TGA measurements. The experimental result showed that the materials had excellent water retention properties, due to that vegetable waxes adhered evenly to clay particle surfaces, made the clay pores changing from hydrophilic to hydrophobic and so inhibited the water evaporation. Grass-planting experiment showed that, with reasonable mass ratio of clay, vegetable waxes and surfactant, the materials not only inhibited water evaporation but also maintained sound air permeability so shat the germination rate and survival rate of grass were significantly improved.

Inhibiting water evaporation of sandy soil by the soil particles modified with Japanese wax

This study was conducted to resolve the problems of water conservation of sandy soil in desertification areas. The surface of soil particles was modified by molecules of natural Japanese wax through some specially screened surfactant. The modified particles were then well sprayed onto the sand, which was placed in an artificial climate box with simulating desert environment, to form a soil film with effect of suppressing water and gas-permeability. Structure of soil film was analyzed by means of X-ray diftYaction （XRD） and infrared spectrometry （IR）. And its mechanism of water inhibition was illustrated with DSC and TG curves. Its influence on grass-planting was tested through the instruments of water detector. The results show that sorbitol anhydride stearate （ Span 80） could well disperse the Japanese wax and make it combine with the clay which is also dispersed. The pores among soil particles grew smaller and turned from hydrophilic into hydrophobic, in which way resistance to water penetrating through the film was increased. Experimental grass grows normally on sandy soil with the soil film in the artificial desert climate box, indicating that the soil particles modified with Japanese wax is an effective method to inhibit water evaporation.

Micro-dynamic Behavior and Self-adjusting Water Transmit Mechanism of Water-transferring Composite

Constructional and micro-dynamic process of the water-transferring composite was analyzed. This composite can transmit water to soil with a self-adjustable speed to ensure the survival of seedlings in arid and semi-arid regions when it is embedded in soil around the roots of the seedlings. It is obtained from natural plant fiber coated with a colloid made by mixing a certain proportion of polyacrylamide and montmorillonite. The rules of water being transmitted to soil by the coating under different condition were tested by M-30 quick moisture measure instrument. The process of water-desorption of the coating material was investigated by a Perkin Elmer Diamond S Ⅱ thermal multi-analyzer. Moreover, the micro-dynamic behavior was detected by a FEIQuanta 2000 environment scanning electron microscope. The results demonstrate that montmorillonite has lower water-desorption energy barrier than polyacrylamide and can lose water more easily. montmorillonite particles bridge up to be the main water-transmit material at low water potential （when the soil relatively dry or when the temperature is high）, and they break bridge at high water potential while the polyacrylamide acts as the main water-transmit material.

Preparation and Characteristic of Self-regulation Water-transmitting Coating Fiber

Common clay, Kaolin and Bentonite were used as additives to prepare water-transmitting coating fiber, respectively, and the water-transmitting characteristic of coating fiber was studied. Different water-transmitting coating fibers were prepared by coating fiber using coating material with different mass proportions of additives to adhesive. And the coating materials were made from three kinds of inorganic clays as additives respectively and polyvinyl alcohol （PVA） as adhesive. Furthermore, the surface morphology and water-transmitting capacity of coating fiber were studied by SEM, Perkin Elmer Diamond SII thermal multi-analyzer and instrument for quick measurement moisture M30. The experimental results indicate that water-transmitting coating fibers made from three kinds of clays all have water-transmitting capacity. The surface of water-transmitting coating fiber prepared by common clay T is continuous and compact, and the water-transmitting effect is better than coating fibers made from other clays.

Preparation and Water Retention Properties of Montmorillonite Modified by EL-10 Emulsifying Agent

Aiming at the problem of available water conservation in desertification ecological restoration, we prepared the water retention materials with montmorillonite（MMT） modified by Castor Oil Polyoxyethylene Ether（10）（EL-10） emulsifying vegetable waxes. The water retention property was studied in simulated desertification climate, and the materials were analyzed and characterized by UV-Vis, SEM, FTIR and XRD measurements. Moreover, a UV carbon arc lamp was used to test the resistance to aging. The experimental results show that the emulsion has good dispersity. Both the water retention property and the aging resistance performance of the modified clay were excellent. The lamellar structure and chemical composition of MMT had no obvious changes before and after modification. The surfaces of clay particles were coated uniformly with modified MMT, so the loose clay particles were cemented together by vegetable waxes. Meanwhile, the original big hydrophilic pores between the clay particles turned into capillary hydrophobic pores. So the clay particles formed a bonding layer which could inhibit water evaporation. Grass-planting experiment showed that reasonable mass ratio of vegetable waxes and EL-10 was 1：18. The materials not only had great water retention property but also maintained sound air permeability so that the germination rate of grass seed significantly increased from 8% to 52%.

Water-conducting Characteristics and Micro-dynamic Self-adjusting Behavior of Polyacrylamide/Montinorillonite Coating

A water-conducting polyacrylamide/montmorillonite coating was prepared by solutionblending.The coating was coated on fiber and then composited with polymer to form a composite film material that used for water saving and tree planting in arid and desert regions.The coating＇s water-conducting characteristics and dynamic self-adjusting behavior were investigated by Fourier transform infrared（FTIR）spectroscopy,thermal analysis（TG-DTA）,and environmental scanning electron microscopy（ESEM）.The results showed that the coating＇s water-conducting rate increased but water-retention capacity weakened with increasing montmorillonite content.The water-loss rate was positively related to temperature and negatively related to soil moisture.Water potential greatly influenced the water-conducting rate of the coating during its water conduction process.When the coating was at a low water potential,the montmorillonite particles interconnected and water was conducted quickly via montmorillonite layers,whereas when the coating was at a high potential,the montmorillonite particles disconnected and water was conducted slowly via the swelled polyacrylamide net structure.The rate can be regulated by changing the proportion of polyacrylamide and montmorillonite to guarantee a reasonable water supply for trees and make trees easier to survive.Thus,the survival rate of trees can be increased and the use of water resources can be significantly reduced.

Preparation and characterization of carbon pillared clay material

Carbon pillared clay material was prepared from montmorillonite modified by C19H42BrN and C10H16ClN. SEM, FT-IR, XRD, N2 adsorption-desorption, thermal-gravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry were employed to characterize the pore structure and test the effect of surfactant. The results show that organic modifier combines with montmorillonite particles by covalent bond and ion embedded. The microstructure of carbon pillared material looks like needle slice. The most probable pore size distribution is about 1.7 nm. The clay material slice mainly consists of two-dimensional aperture supported by a carbonization pillar. The high-temperature stability of carbon pillared clay is im- proved.

Methane absorption and application of mixed organic aggregate prepared from Span80 and alkaline salt

The water-based materials for mine gas absorption and explosion suppression were prepared, in which the mixed organic aggregate of Span80 and alkaline salt can be used as methane absorbent. Methane was used as a model of mine gas, and the absorptions of methane with different complex materials were studied using head space gas chromatography. Then the state of aqueous material was characterized with laser light scattering instrument and the effects of different complex materials on explosion suppression were preliminarily studied in explosion chamber which can simulate mine gas explosion. The research results showed that complex material could absorb methane and there was some corre- lation between the mean diameter of organic aggregate in aqueous material and the absorption effect. Additionally, the aqueous material could suppress the methane explosion to some degree. The material can absorb mine gas in atomization condition, therefore, degrease mine gas concentration and influence the distribution of mine gas in the space, and then suppress the mine gas explosion to some extent.