Road professionals are mainly concerned with the properties of the soil
beneath the road structure. These soil properties, which influence the ability
to support load, are determined by the presence of clay minerals. Swelling and
shrinkage of clay due to interaction with water causes serious failure like
cracking, rutting, depression and subsidence. The properties and behavior of
clay in fact depends on the amount and type of constituent minerals.
Figure 1 Reaction of Clay Particle with Sulfonated Oil
CON-AID has the properties of a surfactant or surface agent. It transforms
the hydrophilic (attraction of water) nature of the clayey material into hydrophobic
(rejection of water) nature as illustrated in Figure 1. The product is effective on soil
particles that exhibit significant surface charges, such as clay particles with large specific areas. The reaction of CON-AID on clay particles is relatively simple and effective; the goal is to coat the clay particles with the water repellent sulfonated oil. Since the surface of clay particle is often carrying some ion charges, which has the tendency of attracting free ions to the surface, CON-AID stabilizer is specifically made to replace these free ions. The sequence of reaction is as follows:
The acid of the stabilizer helps to remove free ions from the clay surfaces;
The ionic charge sulfonated oil molecules are then attracted to the clay surface because of the ion charge deficiency of the clay particles. Since the sulfonated oil, like any oil-based product, has water repellent properties, it helps to reduce reabsoption of water or surface tension.
If clay particles are coated with oil, surface tension will be reduced, resulting in lower water content and higher strength for soils above the groundwater table. This is the main reaction of CON-AID on soils, which is very different from any other traditional stabilizer acting through cementation, or lowering of plasticity index, or modification to grain size distribution etc. CON-AID method of stabilization is a revolutionary technique, and it is very effective through the laws of physic.
HOW IT WORKS:
CON-AID transforms the water-absorbing nature of clayey soils in a way
that causes the clay to repel water. This reaction of CON-AID to clay is due
in particular to its transformation of the spacing between the clay
particles.
PROPERTIES:
CON-AID has the following physio-chemical properties:
• Non-flammable
• Non-corrosive
• Non-Toxic
• Environmentally safe and user friendly.
BENIFITS:
• CON-AID improve performance of in-situ material
• CON-AID reduce re-absorption of water
• CON-AID reduce maintenance
• CON-AID reduces gravel loss
• CON-AID improve workability (CON-AID & Soil Guideline to Workability)
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PRODUCT INFORMATION