This study investigated the effects of natural polysaccharides-guar gum (GG) and xanthan gum (XG)-on the properties and structure of illitic clay. Clay samples were prepared using five different GG and XG solutions, with polysaccharide concentrations of 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, 2.0%, and 2.5%. The physical, mechanical, and hygroscopic properties of the samples were evaluated, along with water erosion resistance and structural characteristics, using SEM analysis. The addition of GG or XG significantly increased compressive strength and water erosion resistance, reduced shrinkage, and slightly improved the bulk density compared to the control clay sample. The results showed that compressive strength increased by 28-63% and 46-84% with the incorporation of GG and XG solutions, respectively. These findings suggest that environmentally friendly clay-based building materials can be effectively produced even using small amounts of natural polysaccharides.

A sustainable solution to stabilise the expansive soil over cement stabilisation is needed to avoid the negative environmental impact. Therefore, in this study, two biopolymers (such as xanthan gum and guar gum) were used to stabilise the expansive soil, and the study focused on the impact of curing (field and laboratory curing) conditions on the performance of biopolymer stabilisation. The compressive strength results showed that the treated sample achieved a higher strength up to 4.18 times with XG than the untreated soil sample strength with 28 days of curing (in FC) with 1.5% of the weight of the soil sample with both biopolymers. Conversely, the sample cured in LC was observed to have a very low strength increment, and the gained strength was lost with the curing period from 7 days to 28 days. The possible reason behind this phenomenon is that in moist conditions, the biopolymer presence in the hydrogel form reduces the soil particle interaction, and it is also due to the breakage of the soil-biopolymer matrix. The swelling pressure of the soil was significantly reduced compared to untreated soil. The microstructural and element composition analysis confirmed that the biopolymer treatment is not involved in any cementitious reaction.

Most self-healing rubber composites are produced through hydrogen or ionic bonding. In this study, high-strength self-healing composites were prepared by using guar gum (GG) powder as a filler. The fundamental properties of GG were analyzed using various techniques, including scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric analysis, before its use. After incorporating GG into epoxidized natural rubber (ENR), various properties of the rubber composites, including mechanical strength, self-healing efficiency, and biodegradability, were evaluated at different GG concentrations. The results revealed that GG has a structure similar to polysaccharides, containing hydroxy functional groups in its chemical structure. As GG was added to ENR, both hardness and tensile strength increased, with the maximum tensile strength of similar to 1.03 N/mm(2) (approximately 91.3% increase) observed at 3 parts per hundred rubber (phr) of GG. Notably, self-healing efficiency improved with increasing GG content up to 1 phr (approximately an 81.8% increase), after which it began to decrease. In biodegradability tests, the ENR/GG composites exhibited significant degradation over a 360-day soil burial period, with the formulation containing 5 phr of GG showing the highest weight loss (approximately 40.4%). The rubber composites with good self-healing and mechanical properties could have potential applications in various fields, including medical devices and food packaging. Moreover, the unique properties of the composite could be adapted for use in smart materials or flexible electronics, where self-healing and biodegradability can extend device lifetimes and reduce waste.

This work focused on the development of a hydrophobic biocomposite film reinforced with natural jute fiber. The biocomposite was made using a blend of chitosan and guar gum and reinforced with varying concentration of jute fiber followed by casting and air drying in petri dishes. Microscopic analysis of the cross-sectional structure of the films revealed a dense, compact morphology and FTIR result shows evidence of chemical interaction of the composite components. The inclusion of Jute fiber was found to increase the water repellant capacity of the films. The film water vapor permeability (WVP) was reduced from 4.1 x 10(-10) (g/m(2)center dot day center dot kPa) to 1.2 x 10(-10) (g/m(2)center dot day center dot kPa) with addition of jute fiber. Although the presence of Jute affects color properties of the films, it significantly improved their ability to block UV-Vis light. The tensile strength and elongation at break of CS/GG 0 % JT film, CS/GG/1 % JT, CS/GG/1.25 %JT and, CS/GG/1.5 % JT film was turned out to be (38.4 MPa, 45.3 MPa, 51.6 MPa and 60 MPa), (15.33 %, 17.66 %, 21.33 % and, 14 %) respectively. Notably, an increased in the DPPH radical scavenging assay was also observed from similar to 87 % in CS/GG composite to 99.4 % (1 % JT film), 99.66 % (1.25 %JT film) and 99.83 % for 1.5 % JT reinforced films respectively. Furthermore, all films showed excellent antimicrobial activity against the foodborne pathogen Escherichia coli and Fusarium oxysporum fungi highlighting their potential as active food packaging material. Signs of biodegradation were observed following four month of soil burial test, confirming the environmental sustainability of the produced biocomposite film.

This paper assesses the performance of biopolymers (agar gum and guar gum) for soil stabilization and the self-healing properties of these materials using non-destructive ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) and unconfined compressive strength (UCS) tests. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) tests were performed to investigate the microstructure of the stabilized soil during the self-healing process. The results showed that adding biopolymers to the soil significantly improved the soil's mechanical properties and self-healing properties. The self-healing indexes of sandy soil stabilized with 1% of guar gum and agar gum were 45% and 18%, respectively, at the curing time of 14 days. Increasing the internal bonds and reducing cracking caused by hydrogel swelling are the significant advantages of using biopolymers in soil stabilization. The UPV provides a quick and accurate estimate of changes in the properties of the stabilized soil. The UPV of the samples increased after the self-healing period. The UPV of the sandy soil stabilized with 1% guar gum and agar gum increased by 17% and 13%, respectively, at the curing time of 7 days. The SEM results showed that the swelling of biopolymers led to crack repair after the self-healing period, the creation of new bonds between grains, and the increase of the contact surface of soil particles.

Dispersive saline soil is a type of water sensitive special soil with the characteristic of instability when encountering water, and its engineering properties are unstable. Therefore, this research proposes the use of environmentally friendly biopolymer guar gum to improve soil dispersivity and explores the feasibility of guar gum in improvement of dispersive saline soil. The mechanical properties of the improved dispersive saline soil were determined through unconfined compressive strength tests and direct shear tests. The influence of guar gum on the dispersivity and physical properties of the soil were investigated by crumb tests, pinhole tests, liquid plastic limit tests and particle size distribution tests. The microstructure and mineral composition of the improved soil were analyzed by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy tests. Experimental results indicate that 1.5 % guar gum can transform highly dispersive soil into non-dispersive soil after curing 28 days. When the guar gum content increases from 0 % to 4 %, the unconfined compressive strength increases by 81.30 %, and the cohesion and internal friction angle increase by 117.02 % and 32.69 %, respectively. Guar gum is enriched with hydroxyl groups, which form hydrogels in contact with water, and form a cationic bridge with the surface cations of clay particles, the two aspects work together to cement the soil particles, dense soil structure. Guar gum can effectively improve the dispersivity and mechanical properties of dispersive saline soil, and can be used as an environmentally friendly soil modification material.

Incorporating sustainable stabilizers into the geo-ecosystem is an effective approach to improving the mechanical properties of the soil while addressing ecological issues. The main objective and novelty of this study are to assess the combined use of palm fiber and guar gum in soil stabilization, estimate their behavior in practices, outline their obstacles and potential for soil improvement, and consider their ecological effects. For this purpose, four different dosages of guar gum (0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2%) and three ratios of palm fiber (0.2, 0.4, and 0.6%) in lengths (5, 10, and 15 mm) were considered. Laboratory tests conducted for this purpose include compaction, compressive, shear, and tensile strength, California bearing ratio (CBR), and microstructure analysis. Initially, the optimal dosage of guar gum was determined through the unconfined compressive test. Subsequently, the impact of optimal guar gum and palm strands on the mechanical characteristics of treated soil was examined. The results revealed that compressive and shear strengths of stabilized and reinforced soil improved by 200% and 71%, respectively, compared to the control samples. Also, increasing the palm dosage improved the failure strain by up to 11.4%, cohesion enhancement by up to 96 kPa, and soil brittleness reduction by 13.5%. The tensile and CBR test results demonstrated that incorporating fiber into the soil increased its tensile strength and CBR by 32.5 kPa and 31.16, respectively. A microstructure study revealed that adding guar gum to the fiber composite improved the interlocking between clay particles and fibers by generating a hydrogel.

This study investigates the performance of stone columns in sand modified using two different types of biopolymers, that is xanthan gum (XG) and guar gum (GG). Initially, the sand deposits prepared in the laboratory were flooded by a biopolymer solution containing different percentages of GG or XG and left to flow under gravity. After the biopolymer solution penetrated the sand deposit, the stone is inserted up to a depth of 20 cm, creating a 5-cm-diameter stone column. A series of laboratory model tests were conducted to develop the load settlement curve of a stone column in a biopolymer-modified sand deposit. Results indicate that infiltration of biopolymer solution into the sand matrix significantly influences the performance of stone columns and enhances the load-bearing capacity.

Dispersive soil has poor engineering geological properties, which can lead to various geological hazards in practical engineering projects. This study utilizes guar gum, an eco-friendly biopolymer with great potential in soil improvement, to improve dispersive soils in western Jilin. Guar gum powder was added to the dispersive soil at dry mass ratios of 0%, 0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, 2%, 2.5%, 3%, 4%, and 5%, and cured for 1, 3, 7, 14, and 28 days. The improvement effect was comprehensively evaluated by dispersion identification test, unconfined compressive strength test before and after immersion, disintegration test, matric suction test, and permeability test. The mechanism of guar gum in improving dispersive soil was further explained from the microscopic point of view by particle size analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results showed that more than 1.5% guar gum proportion was effective in eliminating soil dispersion. The cured soil had the best mechanical properties at 3.0% guar gum content. With the incorporation of guar gum, the hydrophysical properties of the soil were also improved. Guar gum wraps around soil particles, forming bridges through the hydrogel. Additionally, it fills the voids in the soil, leading to a denser aggregation of the soil particles. In conclusion, guar gum, as an environmentally friendly biopolymer, has a positive effect on the improvement of dispersive soils. The research results will provide theoretical guidance for engineering construction in dispersive soil areas.

Biopolymers are widely used as eco-friendly soil additives for soil stabilization. The combined use of biopolymers offers potential for enhancing soil performance, but research on their mixed effects on plant growth and soil mechanics is limited. This study utilizes xanthan gum and guar gum to prepare composite gum. Experiments on plant growth, mechanical properties test, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) are conducted to explore the impact of the composite gum on the plant growth and mechanical properties of clay, as well as its ability to stabilize soil in conjunction with root systems. The experimental results reveal that optimal dosages of xanthan gum (2%), guar gum (1.5%), and composite gum (1%) significantly improve the planting performance of clay, while excessive dosages inhibit the effects. Composite gum demonstrates superior performance in enhancing clay shear strength by increasing cohesion. For substrates with roots, 1% composite gum achieves the best synergy with plant roots, increasing cohesive strength by 255.2% and shear strength by 70.2% compared to pure clay. Compared with xanthan gum and guar gum, composite gum improves shear strength by 11% and 2.2%, respectively. SEM analysis shows that the incorporation of biopolymers significantly enhances mechanical properties of clay through mechanisms such as physical adsorption, optimization of particle arrangement, and molecular chain interactions. The experimental results reveal the relationship between the improved planting and mechanical properties of the modified clay and the internal microstructural changes. This provides a reference for further exploration of new eco-friendly ecological slope protection materials.