| Autor: |
Dali MA; Department of Chemical Engineering, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.; Research and Innovation Center on CO2 and Hydrogen, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates., Abidnejad R; Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, School of Chemical Engineering, Aalto University, P.O. Box 16300, FI-00076 Aalto, Finland., Salim MH; Department of Chemical Engineering, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.; Research and Innovation Center on CO2 and Hydrogen, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.; Center for Membrane and Advanced Water Technology, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates., Bhattarai M; Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, School of Chemical Engineering, Aalto University, P.O. Box 16300, FI-00076 Aalto, Finland., Imani M; Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, School of Chemical Engineering, Aalto University, P.O. Box 16300, FI-00076 Aalto, Finland., Rojas OJ; Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, School of Chemical Engineering, Aalto University, P.O. Box 16300, FI-00076 Aalto, Finland.; Bioproducts Institute, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Department of Chemistry and Department of Wood Science, University of British Columbia, 2360 East Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada., Greca LG; Laboratory for Cellulose & Wood Materials, Empa─Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 129, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland., Tardy BL; Department of Chemical Engineering, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.; Research and Innovation Center on CO2 and Hydrogen, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.; Center for Membrane and Advanced Water Technology, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. |
| Abstrakt: |
Soil quality is one of the main limiting factor in the development of the food sector in arid areas, mainly due to its poor mechanics and lack of water retention. Soil's organic carbon is nearly absent in arid soils, though it is important for water and nutrient transport, to soil mechanics, to prevent erosion, and as a long-term carbon sink. In this study, we evaluate the potential benefits that are brought to inert sand by the incorporation of a range of, mainly, cellulosic networks in their polymeric or structured (fiber) forms, analogously to those found in healthy soils. We explore the impact of a wide range of nonfood polysaccharide-based amendments, including pulp fibers, nanocellulose, cellulose derivatives, and other readily available polysaccharide structures derived from arthropods (chitosan) or fruit peels (pectin) residues. A practical methodology is presented to form sand-polymer composites, which are evaluated for their soil mechanics as a function of humidity and the dynamics of their response to water. The mechanics are correlated to the network of polymers formed within the pores of the sandy soil, as observed by electron microscopy. The response to water is correlated to both the features of the network and the individual polysaccharides' physicochemical features. We expect this work to provide a rapid and reproducible methodology to benchmark sustainable organic amendments for arid soils. |
