EAGER: Engineering a Modifiable Clay: "Tunable" Polymer-Clay Composite

该赠款为探索操纵聚合物-粘土复合材料的可行性提供资金，其中颗粒层间距通过pH和离子浓度响应聚合物控制。 这项探索性研究将调查在何种程度上可以直接操纵的pH值或离子浓度调节的孔隙流体与响应性聚合物合成的聚合物-粘土复合材料的层间距。 粘土-聚合物复合材料将使用溶液插层技术与蒙脱土和聚丙烯酰胺合成。 所得材料的表征和层间距的测量将使用X射线衍射，椭圆偏振法和透射电子显微镜在颗粒水平上进行。 在中尺度下，将进行膨胀势测量。 如果成功，这项工作的结果将有助于建立一个新的研究领域：使用功能聚合物的工程土壤。 发展这一领域的研究将导致更广泛的方法，岩土工程实践。 预计从这项工作的主要贡献是显示，合成的聚合物-粘土复合材料的层间距可以操纵的目的控制，甚至逆转，中尺度土壤材料的性能，膨胀潜力。 这项工作的结果将提供响应聚合物-粘土复合系统的更好的理解。 聚合物-粘土复合材料的先进知识将导致可调工程土壤材料的开发，以提高屏障系统，粘土衬里，过滤器和污染物去除系统的性能。

This grant provides funding for exploring the feasibility of manipulating a polymer-clay composite in which the particle layer interspacing is controlled via a pH- and ionic concentration-responsive polymer. This exploratory research will investigate the extent to which interlayer spacing of polymer-clay composites synthesized with a responsive polymer can be directly manipulated with pH- or ionic concentration-adjusted pore fluids. Clay-polymer composites will be synthesized with Montmorillonite clay and polyacrylamide using a solution intercalation technique. Characterization of the resultant materials and measurement of the interlayer spacings will be performed using X-ray diffraction, ellipsometry, and transmission electron microscopy at the particle level. At the meso-scale, swell potential measurements will be performed. If successful, the results of this work will contribute to the establishment of a novel field of research: engineered soils using functional polymers. Developing this field of research will lead to a broader approach to geotechnical engineering practices. The main contribution expected from this work is to show that the interlayer spacing of the synthesized polymer-clay composites can be manipulated for the purpose of controlling, and even reversing, a meso-scale soil material property, swell potential. The results of this work will provide a greater understanding of responsive polymer-clay composite systems. Advanced knowledge of polymer-clay composites will lead to the development of tunable engineered soil materials to improve the performance of barrier systems, clay liners, filters, and contaminant removal systems.