Introducing a new methodology to identify the intrinsic potential
plasticity index of different types of mulch used for dune stabilization
Abstract
There are few references to determine the plasticity behavior of
non-petroleum mulches before application. Plasticity behavior covers
many areas of science and engineering and is used in various materials.
The premise of this study is mainly to introduce a new method to measure
The Intrinsic Potential Plasticity (IPPI) Index defined here for several
types of non-petroleum mulch before spraying on dunes. Many researchers
are trying to find a suitable dune stabilizer as an alternative to
bitumen for fixing dune systems. Petroleum mulch was a widespread
material for dune stabilization in Iran, but in fact, it is harmful to
the environment and many soil biotas. One of the advantages of
bituminous mulch is its plasticity behavior. Observations show that
several non-petroleum mulches have no effective performance in terms of
plasticity and consistency. On the other hand, sand particles are
classified as none plastic, hence it is difficult to determine the
plasticity behavior of stabilizers in the Lab. To prove the technique,
several liquid mulches were tested. A heavy texture soil is selected as
a facilitator medium and its plasticity index was measured using
distilled water. Then, each mulch was added to this medium using the
same procedure and assuming no interaction between mulch and clay
minerals. Then, subtracting the plasticity index of the medium soil from
the total plasticity index of the medium soil plus mulch, resulted in
the calculation of (IPPI) for several liquid stabilizers explained in
the article