Clay soil-sugarcane molasses interactions for use in earthen road construction

Several interactions take place at the outer surfaces of the soil clay (basal surface and lateral surface) with sugarcane molasses molecules. The organic constituents of molasses occupy the accessible outer surface of the soil clay. Nearly 53.108 molecules that make up molasses occupy this outer surface. The crystalline disorder decreases on the plane (00l) or basal. However, the crystalline disorder of the soil kaolinite network studied is due to the absence of the external hydroxyl (OH) centered on the frequency 3667 cm−1 of the infrared spectrum. This justifies the presence of gaps or positive charges (aluminous basal surface) on the basal surface. The addition of the molasses of the additional hydroxyl groups to the basal surface fills the gaps or the deficit of charge to the crystal lattice. It also improves the stability of the crystal lattice and interacts with soil particles by physical mechanism, with the positive consequence of improving the physical and mechanical properties of the clay soil.

Keywords: interaction, clay soil, sugarcane molasses, specific surface, physico-mechanical properties.