Geotechnical characteristics of polystyrene treated sand

Many polymeric materials are recently used in geotechnical practice for enhancing the engineering properties of soils. Among the various polymers, this study aims at investigating the geotechnical properties of silica sand coated with polystyrene(PS), which is rarely studied in geotechnical engineering. The polystyrene coated sand was prepared by polymerizing styrene monomer on the surface of silanized sand with median diameter of 0.467 mm. Testing specimens were prepared at 3 different initial relative densities (30, 50 and 70%) by air pluviation. Comprehensive experiments, including one-dimensional compression test with bender elements and triaxial test, were performed to observe the change in geotechnical properties due to the coating of PS on sand surface. The results demonstrate that the adsorbed polymer plays different roles according to strain levels. At very small strain, the polymer on the sand surface may increase the interparticle contact area by applying additional adhesion force between soil particles, leading to an increase in Gmax. However, with an increase in strain level, the polymer will act as the lubricant between sand particles; therefore, the coated sand can show increased compression index and decreased friction angle.