Durability, Strength, and Erosion Resistance Assessment of Lignin Biopolymer Treated Soil

To mitigate the negative environmental effects of the overuse of conventional materials-such as cement-in soil improvement, sustainable engineering techniques need to be applied. The use of biopolymers as an alternative, environmentally friendly solution has received a great deal of attention recently. The application of lignin, a sustainable and ecofriendly biobased adhesive, to enhance soil mechanical properties has been investigated. The changes to engineering properties of lignin-infused soil relative to a lignin addition to soil at 0.5, 1, and 3.0 wt.% (including Atterberg limits, unconfined compression strength, consolidated undrained triaxial characteristics, and mechanical properties under wetting and drying cycles that mimic atmospheric conditions) have been studied. Our findings reveal that the soil's physical and strength characteristics, including unconfined compressive strength and soil cohesion, were improved by adding lignin through the aggregated soil particle process. While the internal friction angle of the soil was slightly decreased, the lignin additive significantly increased soil cohesion; the addition of 3% lignin to the soil doubled the soil's compressive strength and cohesion. Lignin-treated samples experienced less strength loss during wetting and drying cycles. After six repeated wetting and drying cycles, the strength of the 3% lignin-treated sample was twice that of the untreated sample. Soil treated with 3% lignin displayed the highest erosion resistance and minimal soil mass loss of ca. 10% under emulated atmospheric conditions. This study offers useful insights into the utilization of lignin biopolymer in practical engineering applications, such as road stabilization, slope reinforcement, and erosion prevention.