Research on a polymer-enhanced mineral liner, with a special focus on desication behaviour.

The mineral barriers most commonly used to protect the environment from hazardous substances are compacted clay liners and bentonite-enriched soils. The durability of these barriers is sometimes compromised due to a lack of suitable raw materials within the vicinity of the site or deficient know-how. Alternative barriers, such as geosynthetic clay liners, have become popular due to their ease of installation and competitive pricing. Trisoplast, a durable mineral sealing layer consisting of hosting sand mixed with a patented bentonite-polymer gel, is commonly used in a rapidly increasing number of countries. Some of the key aspects influencing the product's functional lifetime are climatic effects, chemical stability especially with regard to cation exchange, deformation behaviour and short-term as well as long-term slope stability issues. Trisoplast has been developed specifically to improve the properties of the mineral barrier in order to cope with detrimental effects. A brief summary of sophisticated laboratory tests and latest investigations and excavations in the field is presented, showing that Trisoplast offers significant advantages when compared with other mineral lining systems. This paper concentrates on mineral liners, in particular on their desiccation and wetting-drying performance.
The mineral barriers most commonly used to protect the environment from hazardous substances are compacted clay liners and bentonite-enriched soils. The durability of these barriers is sometimes compromised due to a lack of suitable raw materials within the vicinity of the site or deficient know-how. Alternative barriers, such as geosynthetic clay liners, have become popular due to their ease of installation and competitive pricing. Trisoplast, a durable mineral sealing layer consisting of hosting sand mixed with a patented bentonite-polymer gel, is commonly used in a rapidly increasing number of countries. Some of the key aspects influencing the product's functional lifetime are climatic effects, chemical stability especially with regard to cation exchange, deformation behaviour and short-term as well as long-term slope stability issues. Trisoplast has been developed specifically to improve the properties of the mineral barrier in order to cope with detrimental effects. A brief summary of sophisticated laboratory tests and latest investigations and excavations in the field is presented, showing that Trisoplast offers significant advantages when compared with other mineral lining systems. This paper concentrates on mineral liners, in particular on their desiccation and wetting-drying performance.