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<p>Micaceous soils are widely recognized as problematic due to their low strength, high compressibility, and poor ductility, often leading to failures in highways and other infrastructure. This study investigates the effect of Guar Gum (GG) biopolymer on the geotechnical and micro-structural behavior of artificially prepared micaceous soils with two mica gradations (ultrafine and fine) at varying contents (0–20%). Geotechnical tests, including Atterberg limits, specific gravity and unconfined compressive strength (UCS), were conducted alongside detailed micro-structural analyses using SEM, EDS, XRD and FTIR. Results showed that the increasing mica content increased Atterberg limits due to mica’s platy morphology, while specific gravity decreased with higher GG content. Optimal UCS values were achieved at 1.0% GG for 5% mica content, reaching 229&#xa0;kPa for ultrafine and 211&#xa0;kPa for fine mica soils. SEM result revealed that GG formed a continuous matrix, bridging particles and filling voids; EDS confirmed increased carbon content indicating polymer presence; XRD demonstrated reduced crystalline and FTIR identified hydrogen bonding between GG and mineral surfaces. Excessive GG content (&gt; 1%) resulted in a reduction of strength, primarily attributed to the formation of overly thick polymer films and gel-like zones within the soil matrix, which reduced effective inter-particle friction and introduced localized softening, thereby diminishing the load-bearing capacity of stabilized soil. The study confirms that GG effectively enhances both geotechnical and micro-structural stability of micaceous soils, offering a sustainable and eco-friendly stabilization solution.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>

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Mechanism of Guar Gum Stabilization in Artificial Micaceous Soils: A Multi-scale Microstructural and Mechanical Investigation

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年3月5日

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  • Amaranatha Ginkapalli Anjaneyappa,
  • Seelam Srikanth,
  • Subhashish Dey

摘要

Micaceous soils are widely recognized as problematic due to their low strength, high compressibility, and poor ductility, often leading to failures in highways and other infrastructure. This study investigates the effect of Guar Gum (GG) biopolymer on the geotechnical and micro-structural behavior of artificially prepared micaceous soils with two mica gradations (ultrafine and fine) at varying contents (0–20%). Geotechnical tests, including Atterberg limits, specific gravity and unconfined compressive strength (UCS), were conducted alongside detailed micro-structural analyses using SEM, EDS, XRD and FTIR. Results showed that the increasing mica content increased Atterberg limits due to mica’s platy morphology, while specific gravity decreased with higher GG content. Optimal UCS values were achieved at 1.0% GG for 5% mica content, reaching 229 kPa for ultrafine and 211 kPa for fine mica soils. SEM result revealed that GG formed a continuous matrix, bridging particles and filling voids; EDS confirmed increased carbon content indicating polymer presence; XRD demonstrated reduced crystalline and FTIR identified hydrogen bonding between GG and mineral surfaces. Excessive GG content (> 1%) resulted in a reduction of strength, primarily attributed to the formation of overly thick polymer films and gel-like zones within the soil matrix, which reduced effective inter-particle friction and introduced localized softening, thereby diminishing the load-bearing capacity of stabilized soil. The study confirms that GG effectively enhances both geotechnical and micro-structural stability of micaceous soils, offering a sustainable and eco-friendly stabilization solution.

Graphical Abstract