Strength and Compressibility of Xanthan Gum-Treated Soils

Xanthan gum (XG) is a high molecular weight anionic polysaccharide produced by the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris. Because of its unique rheological properties (as discussed in Chap. 3 ), XG is widely employed as a thickening, stabilizing, and gelling agent for a variety of industrial applications, including, food processing, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and oil and gas. Recently, XG has been explored as a chemical soil-stabilizing agent, owing to its ability to form a three-dimensional reinforcement-type network within soils for enhancing their geo-mechanical properties.