Experimental study on water transfer mechanism of quicklime modified centrifugal dewatering clay

This study investigates the water transfer mechanism of quicklime modified centrifugal dewatering clay. A small-scale centrifuge device was used to investigate the change of bound water content in modified clay under different laboratory test conditions including quicklime content and curing age, and analyze the water transfer mechanism in the process of quicklime treatment, and its impact on clay properties. The results show that the content of pore water decreased by 6.2% similar to 16.9%, the content of bound water increased by 4.2% similar to 12.9%, and the content of hydration water increased by 6.1% similar to 14.1% due to hydration reaction caused by the quicklime. The increase of quicklime content facilitates the conversion of free water into bound water and hydration water in a relatively short time. The pozzolanic reaction occurs on the surface of the clay particles to absorb free water and convert it into bound water, while part of Ca (OH)(2) crystals generated by hydration reaction adhere to the surface of clay particles, grow into needle-shape and fibrous structures, and absorb free pore water and convert it into hydration water. For field applications, the mixing percentage of quicklime is recommended to be below 9% by dry weight. From the cost perspective, 7-day curing age is recommended in the field. The essence of quicklime modification is to transform the free water with relatively low pF potential energy into the bound water and hydration water with relatively high pF potential energy. A schematic diagram of water transfer mechanism was also proposed in this study for quicklime modified clay and validated using the aforementioned experimental data.