The influence of vinhoto on the properties of clay soils

Brazil is one of the leading countries on alternative fuels. Since the 80's automobiles have been either propelled by alcohol or by a mixture of alcohol and gasoline. Alcohol is produced at a large scale from the distillation of sugar cane. For each cubic metre of alcohol produced, 13 cubic metres of vinhoto are produced as a by-product. In Campos dos Goytacazes some of the sugar cane fields, enriched with vinhoto for more than a decade, are now being reclaimed due to expansion of the city. This study examines index properties and mineralogy of a representative fine-grained soil in order to evaluate the changes on its properties due to environmental changes.