The mineralization of phenanthrene in pure cultures of a Pseudomonas fluorescens strain, isolated from soil, was measured in the presence of soil humic fractions and montmorillonite. Humic acid and clay, either separately or in combination, shortened the acclimation phase. A higher mineralization rate was measured in treatments with humic acid at 100 microg/ml. Humic acid at 10 microg/ml stimul...

The onset of the Paleocene–Eocene thermal maximum (PETM) and associated carbon isotope excursion (CIE; approx. 56 Mya) was geologically abrupt, but it is debated whether it took thousands of years or was effectively instantaneous. Wright and Schaller (2013) published a significant new record of the onset of the CIE, and claimed that it could be resolved across 13 annual layers in a drill core t...

Polymeric composite films with a high loading of nano-size silicates can hardly meet the increasingly stringent fireproof and smoke-free requirements during burning. Thus, it is desirable to prepare pure clay films that can block air, heat, and flame. Here we report an organic-free clay film capable of both flame- and heat-shielding. The film was prepared from the self-assembly of nanometer-thi...

carbonates are among the most common soil constituents in arid and semiarid zones. they exhibit many significant differences in their chemical and mineralogical, suite, origin, physical and micromorphological properties and consequently in their activities in soil. the differences cause different properties of calcareous soils. six profiles of aridisols and inceptisols with carbonate accumulati...

A novel sulfonated polybenzimidazole/organoclay (Cloisite-30B) (SPBI/clay) nanocomposite membranes was successfully synthesized based on aromatic diacide (1) and diaminobenzidine. Nanocomposite membranes were fabricated using 1, 4-bis (hydroxymethyl) benzene (BHMB) as cross-linker, and Cloisite-30B organoclay as the pseudo cross-linker. The cross-linked SPBI/clay nanocomposite membranes were pr...

The Essen site has been chosen as an alternative site for nuclear waste disposal in Belgium. The soil formation involved at this site is the same as at Mol site: Boom clay. However, owing to its geographical situation closer to the sea, Boom clay at Essen presents a pore water salinity 4-5 times higher than Boom clay at Mol. This study aims at studying the effects of pore water salinity on the ...

shear modulus and damping ratio are important input parameters in dynamic analysis. a series of resonant column tests was carried out on pure clays and sand-clay mixtures prepared at different densities to investigate the effects of aggregate content, confining stress, void ratio and clay plasticity on the maximum shear modulus and minimum damping ratio. test results revealed an increase in the...