Influence of releasing graphene oxide into a clayey sand: physical and mechanical properties

Graphene oxide (GO) is increasingly used in various applications, and the implications of this nano-sized material entering the natural environment are of great interest. GO is highly soluble in water, and its accumulation in soil could significantly alter the physical and mechanical properties of the soil. In this laboratory study, we mixed GO with a soil (clayey sand, SC) to systematically study the engineering properties and microstructure of the modified soil. The experimental results reveal that the physical and mechanical properties and microstructure of clayey sand can be significantly changed by the addition of a minute quantity of GO. The liquid limit and plasticity index of the soil steadily increased (up to a GO concentration of 0.08 wt%), whereas the plastic limit did not change significantly. The addition of GO (up to 0.08 wt%) into the soil generally decreased the soil's void ratio under a given hydrostatic consolidation pressure, while increasing its undrained shear strength. Such remarkable modifications of soil by minute amounts of GO can be attributed to the extremely high specific surface area of GO and its stable dispersion in water.