Mechanisms controlling the hydraulic conductivity of anionic polymer-enhanced GCLs

The hydraulic conductivity (k) of specimens of enhanced-bentonite geosynthetic clay liners (EB-GCLs) comprising anionic polymers permeated with two concentrated salt solutions, 500 mM NaCl and 167 mM CaCl₂, was measured to determine the effects of polymer properties and specimen preparation method on the k and the associated roles of polymer retention and elution in dictating the measured k. The results of hydrogel formation tests illustrated that poly(acrylic acid) hydrogel was formed in solutions tested during EB-GCL hydration. A dry sprinkling method of specimen preparation resulted in low k (≤5.5 × 10⁻¹¹ m/s) in multiple EB-GCLs, with a low fraction (≤2.5%) of retained polymer. In contrast, polymer elution from EB-GCLs prepared using a dry mixing method resulted in interaggregate seepage and an increase in k. Higher polymer retention occurred for the wet-mixed EB-GCLs, but did not directly correlate to low k. The long-term k of the EB-GCLs is dependent on several factors, including (i) formation of hydrogel, (ii) mobilization of hydrogel into and blocking of the most conductive pores, (iii) balance of seepage forces and hydrogel crosslink bond strength, (iv) kinetics of hydrogel formation, and (v) adsorption of polymer to the surfaces of the bentonite particles or aggregates of particles.