Alcohol's effect on the hydraulic conductivity of consolidated clay

Centrifuge tests were carried out to determine the effect of different alcohols and one glycol on a thin consolidated disc of clay. The evolution of changes in the clay hydraulic conductivity with time was investigated and other structural changes due to chemical attack were monitored. The findings presented here demonstrate that the hydraulic conductivity of the clay appear to be generally related to the polarity of the chemicals and the dielectric constant, with the exception of butanol. In the case of butanol at low flow rate and low stress level, the action of the chemical caused the clay to crack, with a consequent large increase in flow. This effect on the clay hydraulic conductivity could be used for improving pollution remediation especially when alcohols are associated with gasoline.