Method of chemical soil stabilization and dust control

Abstract

A heterogeneous mixture produced by blending aliphatic or cyclic organic compounds with carboxylic acids of chemical structure R—COOH and applied to soils in a manner to produce high levels of dust and erosion control, and soil stabilization. Alternatively, a heterogeneous mixture may be produced by blending aliphatic or cyclic organic compounds with polyolefins of chemical structure C n H 2n or R—C 2n H 3n , and applied to soils in a manner to produce high levels of dust control and soil stabilization. The aliphatic and cyclic compounds act as plasticizers and carriers for the carboxylic acids or polyolefin compounds. When applied to soil the carrier provides a mechanism for the carboxylic acid or polyolefin to penetrate the soil and also acts as a dust suppressing weighting agent. The plasticized carboxylic acid and/or polyolefin provides a durable, reworkable binder that associates small particulates while stabilizing soil and aggregate.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of stabilizing soil and of controlling dust and erosion in soil comprising the step of applying to said soil a heterogeneous mixture or emulsion selected from one or more of the group consisting of aliphatic and cyclic organic compounds utilized as plasticizers and carriers that are blended with a material selected from one or more of the group consisting of carboxylic acids and polyolefins.  
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said mixture is uniformly or nonuniformly dispersed.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said mixture or emulsion comprises two or more immiscible liquids held in suspension by small percentages of emulsifiers.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the emulsifier is selected from the group consisting of any protein, carbohydrate polymers, long-chained alcohols, fatty acids, or surfactants.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3  wherein said mixture is an oil-in-water or water-in-oil continuous phase mixture.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the aliphatic organic compounds are selected from the group consisting of saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbons.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbons are selected from the group consisting of naturally occuring or synthetic paraffins, alkanes, olefins, alkenes, alkadienes, alcohols, ethers, aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids, and carbohydrates.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the cyclic organic compounds are selected from the group consisting of naturally occurring or synthetic alicyclic hydrocarbons, cycloparaffins, cycloolefins, cycloacetylenes, aromatic hydrocarbons, heterocyclics, and combinations of aliphatic and cyclic structures.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the combinations of aliphatic and cyclic structures are selected from the group consisting of naturally occurring or synthetic terpenes, amino acids, proteins and nucleic acids.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the material selected from one or more of the group consisting of carboxylic acids and polyolefins is a carboxylic acid and said carboxylic acid is selected from the group consisting of any substantially saturated or unsaturated fatty acids and their esters derived from animal or vegetable fat or oil and vegetable derived resins or rosin acids.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the carboxylic acid is R—COOH.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10  wherein said plasticizer comprises an organic compound added to the carboxylic acid to facilitate processing and increase the flexibility and durability of a final product.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10  wherein said organic compounds in which carboxylic acids are miscible or emulsifiable serve as a vehicle to aid in the dispersion and penetration of plasticized carboxylic acids into the soil.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said heterogeneous mixtures and emulsions are manufactured utilizing manufacturing equipment including, conventional mixers, emulsifiers, or colloid mills.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the aliphatic organic compounds are present in an amount from about 1% to about 95% by weight.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the cyclic organic compounds are present in an amount from about 1% to about 95% by weight.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the carboxylic acid is present in an amount from about 5% to about 70% by weight.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the application of the mixture or emulsion is accomplished by a spray means.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the spray means is gravity fed.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the spray means is pump fed.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the mixture or emulsion is applied neat.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the mixture or emulsion is diluted.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the material selected from one or more of the group consisting of carboxylic acids and polyolefins is a thermoplastic polyolefin compound and said thermoplastic polyolefin compound is a substance derived from olefins with a chemical structure C n H 2n  or Rn-C 2n H 3n , including polyethylene, polypropylene, polybutenes, polyisobutylenes, polyisoprene, and their copolymers.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the thermoplastic polyolefin compound is present in about 70 to about 90% by weight.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the plasticizer is any organic compound added to the thermoplastic polyolefin compound to facilitate processing and increase the flexibility and durability of the final product.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the carrier is any organic compound in which the polyolefin compound is miscible or emulsifiable with and serve as a vehicle to aid in the dispersion and penetration of plasticized polyolefin compound into the soil.  
     
     
         27 . A dust control and soil stabilizing heterogeneous mixture comprising: 
 (a) from about 1% to about 95% by weight of a severely hydrotreated paraffinic hydrocarbon;    (b) from about 1% to about 95% by weight synthetic iso-alkane; and    (c) from about 5% to about 70% by weight of one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of long chain and tricyclic organic acid and esters of sterols and fatty acids and thermoplastic polyolefin compounds.    
     
     
         28 . A dust control and soil stabilizing emulsion comprising: 
 (a) from about 1% to about 95% severely hydrotreated paraffinic hydrocarbons;    (b) from about 1% to about 95% by weight of a synthetic iso-alkane;    (c) from about 5% to about 70% by weight of one or more compounds selected from one or more of the group of long chain and tricyclic organic acids and esters of sterols and fatty acids and thermoplastic polyolefin compounds;    (d) from about 1% to about 80% by weight water;    (e) from about 2% to about 11% by weight of a material selected from the group of a lignosulfonate emulsifier and a low hydrophile-lipophile surfactant; and    (f) from about 1% to about 5% by weight polyoxypropylene emulsifier and a high hydrophile-lipophile surfactant.    
     
     
         29 . The dust control and soil stabilizing heterogeneous mixture of  claim 23  wherein: 
 (a) a particle weighting and loading mechanism is produced by the processes of adsorption, the adherence of molecules to the surface of particles and absorption, the penetration of the substance into the inner structure of the particles; and  
 (b) a binding mechanism is produced by higher polymeric carboxylic acids or higher polymeric polyolefin compounds that associate small particulates while stabilizing soil and aggregate particles into a tightly cohesive matrix.  
 
     
     
         30 . The dust control and soil stabilizing heterogeneous mixture of  claim 24  wherein: 
 (a) a particle weighting and loading mechanism is produced by the processes of adsorption, the adherence of molecules to the surface of particles and absorption, the penetration of the substance into the inner structure of the particles; and  
 (b) a binding mechanism is produced by higher polymeric carboxylic acids or higher polymeric polyolefin compounds that associate small particulates while stabilizing soil and aggregate particles into a tightly cohesive matrix.  
 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 1  wherein a carboxylic acid is used and there is an increase of soil stiffness and modules by from about 170% to about 180%.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 1  wherein a polyolefin is used and there is an increase of soil stiffness and modules by from about 115% to about 120%.