High Water Content Research Articles

Stable conductive PANI-based hydrogels with antibacterial activity

Hydrogels have been utilized in various medical applications, including drug delivery, tissue repair, biosensors, wound dressing, and antimicrobial activity. Electrically conducting hydrogels are particularly promising due to their unique features, such as high-water content, biocompatibility, and adjustable mechanical and electrical properties. In this study, we developed novel conductive polyaniline-based hydrogel systems with enhanced antibacterial and mechanical properties. We specifically investigated the contributions of polyacrylamide, chitosan, phytic acid, and polyaniline to the hydrogel’s electrical sensitivity and stability under strain. Phytic acid and polyaniline were found to significantly improve the hydrogel’s electrical sensitivity and mechanical stability. Phytic acid, in the presence of calcium ions, further enhanced the mechanical properties, while polyaniline increased the electrical conductivity of the hydrogel by approximately sevenfold and also improved its mechanical properties. The newly developed conductive hydrogel system shows great potential for biomedical applications, including wearable sensors.

Study on the Macro-/Micrometric Characteristics and Mechanical Properties of Clayey Sandy Dredged Fill in the Guangdong Area.

The study of dredged fill in Guangdong (GD), China, is of great significance for reclamation projects. Currently, there are relatively few studies on dredged fill in Guangdong, and there are many differences in the engineering characteristics of dredged fill foundations formed through land reclamation and natural foundations. In order to have a more comprehensive understanding of the physico-mechanical properties of blowing fill in the coastal area of GD and to understand the effect of its long-term creep row on the long-term settlement and deformation of buildings, the material properties, microstructure, elemental composition, triaxial shear properties, and triaxial creep properties of dredged fill in Guangdong were studied and analyzed through indoor geotechnical tests, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and conventional triaxial shear tests and triaxial creep tests. The test results showed that the Guangdong dredged fill is characterized by a high water content, high pore ratio, and high-liquid-limit clayey sand, and the mineral composition is dominated by quartz and whitmoreite. The scanning electron microscopy results showed that the particles of the dredged fill showed an agglomerated morphology, and the surface of the test soil samples had scaly fine flakes and a fragmented structure. In the triaxial shear test, the GD dredged fill showed strain hardening characteristics, and the effective stress path showed continuous loading characteristics; the consolidated undrained shear test showed that the GD dredged fill had shear expansion characteristics under low-perimeter-pressure conditions. It was found that, with an increase in bias stress, the axial strain in the consolidated undrained triaxial creep test under the same perimeter pressure conditions gradually exceeded the axial strain in the consolidated drained triaxial creep test. The results of this study are of theoretical and practical significance for further understanding the mechanical properties of silty soils in the region and for the rational selection of soil strength parameters in practical engineering design.

Study on Efficient Operating Conditions for Bipolar Membrane Electrodialysis Using Different Ion Species and Anion-Exchange Membranes

To investigate efficient operating conditions for bipolar membrane electrodialysis (BMED), a comparison of current efficiency (CE) and power intensity (PI) was conducted using different anion-exchange membranes (AEMs) and salt solutions (NaCl and Na2SO4) as feed solutions in BMED. The results indicated that CE was higher and PI was lower for a commercial proton-blocking AEM (ACM) than for a standard AEM (ASE) when NaCl was used. This is because ASE has a higher water content than ACM, leading to greater H+ permeability, which reduces CE. Conversely, when Na2SO4 was used, ASE exhibited higher CE and lower cell voltage (CV) than ACM, resulting in lower PI for ASE. This is attributable to the fact that, with Na2SO4, the effect of CV was more significant than H+ permeability. These findings suggest that efficient operation can be achieved by selecting the appropriate combination of AEMs and salt solutions.

Peptide-Induced Hydrogelation with Ordered Metal-Organic Framework Nanoparticles Generating Reactive Oxygen Species for Integrated Wound Repair.

Hydrogels, with their high water content and flexible nature, are a promising class of medical dressings for combating bacterial wound infections. However, their development has been hindered by low sterilization efficiency. Here, this issue is addressed by designing a peptide hydrogel that assembles ordered metal-organic framework (MOF) nanoparticles with photocatalytic bactericidal activity. Specifically, a short peptide, Nap-Gly-Phe-Phe-His (Nap-GFFH), is used to induce the assembly of zinc-imidazolate MOF (ZIF-8) into a hydrogel (NHZ gel). This innovative structure integrates three key features: 1) ZIF-8 nanoparticles are encapsulated within the hydrogel, overcoming their inherent brittleness, insolubility, and limited moldability; 2) the ordered ZIF-8 structure enhances charge transfer, enabling efficient generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS); and 3) ZIF-8 simultaneously improves the photocatalytic bactericidal efficiency and mechanical properties of the hydrogel. The NHZ gel demonstrates remarkable antibacterial performance, achieving >99.9% and 99.99% inactivation of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, respectively, within 15 min of simulated solar radiation. Additionally, the NHZ gel exhibits excellent biocompatibility, water retention, and exudate absorption, highlighting its broad potential for wound healing.

Study on the effect of water on the shear behavior and microstructure of red mudstone

Red mudstone has significant hydrophilicity, that is hard at low water contents and soft and unstable at high water contents, and understanding the whole range of water content on the shear behavior of red mudstone is critical for evaluating red beds landslide stability. However, the deterioration mechanism of red mudstone in the process of gradual humidification is not clear in the whole range of water content. In this study, a series of mechanical and microscopic tests were carried out in the whole range of water content. A mechanical behavior prediction model for the entire process under the coupling of initial damage and load damage was constructed. The results show that the deterioration of shear strength, elastic modulus and strength parameters conforms to the “logistic model” curve with the increase of water content in the whole range of water content. In addition, the water sensitivity of cohesion was higher than the internal friction angle, and it gradually stabilized as water content increased. The weakening mechanism of the mechanical strength in the accelerated decline stage is the initiation and propagation of microcracks caused by mineral expansion, which leads to the corresponding shear behavior. Finally, the constructed damage model can be transformed into different yield conditions through parameter changes. The introduction of coupling damage enables the model to more accurately describe and predict the accelerated attenuation stage of red mudstone in the process of gradual humidification in the whole range of water content.

Flow field and performance analysis of downhole pipe string in single-well injection-production technology

High water content is a critical issue that must be urgently addressed in the current oilfield development, and the single-well injection-production technology (SWIPT) is an effective approach for achieving economical extraction in high-water-content oilfields. To meet the 5.5-inch casing size requirements, further improve SWIPT performance, and minimize the impact of pump pressurization on the subsequent oil–water separation process, dual-pump suction-SWIPT is proposed and an axial-flow cyclone separation pipe string is designed. A theoretical fluid–solid interaction (FSI) model of the downhole pipe string (DHPS) applicable to SWIPT is established through vibration testing and data analysis. Based on the new FSI model-corrected numerical simulation method, single-factor experiments are performed to analyze the medium transport process and oil–water separation performance within the flow field under structural vibration disturbances. The results indicate that the separation of fluid media within the single-well injection-production DHPS is not significantly affected by structural interference. The simulation results closely matched the experimental data, with the average error of the axial velocity at different test points being within 0.041 m/s. In the transport pipe regions, minor variations in the velocity and pressure fields are observed under vibration conditions. Under an inlet flow rate of 4 m3/h, split ratio of 30%, and oil volume fraction of 1%, the optimal separation efficiency of 97.26% is achieved. This study provides new insights for the development and application of SWIPT.

Full-field investigation of dissipative mechanisms and thermoelastic inversion effects within glass-fiber reinforced polyamides subjected to low-cycle fatigue

A comprehensive thermomechanical investigation has been conducted to study the local kinematic and calorimetric responses of wet glass-fiber reinforced polyamide 6.6 subjected to tensile-tensile low-cycle fatigue tests. Digital image correlation (DIC) and quantitative infrared thermography (QIRT) were combined simultaneously to monitor the onset and development of spatial heterogeneities. Fields of strain, strain rates, intrinsic dissipation and resulting thermoelastic sources were successively observed and thoroughly analyzed with regards to the main fiber orientation and water content. Areas of precocious heterogeneities were detected from the very beginning of the loading, roughly propagating along the main fiber orientation. A ratcheting effect induced by the positive mean stress was observed and accompanied by a slight cyclic creep of the specimens. At high water content, the thermoelastic inversion phenomenon appeared and progressively spread along the gage part of the specimen, highlighting both glassy and rubbery behavior of the samples investigated.

Dynamic response characteristics of coal/rock during water injection and freezing process under gas atmosphere and its control effect on gas outburst

The freezing method compensates for the defect of sacrificing coal integrity to reduce gas content, which is the case with traditional methods, achieving the improvement of coal body strength while reducing coal seam gas energy storage, improving the safety of coal and gas outburst accidents in deep coal seams during the process of rock cross-cut coal uncovering. This study conducted water injection and low-temperature freezing experiments on coal/rock samples under the gas atmosphere, analyzing the effects of water and temperature on sample temperature, deformation, and gas adsorption and desorption characteristics. The results indicate that water can displace adsorbed gas in coal/rock samples, and the relationship between the gas displacement and the water content of the sample satisfies an improved exponential function. The center temperature Tm of low water content coal/rock samples decreases with time and gradually tends to stabilize, while the Tm of high water content samples experiences a short-term deceleration or stagnation due to the phase transition heat release of water when it drops to around 0 °C. The cooling rate of samples with low water content and no gas is higher and that of rocks is higher than that of coal samples. Coal/rock samples with high water content experience frost heave during the freezing process, but the overall deformation is still dominated by cold shrinkage, and the amount of deformation is negatively correlated with temperature and water. The gas adsorption capacity of coal decreases linearly with the temperature. At the same time, an increase in water content and a decrease in freezing temperature will significantly reduce the gas desorption capacity of coal samples, effectively reducing the gas expansion energy of coal samples, especially the desorption gas expansion energy. In engineering implementation of this method, the ice phase network can fill the coal pores and cracks and improve the mechanical properties of the coal/rock mass, and the gas pressure in the coal seam and stress concentration near the coal rock interface can be reduced by low temperature and cold shrinkage, thereby achieving safe exposure of the coal seam and preventing accidents from occurring.

Hydrothermal carbonization of primary sewage sludge in a prototype reactor: Sensitivity analysis of key parameters for hydrochar and liquid phase upscaling and reuse

Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) of untreated sewage sludge with high water content was evaluated as an alternative to usual wastewater treatment. This bold approach allowed bioproducts useful as biofuel and nutrient sources to be obtained directly from raw sludge. HTC experiments were performed in a scalable arrangement (technology readiness level >4) composed of a 10-liter high-pressure reactor. The influence of the experimental conditions, including temperature (180-220°C), reaction time (60-120min), and pH (6.5-12.0), was evaluated on nutrients and heavy metal distribution through the liquid phase by a 23 central composite design with a triple central point. The bioproducts were characterized by a set of six analytical techniques, and the results were refined by statistical procedures (Principal Component Analysis and Response Surface Methodology). pH is a variable that impacts bioproducts’ characteristics, making it a guiding factor for application. Basic pH promotes transfer of components from solid to liquid phase, while natural pH favors the heating value of hydrochars. Liquid phase is a carbon- and nitrogen-rich source that can be useful for plant nutrition, mainly due to the increase of ammonia nitrogen from 20.6 to 51.7wt.% under pH 6.5, and an expressive decrease of chemical oxygen demand from 32 to 6-16 mgO2L-1. The hydrochar can be considered a renewable solid fuel, reaching up to 12.43 MJ kg-1 under pH 6.5; the basic pH favored an increase in the O/C ratio and lower HHV values. HTC of primary sewage sludge can replace steps of a conventional treatment station and promotes treated wastewater reuse.

A novel smart window based on co-crosslinked hydrogel with temperature self-adaptability and anti-freezing functions for building energy saving

Thermochromic smart windows based on hydrogels with adaptive regulation of solar radiation have attracted an increasing attention due to their potential in temperature management. However, hydrogels with extremely high water content may freeze, leading to the risk of transparency reduction and even window breakage in cold environment. In this study, co-crosslinked P(NIPAM-co-AM)@GLY@PVA hydrogel with excellent solar radiation regulation and anti-freezing performance was prepared by introducing antifreeze glycerol (GLY) and polymer polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). By adjusting the amount of GLY, PVA and hydrophilic AM, P(NIPAM-co-AM)@GLY@PVA hydrogel showed a satisfactory thermochromic performance, with a luminous transmittance (Tlum) of 68.05 %, a solar modulation ability (ΔTsol) of 62.11 %, a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of ∼24 °C and an antifreeze temperature of −15 °C. The thermal management experiments proved that the thermochromic@anti-freezing (TCA) smart window assembled based on P(NIPAM-co-AM)@GLY@PVA hydrogel had an excellent performance in managing indoor temperature and cyclic stability. This work may open a new avenue to solve problems in the application field of hydrogel-based smart windows

Nature's secret weapon: Watermelon seed oil as petroleum jelly alternative for oily skin care moisturizer

Watermelon seed are known for their high-water content, typically around 90%, which makes hem incredibly hydrating. Watermelon is also rich in vitamins A and C, potassium, magnesium, and dietary fibre. They are rich in nutrients such as protein, amino acids, minerals, healthy fats, antioxidants, and dietary fiber. They can be consumed raw or roasted/sprouted. Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) is a fruit from the plant family of Cucurbitaceae. Watermelon is an edible fruit containing 92% water and 6% sugar. Watermelon seed oil is a versatile and effective skincare product suitable for all skin types, including oily, dry, and sensitive ones, thanks to its light, fast-absorbing properties. Petroleum jelly is an oil-based product that forms an oily film over the surface of the skin. Petroleum jelly’s benefits come from its main ingredient petroleum, which helps seal your skin with a water-protective barrier. Watermelon seed oil is a good replacement for petroleum jelly. The prepared moisturizer having good effect on skin and fulfil all he parameters intended for moisturizing effect.

Developing drought and heat-resistant grapevine cultivars through marker-assisted breeding

Climate change poses significant challenges to viticulture, particularly through increased drought and heat stress. This study integrates physiological, biochemical, genomic, and field performance assessments to identify traits and genetic markers associated with stress tolerance in five grapevine cultivars: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Syrah, Merlot, and Riesling. Genomic analysis revealed specific SNP markers on chromosomes 4 and 8, linked to water-use efficiency (WUE) and proline accumulation, crucial for osmotic balance under drought conditions. Physiological assessments showed that Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot maintained high relative water content and low stomatal conductance, reducing water loss. Biochemical analysis indicated that Chardonnay and Syrah had elevated heat shock protein (HSP) expression and low malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, supporting cellular stability under heat. Field trials further validated these traits, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay demonstrating yield stability and high sugar content despite stress. This research underscores the potential of marker-assisted breeding to develop climate-resilient grapevine cultivars, offering practical insights for sustainable viticulture in the face of global climate shifts.

The mechanism of accelerator types on calcium leaching in shotcrete

In regions characterized by abundant water, the surrounding rock exhibits a high water content, which leads to calcium leaching in the shotcrete of the tunnel. This poses a significant hazard to the safe operation of the tunnel. The experimental design focuses on three commonly used accelerators in the market and investigates the leaching process of samples under accelerated leaching conditions. By integrating XRD, TG, and SEM-EDS testing, the calcium leaching mechanism of shotcrete was elucidated. Results revealed that sodium aluminate-based liquid accelerator exhibits the highest detrimental effect on mortar resistance against calcium leaching, followed by fluoroaluminic acid-based liquid accelerator. Additionally, an appropriate amount of aluminum sulfate-based liquid accelerator can effectively mitigate performance degradation during leaching processes in shotcrete. The addition of aluminum sulfate reduces CH content and C-S-H Ca/Si ratio of hydration products, leading to wrapping AFt generated by cement hydration with C-S-H and thereby slowing down solid calcium-containing substance dissolution in hydration products. A moderate accelerator can enhance shotcrete porosity so that corrosive products like CaCl2 accumulate in existing pores first, reducing shotcrete performance deterioration rate.

A new PVA-κCA double-network hydrogel comprising conductive polyaniline nanofibers for strain sensing applications

AbstractWearable and flexible materials are replacing the conventional solid-state sensors in diffident biomedical applications. Hydrogel-based sensing elements offer several appealing inherent properties such as tissue resembling elasticity, accessibility for modification and robust mechanical performance. Their widely available and affordable raw components in-addition to straightforward synthesis and modification approach make hydrogels appealing material for flexible and wearable sensors in biomedical applications. This work demonstrates the development of new and sensitive material for strain sensing using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and κ-carrageenan (κCA) hydrogel comprising conductive polyaniline nanofibers (PANI NFs). The double-network hydrogel was produced via chemical crosslinking of PVA with Glutaraldehyde (GA) and physical crosslinking of κCA with potassium ions in a binary solvent system of deionized water and glycerol. The PANI NFs were then embedded in the hydrogel via the interfacial polymerization (IP) method of polyaniline nanofibers to significantly enhance the material properties and strain sensitivity of the pristine hydrogel. The obtained hydrogel has been involved in rigorous material characterization and sensing capability evaluation. The produced hydrogel demonstrated a high-water content (86.6%), high swelling percentage in acidic solutions, mechanical compressibility up to 60% at 400 kPa, high electrical conductivity of 2.11 S/m, and thermal stability ranging from − 26.9 to 120 oC. The hydrogel resulted in a linear response in its sensing performance of the applied stress (R2 = 0.99). Also, the developed composite demonstrated a sensitivity of 1.5 mV/kPa in stress range from zero up to 170 kPa with response and recovery times of ~ 300 ms and 500 ms, respectively.

Antimicrobial Activity of Glycyrrhizinic Acid Is pH-Dependent.

In recent years, antimicrobial hydrogels have attracted much attention in biomedical applications due to their biocompatibility and high water content. Glycyrrhizin (GA) is an antimicrobial that can form pH-dependent hydrogels due to the three carboxyl groups of GA that differ in pKa value. The influence of GA protonation on the antimicrobial activity, however, has never been studied before. Therefore, we investigated the effect of the pH on the antimicrobial activity of GA against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Klebsiella aerogenes, and two strains of Escherichia coli. In general, the antimicrobial activity of GA increases as a function of decreasing pH (and thus increasing protonation of GA). More specifically, fully protonated GA hydrogels (pH = 3) are required for growth inhibition and killing of E. coli UTI89 and Klebsiella in the suspension above the hydrogel, while the staphylococci strains and A. baumannii are already inhibited by fully deprotonated GA (pH = 6.8). P. aeruginosa and E. coli DH5α showed moderate susceptibility, as they are completely inhibited by a hydrogel at pH 3.8, containing partly protonated GA, but not by fully deprotonated GA (pH = 6.8). The antimicrobial activity of the hydrogel cannot solely be attributed to the resulting pH decrease of the suspension, as the presence of GA significantly increases the activity. Instead, this increased activity is due to the release of GA from the hydrogel into the suspension, where it directly interacts with the bacteria. Moreover, we provide evidence indicating that the pH dependency of the antimicrobial activity is due to differences in GA protonation state by treating the pathogens with GA solutions differing in their GA protonation distribution. Finally, we show by LC-MS that there is no chemical or enzymatic breakdown of GA. Overall, our results demonstrate that the pH influences not only the physical but also the antimicrobial properties of the GA hydrogels.

Synergy effect of Ag nanoparticles and deep eutectic solvents in the CO2 capture process: A computational approach

The worsening of global warming has caused several problems for the planet, especially due to the high CO2 emissions in the atmosphere. Then, it is necessary to find new ways or improve the ways already used to capture the CO2 gas. This work reported through Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations, the use of silver nanoparticles (AgNP) to improve the CO2 capture in the ethaline (1ChCl:2E), reline (1ChCl:2U), and glyceline (1ChCl:2G) solvents. Furthermore, the effect of water addition also was simulated in the 2.5 and 5 % concentrations. The MD simulations indicated that the AgNP presence in the three solvents occasioned increased hydrogen bonds (HB) between the CO2 gas and species acting as hydrogen bond donors (HBD), resulting in a reduction of interaction potential values for this group, resulting in improvement of CO2 process capture, especially for the AgNP-reline-CO2 system. Furthermore, the structural analysis from MD simulations suggested that ethylene glycol and urea are the key species in the CO2 capture process for the AgNP-ethaline-CO2 and AgNP-reline-CO2 systems, respectively. For the AgNP-glyceline-CO2 system, the structural analysis indicates that the AgNP is the key species in the CO2 process capture. Analyzing the increase in the water effect, it was observed that the CO2 capture process worsened, especially with the highest water concentration.

Enhanced adhesive hydrogel for emergency hemostasis by balancing adhesion and cohesion

Hydrogel adhesives have broad application prospects in biomedical fields such as tissue engineering and emergency rescue. However, due to the high water content and defective network structure, their inherent mechanical strength is low, which seriously hinders their application. In the present work, enhanced adhesive hydrogels could be synthesized by balancing cohesion and adhesion forces. The adhesive hydrogel composed of acryloyl aspartic acid and glycine shows a more dense mesh structure through intermolecular hydrogen bond interactions. As a result, the adhesive hydrogel exhibits enhanced tissue adhesion strength, which benefit from the balance between cohesion and adhesion.

Effect of hydrogen bonding strength on the structure and properties of phase-separated hydrogel from gelatin

Dynamic bonded tough hydrogels often contain phase-separated structures that facilitate multiscale energy dissipation. However, the influence of bonding strength on the phase-separated structures and properties of hydrogels has been understudied. In this work, the hydrogen bonding strength within phase-separated gelatin/acrylic acid copolymer hydrogels was modulated by varying the methyl group content in the acrylic acid copolymer. It was found the mechanical properties of the hydrogels are determined by a synergistic effect between water content and hydrogen bond strength. Both weak and strong hydrogen bonds resulted in the hydrogel with high water content and low mechanical strength. It was observed that the chain dense regions within the hydrogels became more condensed and larger with increasing hydrogen bonding strength. The high water content in gels with strong hydrogen bonds is attributed to the formation of condensed chain dense regions, which prevent significant shrinkage of the hydrogel. The combination of high water content and condensed chain dense regions resulted in sparse chain loose regions within the hydrogel, which provided water channels for ion transport, enabling high ionic conductivity even at a reduced water content of 28.9 wt%.

Solvent effect on facile in situ precipitation of nickel–iron hydroxide for enhanced overall water splitting

Efficient and economical electrocatalysts are essential for addressing the high overpotential challenges of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in electrochemical water splitting. This study explores the synthesis of nickel–iron hydroxide (NiFeOH) catalysts via in situ precipitation, focusing on the impact of the solvent composition on the morphology and catalytic performance of the material. The volumetric ratio of H2O to ethanol in the solvent mixture was systematically varied, revealing that higher proportions of H2O promoted the formation of thicker and larger needle-like NiFeOH structures. In contrast with the common preference for thin needle-shaped morphologies, our findings reveal that these thicker structures exhibit superior electrocatalytic activity. This enhanced performance is attributed to the higher iron content and faster reaction kinetics promoted by the increased permittivity of water-rich environments. The optimized NiFeOH catalysts, particularly those with higher water content, exhibit excellent OER and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activities, achieving low overpotentials of 288 mV at 100 mA cm−2 for OER and 131 mV at 10 mA cm−2 for HER. Furthermore, long-term stability tests confirmed the robustness of the catalysts, with minimal morphological degradation and consistent performance in overall water splitting. This work highlights the significance of solvent effects in tailoring the morphology and catalytic properties of NiFeOH, providing valuable insights for the design of effective water-splitting electrocatalysts.

Consolidation characteristics of compacted clayey soils treated with various biomass ashes

The increasing volume of surplus soil generated from excavation works in infrastructure projects such as roads, railroads, and subway facilities poses significant environmental and logistical challenges, particularly in terms of its disposal. Therefore, the development of engineering technologies that promote the effective use of surplus soil has intensified. Among surplus soils, clay is soft and must be treated when used as a backfill or fill material. Cement-based stabilizers are commonly used for soil treatment; however, the production of cement involves high carbon-dioxide emissions, which conflicts with Japan's carbon-neutrality goals. This study investigates the use of alternative stabilizers derived from biomass waste, specifically palm kernel shell ash (PKSA) and rice husk ash (RHA), to treat clayey soils intended for use as a backfill material in road construction. Experiments are conducted to evaluate the compaction and consolidation properties of clayey soils treated with PKSA and RHA. The results indicate that both stabilizers reduced the maximum dry density and increased the optimum water content of the treated soils. PKSA and RHA treatments enhanced compaction control, particularly on the wet side above the optimum water content, thus facilitating the achievement of a high compaction degree of 95 % under high initial water contents. Consolidation test results indicate that treatment with PKSA and RHA increases the consolidation yielding stress and reduces the volume compressibility, and that these effects are more pronounced at higher compaction levels. These results suggest that adding PKSA or RHA can expand the load range that exhibits elastic settlement and may reduce the consolidation settlement. At the same addition rate, PKSA treatment increases the consolidation yielding stress more significantly than RHA treatment. Additionally, PKSA treatment improves the stiffness and reduces the hydraulic conductivity at lower consolidation pressures compared with RHA treatment, thus indicating the greater effect of PKSA. Based on results of scanning electron microscopy, the enhancement in the stiffness and permeability afforded by PKSA is attributed to the formation of needle-like ettringite crystals, which strengthened the soil structure. By contrast, RHA treatment results in densely packed particles, which is attributable to limited hydration reactions caused by low CaO and high SiO₂ contents. Thus, different mechanisms can result in different consolidation parameters of PKSA- and RHA-treated clays. However, both the PKSA- and RHA-treated clays indicate reduced coefficients of volume compressibility and permeability at a compaction degree of 95 %, with a stabilizer-to-clay ratio of up to 15 % by dry mass. Because neither PKSA nor RHA require high addition rates to improve the properties of surplus soft clays, these results suggest that PKSA and RHA can effectively enhance the compaction and consolidation properties of clayey soils. PKSA and RHA treatments are sustainable alternatives to the conventional cement-based treatments and support the environmental goals of construction projects.