Light Microscopy Imaging and Rheology Measurements of Soil-Polymer Mixtures

We present video data from experiments of soil-polymer interactions conducted to understand the micro-scale interactions between soil and polymers that influence soil improvement. We include light microscopy videos of control sand in its natural form. The same control sand was modified with two biopolymers, xanthan gum and chitosan and the mixtures were air dried. This drying was observed under the microscope. The videos document time-dependent changes in microstructure, particle arrangement, and soil-polymer interaction during drying, providing information that cannot be fully captured through still images alone. Also included are Rheological measurements of xanthan gum and chitosan polymer solutions used in the study. This same procedure can be applied to other soil types such as silts with other polymer types to observe the micro-structural changes and correlate these to the macroscopic response of soil-polymer mixtures. The Dataset overview file included provides information about the experiment process and equipment and about the videos and measurements.