Reporters learned from the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (hereinafter referred to as the "Xinjiang Institute of Biosciences") on the 17th that the desert research team of the Institute has successfully explored the sand fixation mechanism of bentonite, developed new technologies for sand fixation and ecological management of bentonite, and achieved remarkable results in field tests. This discovery is expected to provide a new path for sand prevention and control. The related achievements were recently published online in the international journal "Environmental Technology and Innovation". Bentonite is a natural mineral clay with characteristics such as adsorption, water absorption and expansion, and non toxicity. Researchers have conducted comprehensive research on the improvement and fixation effects of bentonite addition on the properties of aeolian sandy soil over a period of 5 years. Li Congjuan, the corresponding author of the paper and researcher at the Xinjiang Institute of Geology, introduced that they added bentonite to sandy soil in a ratio ranging from 0.1% to 12%, and analyzed performance indicators such as wind erosion rate, shear strength, and compressive strength. Research has found that a 0.2% bentonite content can form a physical crust similar to biological crust on the surface of quicksand. Low proportion (lt; 1%) addition can be used for ecological restoration, improving the water retention capacity and physical properties of windblown sand; 1% -2% can be added as windbreak and sand fixation materials; A high proportion (over 5%) can be added for the reinforcement of flowing desert mining areas and road channel slopes. In the wind eroded and sandy area of Chaiwobao Lake in Xinjiang, researchers added a certain proportion of bentonite and organic fertilizer compounds to the sandy soil, and then selected drought resistant and saline alkali resistant plants that were suitable for the local soil environment. They successfully restored the previously barren wind eroded sandy land to green and significantly improved vegetation coverage. Li Congjuan believes that the reserves of bentonite are abundant, and using it for desertification prevention and improvement of windblown sand is much cheaper than traditional mechanical and biological windbreak and sand fixation measures, and also avoids secondary pollution caused by chemical sand fixation. It has great potential for application in windblown sand disaster control and desert ecological restoration. (Lai Xin She)
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