FUNDAMENTAL STUDY ON A NEW GRANULATION METHOD WITH THE PROCESS OF CRUMBLING PARTIALLY-CEMENTED LIQUID MUDS

Abstract

 A new method for granulating liquid muds is proposed in this study. The method includes the process which crumbles partially-cemented muds. Laboratory experiments showed that granulation could not be achieved if cement-mud mixtures were stirred just after the cement was poured to the liquid muds of marine clays. However, the mixtures could be granulated if they were restirred after they had been primary cured for the period from a few hours to about one day. The particle size of the granulated materials could be changed by adjusting the primary curing periods. Laboratory experiments revealed that the cone indices of the cement-mud mixtures just after primary cured can control the possibility of the granulation and the size of particles, regardless of the water content and the primary curing period of the muds. It was also found that the compressive strength of single particles of the granulated materials which were secondary cured could not be affected by the primary curing time.