**8. Nanofiber-used geotextiles**

In general, geotextiles can be fabricated with a fiber size of more than 1 denier. However, when the size of a fiber becomes micro fine or nanofiber size, it has a great advantage in restoring the environment from pollution or improving filtration performance (**Figure 12**).

As shown in **Figure 13**, the filtering capacity of the geotextile depends on the number of fibers per unit area, the size of the pores, and the compositional structure. Therefore, when nanofibers are used, the smaller the pores constituting the geotextile, the removal rate of the toxic water is improved. However, at present, there is not a variety of techniques for manufacturing nanofibers, and since the manufactured nanofibers are expensive, the practical use of nanofibers is very slow.

In general, regular fibers are widely used to manufacture geotextiles and geogrids, but filtration efficiency of microfiber and nanofiber geotextiles is better than regular fiber-used geotextiles. To consider this, it is expected that nanofiber geosynthetics could be the smart filtration function in geoenvironmental applications by their composition structure as in **Figure 3**. If the numbers of filled fibers per unit area are increasing, pore size among nanofibers is decreasing. Therefore, the fine particles cannot pass through pores by nanofibers, and the filtration efficiency will be improved. This means that ultrathin geosynthetic filter can be manufactured with high-quality filtration function to absorb the fine impurities and toxic components in water and air media (**Figure 14**).

**Figure 15** shows the separation concept of nanofiber air filter by pressure. To be the best air

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In order to remove the heavy metals and toxic substances contained in polluted soil, nonwoven geotextile is used which is made by mixing nanoparticle clay with polyester fiber (**Figure 16**). Of course, the engineering performance of mixed nonwoven geotextile will vary depending on the composition of clay and particle size, but the strength degradation due to leachate, chemical, and biological degradation of waste landfill is not greater than that of

filter, higher particle collection and dust retention rate should be required.

**Figure 14.** Geotextile filtration ability according to the number of filled fibers.

**Figure 13.** Impurity removal ratio according to geotextile pore size.

**Figure 12.** Thickness of fiber for geosynthetic fiber production.

Polymeric Synthetic Fabrics to Improve Stability of Ground Structure in Civil Engineering… http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.81246 89

**Figure 13.** Impurity removal ratio according to geotextile pore size.

products becomes greater, it is possible to apply and expand key technologies for vegetable

In general, geotextiles can be fabricated with a fiber size of more than 1 denier. However, when the size of a fiber becomes micro fine or nanofiber size, it has a great advantage in restoring the environment from pollution or improving filtration performance (**Figure 12**).

As shown in **Figure 13**, the filtering capacity of the geotextile depends on the number of fibers per unit area, the size of the pores, and the compositional structure. Therefore, when nanofibers are used, the smaller the pores constituting the geotextile, the removal rate of the toxic water is improved. However, at present, there is not a variety of techniques for manufacturing nanofibers, and since the manufactured nanofibers are expensive, the practical use

In general, regular fibers are widely used to manufacture geotextiles and geogrids, but filtration efficiency of microfiber and nanofiber geotextiles is better than regular fiber-used geotextiles. To consider this, it is expected that nanofiber geosynthetics could be the smart filtration function in geoenvironmental applications by their composition structure as in **Figure 3**. If the numbers of filled fibers per unit area are increasing, pore size among nanofibers is decreasing. Therefore, the fine particles cannot pass through pores by nanofibers, and the filtration efficiency will be improved. This means that ultrathin geosynthetic filter can be manufactured with high-quality filtration function to absorb the fine impurities and toxic components in

mats made from biodegradable resins.

88 Engineered Fabrics

**8. Nanofiber-used geotextiles**

of nanofibers is very slow.

water and air media (**Figure 14**).

**Figure 12.** Thickness of fiber for geosynthetic fiber production.

**Figure 14.** Geotextile filtration ability according to the number of filled fibers.

**Figure 15** shows the separation concept of nanofiber air filter by pressure. To be the best air filter, higher particle collection and dust retention rate should be required.

In order to remove the heavy metals and toxic substances contained in polluted soil, nonwoven geotextile is used which is made by mixing nanoparticle clay with polyester fiber (**Figure 16**). Of course, the engineering performance of mixed nonwoven geotextile will vary depending on the composition of clay and particle size, but the strength degradation due to leachate, chemical, and biological degradation of waste landfill is not greater than that of

In addition, it is expected that the utilization of civil engineering products will be further enhanced by various applications of the development and manufacturing methods of geosynthetics. For this, new convergence type composite geotextile-manufacturing technology should be developed not only standardization and reliability of evaluation methods but also

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[1] Giroud JP. Geotextiles and Geomembranes—Definitions, Properties and Design. Vol.

[2] Koerner RM. Designing with Geosynthetics. 5th ed. New Jersey, USA: Prentice-Hall Inc.;

[3] Rawal A, Shah T. Geotextiles: Production, properties and performance. Textile Progress.

[4] Koerner RM, Koerner GR. Lessons learned from geotextile filter failures under challeng-

[5] International Geosynthetics Socoity (IGS), Education Resource. https://www.geosynthet-

[6] Koerner RM, Koerner GR. Geotextile filter failures: Examples and lessons learned. In: Proceedings of the 25th Central Pennsylvania Geotechnical Conference; Hershey, PA,

[7] Maiser M, Myles B. Possible culpability of filter geotextile in the failure of a sea wall. In: Proceedings of the 1st Pan American Geosynthetics Conference; Cancun, Mexico. 2008.

[8] Lawson C. Geotextile containment—International perspectives. In: Proceedings GRI-17.

[9] Heibaum M. Special issue on geotextile containers. Journal of Geotextiles and

[10] Hsieh CW, Lin CK, Chiu YF. The strength properties of geotextiles in ocean environments. In: Proceedings of the EuroGeo3; Munich, Germany. 2004. pp. 377-382

ing field conditions. Geotextiles and Geomembranes. 2015;**43**:272-281

Hot Topics in Geosynthetics IV, GII; Folsom, PA. 2003. pp. 178-201

design and construction methods and equipment.

Address all correspondence to: hyjeon@inha.ac.kr

1-3. St. Paul, Minnesota: IFAI; 1984

icssociety.org/education-resources/

Geomembranes. 2002;**20**(5):279-342

Department of Chemical Engineering, Inha University, Incheon, South Korea

**Author details**

Han-Yong Jeon

**References**

2005

2010;**42**:181-226

(on CD). 2011

pp. 833-841

**Figure 15.** Maintenance of filtration efficiency for nanofiber filter.

**Figure 16.** Nonwoven geotextiles with/without nano-clay.

nonwoven geotextile without clay. Also, AOS is higher than that of the nonwoven geotextile which is not mixed with clay, so that the permeability is improved.
