Issue 14, 2019

Development of a novel CaCO3 PILP based cementation method for quartz sand

Abstract

In this work, an aqueous calcium carbonate precursor solution capable of grouting loose quartz sand is developed and tested for the cementation of an Ottawa fine sand sample. Poly(acrylic acid) is used as a stabilizer of the CaCO3 liquid precursor phase resulting in homogenous droplets of the mineral precursor. Afterwards, this precursor phase was applied on quartz sand grains leading to calcium carbonate mineralization primarily on the surface of the grains. Within several days, a continuous CaCO3 coating of the sand grains was achieved (thickness of ∼50 μm), cementing the grains together forming a bulk material. This resulting composite material of CaCO3 cemented quartz sand is analogous to sandstone, which shows cohesion and enhanced strength with respect to untreated soil sand samples. The experimental procedures by which the required coating thickness forms have been thoroughly investigated and re-engineered in order to lay a foundation for an industrially applicable method in terms of upscaling and on-site construction. Investigations of the underlying mineralization process of this method strongly suggest a polymer induced liquid precursor (PILP) process followed by a non-classical crystallization pathway. Based on the observations made by TEM, SAED, AUC, DLS, and ATR-IR, a mineralization pathway for the coating formation is herein proposed.

Graphical abstract: Development of a novel CaCO3 PILP based cementation method for quartz sand

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
21 Dec. 2018
Accepted
04 Febr. 2019
First published
13 Febr. 2019

CrystEngComm, 2019,21, 2273-2280

Development of a novel CaCO3 PILP based cementation method for quartz sand

C. Jenewein, C. Ruiz-Agudo, S. Wasman, L. Gower and H. Cölfen, CrystEngComm, 2019, 21, 2273 DOI: 10.1039/C8CE02158A

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements