Electrodeposition of calcareous cement from seawater in marine silica sands

Andony Landivar Macias, Steven D. Jacobsen, Alessandro F. Rotta Loria*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The erosion of marine sediments is a pressing issue for coastal areas worldwide. Established methods to mitigate coastal erosion fail to provide lasting and sustainable solutions to protect marine ecosystems. Here we demonstrate the application of mild electrical stimulations to precipitate calcareous mineral binders from seawater in the pores of marine soils via electrodeposition, an alternative approach to mitigating coastal erosion. Results of electrochemical laboratory experiments unveil that the polymorphs, precipitation sites, intrusion mechanisms, and effects of electrodeposited minerals in marine sands vary as a function of the magnitude and duration of applied voltage, soil relative density, and electrolyte ionic concentration. Surprisingly, in addition to the precipitation of calcium carbonate and magnesium hydroxide, the formation of hydromagnesite is also observed due to electrically driven fluctuations in the local pH. These electrodeposits lead to enhanced mechanical and hydraulic properties of the marine sands, indicating that electrodeposition routes could be developed to reinforce marine soils in coastal areas that more closely mimic natural systems.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number442
JournalCommunications Earth and Environment
Volume5
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 2024

Funding

The authors would like to thank Prof. Jean-Fran\u00E7ois Gaillard, Dr. Nishu Devi, and Dr. Yeong-Man Kwon for their insightful comments on this work. Dr. Yeong-Man Kwon is particularly thanked for contributing to the XRD analyses performed as a part of this study. Dr. Raul Marrero is thanked for his help with the training on the sample preparation and mechanical testing procedures under unconfined conditions. This work made use of the EPIC facility of Northwestern University\u2019s NUANCE Center, which has received support from the SHyNE Resource (NSF ECCS-2025633), the IIN, and Northwestern\u2019s MRSEC program (NSF DMR-1720139), of the IMSERC Crystallography facility at Northwestern University, which has received support from the Soft and Hybrid Nanotechnology Experimental (SHyNE) Resource (NSF ECCS-2025633), and Northwestern University, and the Jerome B.Cohen X-Ray Diffraction Facility supported by the MRSEC program of the National Science Foundation (DMR-1720139) at the Materials Research Center of Northwestern University and the Soft and Hybrid Nanotechnology Experimental (SHyNE) Resource (NSF ECCS-1542205.). The seed funding provided by the Center for Engineering Sustainability and Resilience of Northwestern University in support of early developments behind this work is appreciated. This study is part of a broader research program funded by the Army Research Office (Grant No. W911NF2210291), whose financial support is greatly acknowledged.

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Environmental Science
  • General Earth and Planetary Sciences

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Electrodeposition of calcareous cement from seawater in marine silica sands'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this