Solubility of C-A-S-H phases with high degree of heavy metal ion substitution

Knowledge about interactions between cementitious materials and dissolved metal (Me) ions is key for environmental remediation and waste management, but thermodynamic data on this topic are still limited. We present solubility data for nanocrystalline C-A-S-H phases substituted by distinct Me ions with (Ca + Me)/ (Si + Al) molar ratios from 0.86 to 1.04 and Ca2+ substitution of -48 mol% for Zn2+,-29 mol% for Co2+ and -27 mol% for Cu2+ in tobermorite-type Me-C-A-S-H. The solubility constants of the Me-C-A-S-H phases are significantly lower compared to pure C-A-S-H (logK =-8.3), ranging from logK =-8.6 to-11.3 for Co-C-A-S-H, logK =-9.1 to-11.6 for Cu-C-A-S-H and logK =-8.9 to-14.1 for Zn-C-A-S-H, as the Me content increases according to the expression: logKMe-C-A-S-H = 0.11 +/- 0.03.%Mesubstitution-8.33 +/- 0.12; R2 = 0.89 independent on the type of incorporated Me ion. Thus, newly-forming C-A-S-H phases have a high immobilization potential for aqueous Me ions. The novel solubility data open the door for thermodynamic modelling of Me ion mobility in aquatic media.

Automated summary

This study investigates the interactions between cementitious materials and dissolved metal ions, as well as the solubility of these metal ions. The results show that the solubility of C-A-S-H phases is significantly influenced by the content of metal ions. The newly-formed C-A-S-H phases have a high immobilization potential for aqueous metal ions. These findings provide a theoretical basis for the migration of metal ions in aquatic media.