Structural changes in calcium silicate hydrate gel and resulting improvement in phosphate species removal properties after mechanochemical treatment

Continuous Phosphate Removal and Recovery Using a Calcium Silicate Hydrate Composite Monolithic Cryogel Column

Toward the development of a practical and green approach for removing phosphate from water, a monolithic cryogel based on starch and calcium silicate hydrate (Cry-CSH) was employed as a phosphate adsorbent in a continuous flow system for the first time. The influence of flow rate, initial phosphate concentration, and adsorbent height on the adsorption efficiency was investigated. As the rate of flow and the initial concentration of phosphate increased, the total quantity of adsorbed phosphate dropped; however, the performance of the column was greatly enhanced by an increase in adsorbent height. The experimental data fit the Adams-Bohart model better than the Thomas and Yoon-Nelson models at the beginning of the adsorption process. To evaluate its applicability, the continuous flow system based on the monolithic Cry-CSH column was applied for the removal of phosphate from the discharge effluent of the Patong Municipality Wastewater Treatment Plant (Phuket, Thailand), achieving an excellent total adsorption of 94.61%.

Two-Dimensional calcium silicate nanosheets for trapping atmospheric water molecules in humidity-immune gas sensors

In humid conditions, water vapor can easily neutralize the surface active sites of metal oxide sensors, leading to a lowering in the sensitivity of the gas sensor and a resultant inaccurate signal in practical applications. Herein, we present a new hybrid sensor by introducing a two-dimensional calcium silicate (CS) nanosheet as a water-trapping layer in SnO₂ nanowires. Unlike the heavily wrinkled and aggregated morphology of conventional CS nanosheets, our nanosheet in the hybrid material is ultrathin and flat. Moreover, it was grown in the empty spaces between the spider-web-like networks of SnO₂ nanowires without covering the nanowire surface. These two morphological features improve moisture trapping with minimal reduction in the active sensing area. Consequently, stable and sensitive gas detection under humid conditions was achieved in this hybrid sensor. The superior humidity-independent sensing is ascribed to the preferential adsorption of water molecules on hydroscopic CS nanosheets through the hydrogen bond. Based on density functional theory calculations, we determined that the improved gas response is driven by the additional formation of oxygen vacancy in SnO₂ due to the diffusion of aliovalent Ca ions from the CS nanosheet.

Removal and recovery of phosphate using a novel calcium silicate hydrate composite starch cryogel

Phosphate is a major pollutant that deteriorates water quality and causes eutrophication, a novel calcium silicate hydrate composite cryogel (Cry-CSH) was thus successfully prepared for phosphate removal and recovery in this work. Calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) was mixed with the gel precursor (7.5% w/w) prepared from native starch and limewater (saturated calcium hydroxide solution as the cross-linker). The mixture was frozen and thawed for 3 cycles giving an interconnected macroporous composite. This had C-S-H nanoparticles (75 mg) immobilized on a monolithic floatable cryogel network (2.5 cm diameter × 1.0 cm height) enabling an easier recovery and without the losses that occur when using C-S-H nanoparticles. The phosphate adsorption reaches equilibrium at 120 min with adsorption capacity of 2.50 mgPO₄^3-/g_Cry-CSH (65.42 mgPO₄^3-/g_C-S-H) under optimum conditions. Adsorption equilibrium data were well fit by the Freundlich isotherm model, while kinetic results were well fit by the pseudo second-order model. The calculated activation energy (E_a) of 43.9 kJ/mol indicates chemical adsorption, while a positive change in enthalpy (ΔH⁰, 19.3 kJ/mol) indicates the endothermic nature of phosphate adsorption. Cry-CSH can remove phosphate from wastewater and effluent samples with excellent removal efficiency (>98%). It can float on water surface for at least 105 days without damage, while its phosphate adsorbed form can be biodegraded within 10 days under soil buried conditions. Thus, this work demonstrated the significant potential of Cry-CSH for practical and environmentally friendly phosphate removal and recovery.

The Effect of Exposure on the Autogenous Self-Healing of Ordinary Portland Cement Mortars

Exposure conditions are critical for the autogenous self-healing process of Portland cement based binder matrixes. However, there is still a significant lack of fundamental knowledge related to this factor. The aim of this paper was to investigate and understand the effects of various potentially applicable curing solutions on the efficiency of the crack closure occurring both superficially and internally. Four groups of exposures were tested, including exposure with different water immersion regimes, variable temperatures, application of chemical admixtures, and use of solutions containing micro particles. The self-healing process was evaluated externally, at the surface of the crack, and internally, at different crack depths with the use of optical and scanning electron microscopes (SEM). The phase identification was done with an energy dispersive spectrometer combined with the SEM. The results showed very limited self-healing in all pure water-based exposures, despite the application of different cycles, temperatures, and water volumes. The addition of a phosphate-based retarding admixture demonstrated the highest crack closure, both internally and externally. The highest strength recovery and a very good crack closure ratio was achieved in water exposure containing micro silica particles. The main phase observed on the surface was calcium carbonate, and internally, calcium silicate hydrate, calcium carbonate, and calcium phosphate compounds. Phosphate ions were found to contribute to the filling of the crack, most likely by preventing the formation of a dense shell composed of hydration phases on the exposed areas by crack unhydrated cement grains as well as by the additional precipitation of calcium and phosphate-based compounds. The micro sized silica particles presumably served as nucleation sites for the self-healing products growth. Changes in the chemical composition of the self-healing material were observed with a distance from the surface of the specimen.