Calcium carbonate precipitation in alkaline silica gel: Study of aragonite biomorph morphology

Details

Supervisors

Leyssens, Tom ; García Ruiz, Juan Manuel

Faculty

Faculté des sciences

Degree label

Master [120] en sciences chimiques, à finalité approfondie

Abstract

enBiomorphs are abiotic composite materials, made of a crystalline carbonate phase and an amorphous silica phase. The resulting structure takes on life-like shapes with smooth curvatures, breaking the rigid crystalline habitus. One such carbonate is calcium carbonate, forming biomorphs of a hydrated phase, momohydrocalcite, and of an anhydrous phase, aragonite. This work aims to study the morphology of biomorphic aragonite, to understand its formation conditions. This is done by a following of the crystallisation by optical microscopy and the creation of a morphogram. More detailed study of the micro-structuration of the biomorphs is realised by Scanning Electron Microscopy.