Mitigating CaCO3 crystal nucleation and growth through continuous ion displacement via alternating electric fields
Abstract Mineral crystal formation poses a challenge on surfaces (e.g., heat exchangers, pipes, membranes, etc.) in contact with super-saturated fluids. Applying alternating currents (AC) to such surfaces can prevent surface crystallization under certain conditions. Here, we demonstrate that ion dis...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-55176-z |
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| author | Yiming Liu Minhao Xiao Xiaochuan Huang Jane Park Matthew E. Hoffman Yuren Feng Alicia Kyoungjin An Qilin Li Eric M. V. Hoek David Jassby |
| author_facet | Yiming Liu Minhao Xiao Xiaochuan Huang Jane Park Matthew E. Hoffman Yuren Feng Alicia Kyoungjin An Qilin Li Eric M. V. Hoek David Jassby |
| author_sort | Yiming Liu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Mineral crystal formation poses a challenge on surfaces (e.g., heat exchangers, pipes, membranes, etc.) in contact with super-saturated fluids. Applying alternating currents (AC) to such surfaces can prevent surface crystallization under certain conditions. Here, we demonstrate that ion displacement induced by periodic charging and discharging of the electrical double layer (EDL) inhibits both heterogeneous and homogeneous nucleation (and crystal growth) of CaCO3. Titanium sheets (meant to simulate metallic heat exchanger surfaces) are immersed in super-saturated CaCO3 solutions with a saturation index >11. We show that at relatively high AC frequencies, incomplete EDL formation leads to an alternating electric field that propagates far into the bulk solution, inducing rapid ion migration that overwhelms the Brownian motion of ions. Electrochemical characterization reveals EDL charging/discharging under AC conditions that greatly inhibits precipitation. Operating at 4 Vpp, 0.1–10 Hz reduces turbidity by over 96% and reduces CaCO3 coverage on the metal plates by over 92%. Based on electrokinetic and crystallization models, the ion displacement velocity (exceeding the mean Brownian velocity) and displacement length disrupts ion collision and crystal nucleation. Overall, the technique has potential for preventing mineral crystal formation in heat exchangers and many other industrially relevant systems. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e51698a9c5ca47589a7a9c128e0bb2fc |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-e51698a9c5ca47589a7a9c128e0bb2fc2025-01-05T12:39:13ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-01-0116111110.1038/s41467-024-55176-zMitigating CaCO3 crystal nucleation and growth through continuous ion displacement via alternating electric fieldsYiming Liu0Minhao Xiao1Xiaochuan Huang2Jane Park3Matthew E. Hoffman4Yuren Feng5Alicia Kyoungjin An6Qilin Li7Eric M. V. Hoek8David Jassby9Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)National Science Foundation (NSF) Nanosystems Engineering Research Center for Nanotechnology-Enabled Water Treatment, Rice UniversityDepartment of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, UCLADepartment of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)National Science Foundation (NSF) Nanosystems Engineering Research Center for Nanotechnology-Enabled Water Treatment, Rice UniversityDepartment of Chemical & Biological Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and TechnologyNational Science Foundation (NSF) Nanosystems Engineering Research Center for Nanotechnology-Enabled Water Treatment, Rice UniversityDepartment of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)Abstract Mineral crystal formation poses a challenge on surfaces (e.g., heat exchangers, pipes, membranes, etc.) in contact with super-saturated fluids. Applying alternating currents (AC) to such surfaces can prevent surface crystallization under certain conditions. Here, we demonstrate that ion displacement induced by periodic charging and discharging of the electrical double layer (EDL) inhibits both heterogeneous and homogeneous nucleation (and crystal growth) of CaCO3. Titanium sheets (meant to simulate metallic heat exchanger surfaces) are immersed in super-saturated CaCO3 solutions with a saturation index >11. We show that at relatively high AC frequencies, incomplete EDL formation leads to an alternating electric field that propagates far into the bulk solution, inducing rapid ion migration that overwhelms the Brownian motion of ions. Electrochemical characterization reveals EDL charging/discharging under AC conditions that greatly inhibits precipitation. Operating at 4 Vpp, 0.1–10 Hz reduces turbidity by over 96% and reduces CaCO3 coverage on the metal plates by over 92%. Based on electrokinetic and crystallization models, the ion displacement velocity (exceeding the mean Brownian velocity) and displacement length disrupts ion collision and crystal nucleation. Overall, the technique has potential for preventing mineral crystal formation in heat exchangers and many other industrially relevant systems.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-55176-z |
| spellingShingle | Yiming Liu Minhao Xiao Xiaochuan Huang Jane Park Matthew E. Hoffman Yuren Feng Alicia Kyoungjin An Qilin Li Eric M. V. Hoek David Jassby Mitigating CaCO3 crystal nucleation and growth through continuous ion displacement via alternating electric fields Nature Communications |
| title | Mitigating CaCO3 crystal nucleation and growth through continuous ion displacement via alternating electric fields |
| title_full | Mitigating CaCO3 crystal nucleation and growth through continuous ion displacement via alternating electric fields |
| title_fullStr | Mitigating CaCO3 crystal nucleation and growth through continuous ion displacement via alternating electric fields |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mitigating CaCO3 crystal nucleation and growth through continuous ion displacement via alternating electric fields |
| title_short | Mitigating CaCO3 crystal nucleation and growth through continuous ion displacement via alternating electric fields |
| title_sort | mitigating caco3 crystal nucleation and growth through continuous ion displacement via alternating electric fields |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-55176-z |
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