Consolidation of volcanic tuffs with TEOS and TMOS: a systematic study

In this study, nine volcanic tuffs from Armenia, Germany and Mexico were treated with two commercially available consolidants on base of silicic acid ester, as well as different pretreatments with an anti-swelling agent and/or primer components. Prior to the treatment, the tuffs were analyzed regarding their petrography and mineralogy, with a greater focus on their clay mineral content. The effect of the consolidation was evaluated by comparative analyses of petrophysical properties and weathering behavior before and after the treatments. The main goals of this study were to identify a general suitability of different consolidating treatments for different types of tuff, evaluating tartaric acid as a primer component for tuff consolidation and to pursue the approach of finding a molecular answer for apparent tuff consolidation problematics, by testing a consolidation agent with smaller molecule sizes than current products on the market: tetramethoxysilane (TMOS).