The 4th Asian Concrete Federation Symposium on Emerging Technologies for Structural Longevity (ACF2023- ETSL)

Electrodeposition of Cu2O on the concrete surface was applied to protect the concrete sewers from microbially induced corrosion. The effect of deposition time, current density, solution type and concentration on the antimicrobial properties was investigated. XRD and SEM-EDS were used to analyze the morphology and chemical compositions of the depositions. The results indicated that the main compositions of the depositions were Cu2O and Cu, and the copper content of the depositions increased with increasing the deposition time and current density. However, high current density (over 1.5mA/cm2 ) caused a decrease in the permeability resistance of mortar specimens due to the thermal expansion of steels inside. Taking into consideration the copper content, bactericidal property, permeability and adhesion between depositions and substrate, optimum parameters of electrodeposition were determined. This preliminary study provided a basis for further investigating the antimicrobial performance of the developed concrete sewers in the real sewer situation.