Physical-chemistry of silica/alkaline silicate interactions during consolidation. Part 1: Effect of cation size

► The consolidation of sand depends strongly on the alkali cation of the silicate solution. ► The mechanical cohesion and the solubility of materials increase with increasing cation size. ► The increase in the cation size leads to more ionic bonds in relation with the hydration shell. ► The low consolidation of sand in the case of the smallest cation is due to hydrogen bonds.