Sporosarcina pasteurii can be used to print a layer of calcium carbonate

Abstract

When using microbiologically induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP) to produce calcium carbonate crystals in the cavities between mineral particles to consolidate them, the inhomogeneous distribution of the precipitated calcium carbonate poses a problem for the production of construction materials with consistent parameters. Various approaches have been investigated in the literature to increase the homogeneity of consolidated samples. One approach can be the targeted application of ureolytic organisms by 3D printing. However, to date, this possibility has been little explored in the literature. In this study, the potential to use MICP to print calcium carbonate layers on mineral particles will be investigated. For this purpose, a dispensing unit was modified to apply both a suspension of Sporosarcina pasteurii and a calcination solution containing urea and calcium chloride onto quartz sand. The study showed that after passing through the nozzle, S. pasteurii preserved consistent cell vitality and therefore its potential of MICP. Applying cell suspension and calcination solution through a printing nozzle resulted in a layer of calcium carbonate crystals on quartz sand. This observation demonstrated the proof of concept of printing calcium carbonate by MICP through the nozzle of a dispensing unit. Furthermore, it was shown that cell suspensions of S. pasteurii can be stored at 4°C for a period of 17 days while maintaining its optical density, urease activity and cell vitality and therefore the potential for MICP. This initial concept could be extended in further research to printing three‐dimensional (3D) objects to solve the problem of homogeneity in consolidated mineral particles.

Advancements in Exploiting Sporosarcina pasteurii as Sustainable Construction Material: A Review

“…Various application strategies, including mixing, injection, spraying, immersion [20,[69][70][71], and even 3D printing [72][73][74], have been explored in the literature for introducing the biocementing agent into cementitious materials for MICP or EICP. However, the majority of the literature primarily uses three methods: injection or grouting, surface percolation or spraying, and mixing [11].…”

Optimizing compressive strength of sand treated with MICP using response surface methodology

“…For the determination of urease activity the conductivity method was used [9,32]. 1 mL of cell suspension was added to 19 mL of a solution containing 1.053 M urea and 10 mM Tris buffer.…”