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Soil Bonding Using Bio-Inspired Flexible Calcite (BiFC) Precipitation
Microbial induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) has been widely investigated to enhance the mechanical properties of soils. However, MICP applications have encountered challenges such as having a brittle CaCO3 bond that breaks at small strains when subjected to shearing. The Silicatein–α enzyme, which is naturally found in sea sponges, was produced in the laboratory and applied in biomineralization to control the CaCO3 crystal morphology. In this study, bio-inspired flexible calcite (BiFC) was precipitated in soils using Silicatein-α enzyme. Silicatein-α enzyme protein was engineered and expressed in modified Escherichia coli bacteria and then extracted and purified for lab use. Syringe tests were conducted to characterize the morphology and the structure of the BiFC precipitation in soils. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) were used to characterize the CaCO3 at the microscale. Spicule (needle-like structures) morphology of BiFC precipitates was observed from the syringe tests compared to the cubic morphology of the CaCO3 precipitates treated by MICP and enzyme (urease enzyme) induced carbonate precipitation (EICP).
Soil Bonding Using Bio-Inspired Flexible Calcite (BiFC) Precipitation
Microbial induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) has been widely investigated to enhance the mechanical properties of soils. However, MICP applications have encountered challenges such as having a brittle CaCO3 bond that breaks at small strains when subjected to shearing. The Silicatein–α enzyme, which is naturally found in sea sponges, was produced in the laboratory and applied in biomineralization to control the CaCO3 crystal morphology. In this study, bio-inspired flexible calcite (BiFC) was precipitated in soils using Silicatein-α enzyme. Silicatein-α enzyme protein was engineered and expressed in modified Escherichia coli bacteria and then extracted and purified for lab use. Syringe tests were conducted to characterize the morphology and the structure of the BiFC precipitation in soils. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) were used to characterize the CaCO3 at the microscale. Spicule (needle-like structures) morphology of BiFC precipitates was observed from the syringe tests compared to the cubic morphology of the CaCO3 precipitates treated by MICP and enzyme (urease enzyme) induced carbonate precipitation (EICP).
Soil Bonding Using Bio-Inspired Flexible Calcite (BiFC) Precipitation
Gao, Kewei (author) / Suleiman, Muhannad T. (author) / Brown, Derick G. (author) / Sadeghnejad, Abdolhamid (author)
Geo-Congress 2022 ; 2022 ; Charlotte, North Carolina
Geo-Congress 2022 ; 291-299
2022-03-17
Conference paper
Electronic Resource
English
Soil Bonding Using Bio-Inspired Flexible Calcite (BiFC) Precipitation
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