Microstructure Evolution of Sandstone Cemented by Microbe Cement Using X-ray Computed Tomography

The bio-sandstone, which was cemented by microbe cement, was firstly prepared, and then the microstructure evolution process was studied by X-ray computed tomography （X-CT） technique. The experimental results indicate that the microstructure of bio-sandstone becomes dense with the development of age. The evolution of inner structure at different positions is different due to the different contents of microbial induced precipitation calcite. Besides, the increase rate of microbial induced precipitation calcite gradually decreases because of the reduction of microbe absorption content with the decreasing pore size in bio-sandstone.

Distribution of Calcium Carbonate in the Process of Concrete Self-healing

The complete deposition distribution process of calcium carbonate is summarized in three directions of cracks. Distribution of calcium carbonate in the self-healing process of microbial concrete is studied in detail, with the help of a variety of analytical techniques. The results show that carbonate deposits along the x-axis direction of the cracks. The farther from the crack surfaces of concrete matrix in x-axis direction, the more the content of the substrate, the less content of calcium carbonate. Gradual accumulation of calcium carbonate along the y-axis direction is like building a house with bricks. Different repair points are gradually connected, and ultimately the whole of cracks are completely filled. In the z-axis direction, calcium deposits on the surface of fracture direction, when the crack is filled on the surface, because the internal crack hypoxia in the depths of cracks hardly produces calcium carbonate.

Mineralization and Cementation of Fugitive Dust based on the Utilization of Carbon Dioxide and Its Characterization

Fugitive dust was cemented, forming larger particles bond in the calcite-consolidation-layer by microbial method. The particular composition, the morphology, and thermal decomposition properties of the samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction（XRD）, scanning electron microscopy（SEM）, Fourier transform infrared（FTIR） spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry-thermogravimetry（DSC-TG）. The characterization data obtained showed that loose fugitive dust particles could be bonded and formed the consolidation-layer under the effect of calcite obtained by microbial method successfully. Meanwhile, the sample obtained by microbial method had superior wind-erosion resistance.

Effi ciency of Concrete Crack-healing based on Biological Carbonate Precipitation

The aim of this study was to improve the capacity for crack-repair in concrete by developing a new way. The self-healing agent based on biological carbonate precipitation was developed. Crack-healing capacity of the cement paste specimens with this biochemical agent was researched. Scanning electron microscopy（SEM） and X-ray diffraction（XRD） were used to characterize the precipitation in cracks.The healing efficiency was evaluated by measuring the water permeability after crack healing as well.The experimental results show that the applied biochemical agent can successfully improve the self-healing capacity of the cement paste specimens as larger cracks can be healed. The cracks with a width of 0.48 mm in the specimens with the biochemical agent are nearly fully healed by the precipitation after 80 d repair. SEM and XRD analysis results demonstrate that the white precipitation in cracks is calcium carbonate, which displays spherical crystal morphology. Meanwhile, the water permeability test result shows that the biochemical agent can significantly decrease the water permeability of the cement paste specimens, the water permeability of specimens with the biochemical agent respectively decreases by 84% and 96% after 7 d and 28 d immersion in water, however the control specimens only respectively decrease by 41% and 60%, which indicates that the bacteria-based concrete appears to be a promising approach to increase concrete durability.

Morphology of Barium Hydrogen Phosphate Formation Induced by Phosphate-Mineralization Microbe

Phosphate-mineralization microbe was chosen to study the influences of bacterial mixture,filtrate,bacteria solution,bacterial body and bacterial secretion on barium hydrogen phosphate crystal formation.The chemical compositions and structures of samples were characterized with scanning electron microscopy（SEM）,transmission electron microscopy（TEM）,and X-ray diffraction techniques（XRD）,revealing that the crystal morphology of barium hydrogen phosphate was dumbbell-shaped pattern,nanoparticles via aggregate clusters,irregular sphere with different sizes.The results indicated that bacterial body and bacterial secretion could induce the formation of irregular quadrilateral and spheres,respectively.But the effect of bacterial secretion was stronger than that of bacterial body when induced barium hydrogen phosphate crystal in bacteria solution.However,the crystals form could be affected only in bacterial mixture,but filtrate could induce the formation of nanoparticles.As a result,the bacteria and metabolites play an important role in the process of crystal nucleation,growth,and accumulation of barium hydrogen phosphate.

Cementing mechanism of bio-phosphate cement

Cementing mechanism of bio-phosphate cement was investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS), thermogravimetric-differential scanning calorimetry(TG-DSC) analysis and scanning electron microscopy(SEM). The results of FTIR and XPS show that Si-O bond and Si(2p) electron binding energy in sandstone cemented via chemical and microbiological methods are changed by the binding effects of barium hydrogen phosphate with quartz sand. Compared with barium hydrogen phosphate precipitated in solution, there were higher decomposition temperatures or melting points in sandstone. The FTIR, XPS, and TG-DSC results indicate that the microbial-induced and chemical precipitation of barium hydrogen phosphate can interact with quartz sand to generate van der Waals bond, which plays a role in the binding function between loose sand particles and barium hydrogen phosphate. SEM results show that barium hydrogen phosphate after chemical precipitation in sandstone has better dispersion than microbiological deposition. Therefore, barium hydrogen phosphate via chemical precipitation did not bind loose sand particles into sandstone.

Experiments on and predictions about properties of sand bonded by microbe cement

Microbe cement as a new bonding material is presented. Sandstone （0.05 m diameter, 0.5 m height） and sandpile （0.125 m^3） are joined by microbe cement to make a whole body. Evolutions in the related properties of treated sand samples are examined through compressive strength and calcite content. Results indicate that the structure of the cemented body is nonuniform, that the calcite content decreases with distance from the injection port, and that the compressive strength also decreases with dis- tance from the injection port. In addition, evolutions in the measured calcite content and compressive strength are summarized by a numerical model that considers microbe concentration distribution. The numerical results of the calcite content at different positions for 0.5 m height sandstone are similar to the test results, and the experimental results for calcite content and compres- sive strength of 0.125 m^3 cubic sandpile are similar to the numerical results. Prediction results indicate that the simulations should become a significant supplementary tool when microbe cement is applied in actual engineering projects.

Effect of treatment process on consolidation efficiency of fugitive dust cemented by bio-activated cementitious material based on CO2 capture

As a new green and environmental material, bio-activated cementitious material is attracting extensive attention. This study confirmed that the bio-activated cementitious material could mineralize and cement fugitive dust into the cal- cite-consolidation-layer based on CO2 capture and utilization. The results illustrated that treatment processes （non-pressure spraying, pressure spraying, non-pressure blending and pressure blending） had a strong effect on the microstructure and prop- erties of calcite-consolidation-layer. According to the analysis of X-ray diffraction （XRD） and Fourier transform infrared （FTIR）, calcite was prepared by bio-activated cementitious material during the cementation process. Meanwhile, scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and thermogravimetric-differenfial scanning calorimetry （TG-DSC） were adopted to measure the corresponding variation of porous characteristics and calcite content caused by different treatment processes. The results indi- cated that the microstructure of calcite-consolidation-layer from the spraying process had lower porosity and higher content of calcite than from blending processes. In addition, the mechanical properties of calcite-consolidation-layer were also tested. The hardness and compressive strength, which reached 19.5 GPa and 0.6 MPa, respectively, of calcite-consolidation-layer from the pressure spraying process were higher than those from the other three treatment processes. Compared with the non-treatment process, the four treatment processes had superior wind erosion resistance. Under the wind speed of 12 m/s, the mass loss of calcite-consolidation-layer from the pressure spraying process decreased from 2150.2 to 23.8 g/（m^2 h）.