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Interfacial crack self-healing by Sporosarcina pasteurii: From medium optimization to spore encapsulation
Chenxi Hou1, Chu Wang1, Ling Zheng1
1State Key Laboratory of Digital Medical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China.
Biointerphases
|December 17, 2024
Summary
This study enhances self-healing cement using microbial induced carbonate precipitation (MICP). Optimized bacterial media and encapsulated spores significantly improved crack-healing efficiency without compromising cement strength.
Area of Science:
- Civil Engineering
- Microbiology
- Materials Science
Background:
- Self-healing cement utilizes microbial induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) for automatic crack repair.
- Improving MICP efficiency is crucial for effective self-healing cement applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To enhance MICP efficiency in self-healing cement by optimizing bacterial culture media and encapsulating bacterial spores.
- To investigate the effects of different nitrogen sources and metal ions on Sporosarcina pasteurii growth and MICP.
Main Methods:
- Compared Sporosarcina pasteurii growth and MICP with urea versus ammonium chloride as nitrogen sources.
- Assessed the impact of nickel and manganese ions on urease activity and spore production.
- Encapsulated bacterial spores in sodium alginate-gelatin gel beads for controlled release and swelling.
Main Results:
- Ammonium chloride promoted biomineralization more effectively than urea.
- Nickel (0.1 mg/l) and manganese ions (10 mg/l) enhanced urease activity and spore production.
- Encapsulated spores exhibited excellent water-triggered swelling, facilitating self-healing in cement cracks.
Conclusions:
- Optimized culture media and spore encapsulation significantly improve MICP efficiency in self-healing cement.
- The developed method successfully healed cement cracks without negatively impacting compressive strength.
- This approach offers a promising strategy for durable and sustainable construction materials.
