Enzymatic Carbon-Sequestering Bio-Cement: A Bacteria-Driven Approach for Sustainable and Low-Carbon Construction

Cement accounts for approximately 8% of total anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions, and traditional cement production is a major culprit of this. Sustainable alternatives are imperative to lessen the environmental impact of the construction industry so urgently. The invention described herein proposes an innovative enzymatic carbon sequestering bio-cement that utilizes microbial-induced calcite precipitation (MICP) to develop a low-carbon and self-healing cement substitution. Rather than allowing the aggregates to disperse or settle out of suspension, a bioanalytical approach is used, which takes advantage of urease-producing bacteria like Sporosarcina pasteurii for capturing atmospheric CO<inf xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</inf> through biochemical reactions that precipitate CaCO<inf xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">3</inf> while binding aggregates as well. This process is different from conventional cement, requiring ambient temperature, which reduces energy consumption and lowers emissions. The experimental results show that bio-cements possess similar compressive strength, long service life, and the ability to self-heal micro-cracks, thereby increasing the life span of the infrastructure and reducing maintenance costs. Furthermore, the life cycle assessment shows a huge decrease in the carbon footprint of Portland cement. This means that enzymatic bio cement has the potential to change green construction by providing a scalable, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly replacement for conventional cement. We would identify ways in the future to improve bacterial performance, large-scale implementation, and integration with current multi-part construction practices to rapidly accelerate the adoption of bio cement in public and private implementations.

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