Biocementation systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11987741-B2
Application number	US-202117192337-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 4, 2021
Priority date	Sep 10, 2018
Publication date	May 21, 2024
Grant date	May 21, 2024

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a method of biocementation comprising contacting a granular, cohesionless soil with a solution, wherein the solution comprises urea, urease, a source of calcium ions, and a source of non-urease proteins, wherein the urea, urease, source of calcium ions, and source of non-urease proteins are provided in effective amounts suitable to cause crystallization of calcium carbonate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of biocementation comprising:
treating, via only one treatment cycle, a granular, cohesionless soil with a solution comprising:
urea;
urease;
a source of calcium ions; and
a source of non-urease proteins, wherein the urea, urease, source of calcium ions, and source of non-urease proteins are provided in effective amounts suitable to cause crystallization of calcium carbonate, and wherein the source of non-urease proteins comprises an enzyme stabilizer; and

responsive to the only one treatment cycle, forming an enzyme induced carbonate precipitation (EICP) treated soil comprising an unconfined compressive strength of greater than 0.5 MPa and a carbonate content of less than 3% by weight.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the enzyme stabilizer comprises nonfat milk powder.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the solution comprises about 4 grams/liter non-fat milk powder.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the source of calcium ions comprises calcium chloride dihydrate.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the solution comprises about 0.25 M to about 0.67 M calcium chloride.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein the solution comprises about 0.37 M to about 1 M urea.

7. The method of claim 3 , wherein the solution comprises about 0.85 g/L to about 3 g/L urease.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the enzyme stabilizer comprises casein.

Assignees

• Univ Arizona State

Inventors

• Kavazanjian Edward
• Hamdan Nasser
• Tirkolaei Hamed Khodadadi
• Almajed Abdullah

Classifications

• C09K17/44 Primary

  the inorganic compound being cement · CPC title

• C04B24/14

  Peptides; Proteins; Derivatives thereof · CPC title

• C04B28/003

  containing hybrid binders other than those of the polycarboxylate type · CPC title

• E02D3/12

  Consolidating by placing solidifying or pore-filling substances in the soil (making piles E02D5/46; soil-conditioning or soil-stabilising materials C09K17/00; consolidation of ground around boreholes or wells E21B43/025) · CPC title

• C04B2103/0001

  Living organisms, e.g. microorganisms, or enzymes · CPC title