Precipitation and sealing characteristics of enzyme-induced calcium carbonate precipitation in silica sands with varying particle shapes

Abstract

Enzyme-induced calcium carbonate precipitation (EICP) has attracted significant attention owing to its flexible utilization of resources and relatively low biological complexity. Despite its broad potential applications, the relationship between particle morphology and treatment efficacy remains underinvestigated. This study investigates the micro-scale characteristics of EICP and their influence on macro-scale hydraulic properties of sand aggregates. Spherical, near-spherical, and angular silica sands in four size fractions (0.3–0.45, 0.45–0.6, 0.6–0.9, and 0.9–1.0 mm) are employed as variable sand aggregates to assess the alterations in permeability, porosity, and precipitation efficiency as the EICP grouting duration increases. The research indicates that as the grouting cycles increase, the permeability reduction is more pronounced in angular and near-spherical sand. Spherical sand experiences the least reduction in permeability and porosity. Furthermore, for sands of the same shape, the smaller sand exhibits lower porosity after identical treatments. The change in CaCO₃ content follows the porosity trend, being lower in spherical sand and higher in smaller-sized sand. Fine-grained aggregates are more sensitive to changes in permeability caused by CaCO₃ accumulation. However, spherical particles treated by microbial-induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) exhibit higher CaCO₃ content compared to angular and near-spherical sands. This disparity suggests that although MICP and EICP may appear similar, they have fundamentally distinct precipitation mechanisms.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

particle shape / EICP / permeability / calcium carbonate content / MICP

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