基于微流控芯片技术的微生物加固可视化研究
Visualization investigation of bio-cementation process based on microfluidics
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摘要: 微生物诱导碳酸钙沉积(MICP)能够加固散粒土体,是岩土工程中新兴绿色加固技术之一。然而,关于微生物加固机理以及矿化形成过程的研究尚不多见。基于微流控芯片技术开发了微生物加固可视化系统,利用该系统开展了微生物诱导碳酸钙矿化机理的原位微细观研究,通过对微生物加固过程中碳酸钙晶体的沉积进行了观测,并对其时空分布、沉积模式、生长速率进行了量化。结果表明溶质分子的对流和扩散作用对碳酸钙晶体分布影响较大,碳酸钙的分布存在时间不均匀和空间不均匀现象,时间不均匀随反应进行呈现弱化现象而空间不均匀在整个反应过程(0~2200 min)中一直存在。研究发现微尺寸管道中碳酸钙存在孔隙中和颗粒间两种沉积模式,孔隙中的碳酸钙均匀长大,而颗粒间碳酸钙存在不同速率的生长轴。研究结果将加深对微生物加固机理的认识,为微生物加固技术的优化和推广应用提供参考。Abstract: Biomineralization possesses the capability to bind granular materials, which can be used in the applications of geotechnical engineering as an emerging green ground improvement technology. However, little information is available on the mechanics of biomineralization, especially on the process of biocementation. An optical platform is proposed to visualize the process of biomineralization based on microfluidics. A series of micro-scale investigations related to this process are performed to capture the spatial distribution of calcium carbonate crystals, precipitation patterns and quantitative crystal growth rate. The results show that the convection and diffusion of solvent have significant impacts on the distribution of calcium carbonate, which demonstrates a nonuniform spatiotemporal distribution. The extent of uneven distribution in time scale is reduced as the reaction goes on. However, the phenomenon of uneven distribution in spatial scale is maintained during the whole reaction period (0~2200 min). Two precipitation patterns in biocementation are found in this study, i.e., precipitation at pore and precipitation at sand contacts. The precipitation at pore shows no growth axis, while the precipitation at sand contacts shows growth axis with different growth rates. These investigations may provide new insights into the mechanisms of microbial induced carbonate precipitation and are beneficial for the optimized design of up-scale application.