Biocementation method and system
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current industrial ammonia production is energy-intensive and contributes significantly to CO2 emissions, and existing biocementation processes are inefficient due to incomplete conversion of reactants and reliance on industrial processes.
Innovation Solution
A cyclic process utilizing urease-producing and urea-producing organisms to form calcium carbonate in natural environments, where urea is produced and converted back into ammonia and carbon dioxide to recycle calcium chloride, enabling a closed-loop system for biocement production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional industrial ammonia production is used, then high production volume is achieved, but energy consumption increases and CO2 emissions increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses microorganisms to autonomously produce urea from atmospheric nitrogen and carbon dioxide, eliminating the need for energy-intensive industrial ammonia production. The biological system self-regulates the conversion process, with urease-producing organisms hydrolyzing urea to release ammonium and carbonate ions that precipitate calcium carbonate
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical/industrial chemical processes (high-pressure ammonia synthesis, carbamate decomposition) with biological processes. Urea-producing microorganisms and urease-producing organisms substitute for industrial urea plants, operating under ambient conditions without compression equipment or high-temperature reactors
2Productivity
If conventional urea production process is used, then urea is produced, but incomplete conversion of reactants occurs and process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and utilizes only the essential biological functions needed for biocementation: urea production from atmospheric gases and urea hydrolysis. This simplifies the process by eliminating unnecessary industrial steps such as carbamate formation, pressure regulation, temperature control, and product separation that characterize conventional urea production
Solution Approach 2:
The microorganisms perform multiple functions: urea-producing organisms simultaneously fix atmospheric nitrogen and carbon dioxide while synthesizing urea, and urease-producing organisms hydrolyze urea while the released ions directly precipitate calcium carbonate. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate processing units for each chemical transformation
3Quantity of substance
If calcium chloride is produced through conventional methods, then calcium chloride is available, but CO2 emissions increase and energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts harmful CO2 emissions into beneficial carbonate ions for biocementation. Urea-producing microorganisms fix atmospheric CO2, and during urea hydrolysis, carbonate ions are released and react with calcium ions to form calcium carbonate precipitate. This transforms CO2 from a waste product into a valuable building material component
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the system by using biological pathways instead of thermal processes. Rather than producing calcium chloride through high-temperature reactions that emit CO2, the system uses microorganisms to produce urea and its hydrolysis products under ambient conditions, fundamentally altering the reaction conditions from industrial to biological parameters
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach reduces energy consumption, minimizes CO2 emissions, and creates a sustainable, self-sustaining biocementation process that can produce calcium carbonate for erosion control and construction materials, with potential for large-scale industrial implementation.
Implementation Method 1
The biocementation reaction relies on the metabolic hydrolysis of urea, producing ammonium and carbonate ions in a solution containing calcium chloride
Implementation Method 2
Calcium cations react with the carbonate anions at the surface of the bacterial membrane, forming calcium carbonate of the polymorph calcite
Implementation Method 3
A cyclic process utilizing urease-producing and urea-producing organisms to form calcium carbonate in natural environments, where urea is produced and converted back into ammonia and carbon dioxide
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention is directed to kits, compositions, tools and methods comprising a cyclic industrial process to form biocement. In particular, the invention is directed to materials and methods for decomposing calcium carbonate into calcium oxide and carbon dioxide at an elevated temperature, reacting calcium oxide with ammonium chloride to form calcium chloride, water, and ammonia gas; and reacting ammonia gas and carbon dioxide at high pressure to form urea and water, which are then utilized to form biocement. This cyclic process can be achieved by combining industrial processes with the resulting product as biocement. The process may involve retention of calcium carbonate currently utilized in the manufacture of Portland Cement.