TY - JOUR
T1 - From waste to self-healing concrete
T2 - A proof-of-concept of a new application for polyhydroxyalkanoate
AU - Vermeer, Chris M.
AU - Rossi, Emanuele
AU - Tamis, Jelmer
AU - Jonkers, Henk M.
AU - Kleerebezem, Robbert
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production is a promising opportunity to recover organic carbon from waste streams. However, widespread application of waste-derived PHA as biodegradable plastic is restricted by expensive purification steps, high quality requirements, and a fierce competition with the conventional plastic market. To overcome these challenges, we propose a new application for waste-derived PHA, using it as bacterial substrate in self-healing concrete. Self-healing concrete is an established technology developed to overcome the inevitable problem of crack formation in concrete structures, by incorporating a so-called bacteria-based healing agent. Currently, this technology is hampered by the cost involved in the preparation of this healing agent. This study provides a proof-of-concept for the use of waste-derived PHA as bacterial substrate in healing agent. The results show that a PHA-based healing agent, produced from PHA unsuitable for thermoplastic applications, can induce crack healing in concrete specimens, thereby reducing the water permeability of the cracks significantly compared to specimens without a healing agent. For the first time these two emerging fields of engineering, waste-derived PHA and self-healing concrete, both driven by the need for environmental sustainability, are successfully linked. We foresee that this new application will facilitate the implementation of waste-derived PHA technology, while simultaneously supplying circular and potentially more affordable raw materials for self-healing concrete.
AB - Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production is a promising opportunity to recover organic carbon from waste streams. However, widespread application of waste-derived PHA as biodegradable plastic is restricted by expensive purification steps, high quality requirements, and a fierce competition with the conventional plastic market. To overcome these challenges, we propose a new application for waste-derived PHA, using it as bacterial substrate in self-healing concrete. Self-healing concrete is an established technology developed to overcome the inevitable problem of crack formation in concrete structures, by incorporating a so-called bacteria-based healing agent. Currently, this technology is hampered by the cost involved in the preparation of this healing agent. This study provides a proof-of-concept for the use of waste-derived PHA as bacterial substrate in healing agent. The results show that a PHA-based healing agent, produced from PHA unsuitable for thermoplastic applications, can induce crack healing in concrete specimens, thereby reducing the water permeability of the cracks significantly compared to specimens without a healing agent. For the first time these two emerging fields of engineering, waste-derived PHA and self-healing concrete, both driven by the need for environmental sustainability, are successfully linked. We foresee that this new application will facilitate the implementation of waste-derived PHA technology, while simultaneously supplying circular and potentially more affordable raw materials for self-healing concrete.
KW - Niche application
KW - Polyhydroxyalkanoate
KW - Self-healing concrete
KW - Value chain development
KW - Waste-derived materials
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85092095148&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.resconrec.2020.105206
DO - 10.1016/j.resconrec.2020.105206
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85092095148
SN - 0921-3449
VL - 164
JO - Resources, Conservation and Recycling
JF - Resources, Conservation and Recycling
M1 - 105206
ER -