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arXiv · 2603.11932

Revealing 3D orientation and strain heterogeneity in calcite generated by bio-cementation

Marilyn Sarkis·James A. D. Ball·Michela La Bella·Antoine Naillon·Christian Geindreau·Fabrice Emeriault·Carsten Detlefs·Can Yildirim
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Abstract

Bio-cementation uses bacterially induced calcite to bind sand grains, offering a low-carbon approach to soil stabilization. However, the 3D morphology, orientation texture, and internal strain states of individual calcite bonds remain insufficiently characterized. Here, we combine computed micro-tomography, 3D X-ray Diffraction (3DXRD), and Dark-Field X-ray Microscopy (DFXM) to nondestructively characterize grain morphology, crystallographic orientation, and both type II (intergranular) and type III (intragranular) elastic strains in calcite formed at sand-sand contacts during bio-cementation. Tomography establishes the sample morphology and the cemented contact architecture; 3DXRD provides grain-averaged orientation and strain states; and DFXM resolves sub-grain misorientations and localized strain concentrations generated during growth with 100 nm resolution. The combined results show that calcite precipitation through bio-cementation produces anisotropic internal strain and distinct sub-domain structures that can influence bond integrity and load transfer at the macroscopic scale.

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Marilyn Sarkis, James A. D. Ball, Michela La Bella, Antoine Naillon, Christian Geindreau, Fabrice Emeriault, Carsten Detlefs, Can Yildirim. 2026-03-12. Revealing 3D orientation and strain heterogeneity in calcite generated by bio-cementation. https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.11932

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