Avaliação do efeito de autocicatrização em matrizes cimentícias por meio da aplicação superficial do agente biológico oomycete Pythium aphanidermatum

Abstract

This study evaluated the self-healing effect in cementitious matrices through the superficial application of the biological agent Oomycete Pythium aphanidermatum. Exploratory studies identified the originality of this microorganism, as it has not been previously reported in the scientific literature as an agent for calcium carbonate precipitation in cement. Additionally, the feasibility of using calcium sources that do not alter the structure or composition of cement was investigated, with calcium acetate emerging as a viable alternative. It was determined that a concentration of 100 mM of this compound promotes maximum mycelial mass growth. The results indicated that P. aphanidermatum has the ability to precipitate calcium carbonate crystals, identified as calcite and vaterite, which are key minerals in crack repair in concrete. To assess its application, an experimental study was conducted on carbonated mortar with a spore concentration of 105 cells/mL, demonstrating that the microorganism can grow under these conditions.