Novel grout material comprised of calcium phosphate compounds: In vitro evaluation of crystal precipitation and strength reinforcement

Abstract Calcium phosphate compounds (CPCs) have unique physicochemical properties. As grout material, they afford many advantages such as adequate physical strength, self-setting property, pH dependence of precipitation, non-toxicity, and recyclability. To apply CPCs to the permeability control and reinforcement of ground soil and rock, we explored suitable conditions for in vitro CPC precipitation, conducted unconfined compressive strength (UCS) tests of Toyoura sand test pieces cemented by CPC, and carried out observations and elemental analysis of precipitated CPC crystals. Two kinds of phosphate stock solution and two kinds of calcium stock solution were used to prepare the reaction mixtures, and CPC precipitation was detected in all reaction mixtures. The volume of CPC precipitation in the reaction mixture increased as the pH rose from strongly acidic to around neutral. The UCS of Toyoura sand test pieces cemented by 1.5 M diammonium phosphate and 0.75 M calcium acetate tended to increase with time, reaching a maximum of 63.5 kPa after 14 days of curing. Conversely, the UCS of test pieces cemented by using calcium nitrate was below 20 kPa and showed no significant increase in strength. CPC precipitation with calcium nitrate induced the formation of plate-like crystals, whereas that with calcium acetate induced whisker-like crystals. Elemental analysis of the cemented test pieces showed that the distributions of phosphorus and calcium were similar. The results indicate the practical feasibility of using novel CPC grouts as chemical grouts because of their self-setting property, and as biogrouts because of their crystal structure and pH dependence of precipitation.