SimBioZe

SIMBIOZE - SIMULTANE BIOZEMENT- UND DÜNGEMITTELHERSTELLUNG AUS ABFALLSTRÖMEN

The production of the most widely used construction material – cement – relies on the thermal decomposition of limestone (CaCO₃), releasing large amounts of CO₂ into the atmosphere. Current mitigation strategies often focus on capturing and storing the released CO₂ elsewhere or allowing materials to gradually reabsorb it through processes such as re-carbonation.

Biomineralization offers a different approach, in which the construction material itself can act as both a structural element and a carbon storage medium from the moment of its production. The microbiologically driven process enables the formation of calcium carbonate as a binder, thereby storing CO₂ in mineral form instead of emitting it.

So far, the team has successfully produced biomineralized specimens with compressive strengths of up to 50 MPa, making biomineralization a viable option for producing certain types of structural building elements.

Within the SimBioZe project, researchers are investigating human urine as a circular, renewable source of urea, replacing the energy-intensive, industrially synthesized alternative from the Haber–Bosch process. The project also explores the recovery of valuable nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium for fertilizer production.

The current phase focuses on identifying urine components that inhibit bacterial activity, optimizing the production process, and testing the approach under real-world conditions.

The overall goal is to embed biomineralization within a circular economy, generating mineral construction materials and fertilizers entirely from waste streams.

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Lucio Blandini
Institute for Lightweight Structures and Conceptual Design (ILEK), University of Stuttgart

RESEARCHER

Maiia Smirnova (ILEK)

PARTNERS

Dr. Beat Christen, Institute of Microbiology (IMB), University of Stuttgart
Prof. Dr. Andreas Stolz, Institute of Microbiology (IMB), University of Stuttgart
Daniele Funaro, Institute of Microbiology (IMB), University of Stuttgart
Carsten Meyer, Institute for Sanitary Engineering, Water Quality and Solid Waste Management (ISWA), Department of Multiscale Environmental Process Engineering, University of Stuttgart
Axel Steffens, Institute for Sanitary Engineering, Water Quality and Solid Waste Management (ISWA), Department of Multiscale Environmental Process Engineering, University of Stuttgart
Sabine Zikeli, Center for Organic Farming, University of Hohenheim
Volker Preyl, Kuhn GmbH
Uwe Reh, Cavity GmbH
Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Eden, Forschungsvereinigung Kalk-Sand e.V.
Cornel Ritter, Flughafen Stuttgart GmbH