The growth of fungi and their effect on the behaviour of cement–polymer composites

Abstract

The paper deals with test results of the influence of Penicillium chrysogenum and Cladosporium herbarum fungi on the mechanical and sorption properties of cement mortars CEM I and the mortars modified by polymers. The corrosion processes were identified by chemical oxygen demand (COD) analysis, by the aid of a scanning microscope with an X-ray microanalyser and by mercury porosimetry. The results presented show a high concentration of the fungi in the mortars, especially in the materials modified by polysiloxane and acrylic polymers. The presence of the fungi greatly influences the useful properties of cement materials. The high growth of these microorganisms significantly influences the mass moisture and absorbability as well as flexural strength, which is strictly connected with these properties. The actions of the filamentous fungi resulted in two opposing processes: the unsealing of the structure and deposition of corrosion products.

Influence of pore structure on humidity parameters of cement-polymer mortars contaminated with filamentous fungi

“…The distribution of the results shall not exceed 0.1%. Partial results from moisture and absorbability were presented in [23,24]. The curves obtained in the mercury porosimeter (MIP) study allowed to determine the ranges of pores, which were collected in Table 5.…”

Remediation of Organic Contaminant in Sludge by using Bioaugmentation and Solidification and Stabilization (S/S) Method

“…High polluted sludge needs a longer time for the microorganism to adapt to the condition and may take several metabolic pathways to operate together with metabolic processes that may be harmful to native microorganisms [22]. According to Fiertak et al [23], who studied the growth of fungi and their effect on the behaviour of cement, the reaction and growth of fungi can be seen most effective in cement in the first three months. Since the COD concentration of the samples sits at class V in the national water quality standard of Malaysia, the method was considered not fully achieved.…”

Editorial

“…In the fifth paper of this issue, Fiertak et al (2015) investigate the susceptibility of polymer-cement composites to biocorrosion due to mould fungi. Polymer-modified mortars were found to be more susceptible to a high growth of fungi than cement mortars.…”