Effectiveness of Polycarboxylate on dispersion of Nano TiO2 in concrete

Abstract

The properties of Nano TiO2 (NT) have brought interest in concrete research because of the use of Nano material. The dispersion of the Nano material in concrete is one of the most traditional problems associated, the NT is one of them. The dispersion of NT significantly affects the compressive strength, flexural strength, and split tensile strength of concrete. Many researchers have adopted various techniques to enhance the dispersion of NT, this paper focuses on the study of the dispersion of NT in concrete with the use of the chemical process using a dispersing agent as polycarboxylate. In this study, the mechanical properties of concrete containing different percentages of NT have been considered. NT powder was used in ordinary Portland cement at 1, 2, and 3%, the constant water to cement (w/c) 0.38 kept same for the all mixes. The compressive strength, flexural strength, and split tensile strength increases with increase in the percentage of NT and with the use of polycarboxylate. The use of polycarboxylate (PCE) shows the improvement in the mechanical properties of concrete due to the improvement in the dispersion of NT.