Abstract
Despite the many benefits associated with the utilization of superabsorbent polymers (SAPs), several drawbacks have been reported. In particular, the effect of SAPs on microstructure, together with its consequences for mechanical properties, is not fully understood yet for some composite materials. This study analyzes the role of SAPs in the formation of the microstructure of lime composites, taking into account their chemical composition. The obtained experimental results show that the particle size and cross-linking density of used SAPs are crucial parameters affecting both the microstructure and mechanical performance of the analyzed composites. Coarser SAPs with low cross-linking density in the dosage of 0.5 and 1 wt.% are found as the most suitable solution, leading even to a slight improvement of mechanical parameters. The secondary porosity formed by swelled hydrogels is identified as a very significant factor since hydrogel-filled voids do not contribute to the strength parameters. The formation of the affected zone around SAP cores depends on the chemical composition of SAPs considerably as the higher cross-linking density influences the desorption rate. Based on achieved results, utilization of SAPs in building materials should be studied at a more detailed level with particular importance on the definition of SAP-related voids and affected zone around SAP particles.
Highlights
Received: 24 February 2022The utilization of superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) in the field of building materials engineering represents a promising research line that provides significant improvements in the sense of building materials performance [1–3]
Considering the effect of particle size, for the lime-based plasters in this paper, no relation was found between the particle size and pore size distribution, contrary to the results reported for cement pastes and composites by Lee et al [4] and Ma et al [38]
The investigations of microstructure and mechanical performance of lime-based plasters in this paper showed that the utilization of tailor-made SAPs can be a very effective tool
Summary
Received: 24 February 2022The utilization of superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) in the field of building materials engineering represents a promising research line that provides significant improvements in the sense of building materials performance [1–3]. The side effects are related to modification of fresh mixture rheology [10], microstructure formation [11], penetration of chloride ions [12], or aggressive environment resistance [13]. The effect of internal curing based on modified water migration due to water retention, release, and reswelling governed by SAP particles represents a crucial phenomenon that needs to be described in detail. In this regard, the pore structure was studied extensively since the cementitious matrix formation substantially depends on the type and amount of used SAPs, as concluded in several research papers [11,14]. Considering the importance of formed voids on the functional properties of Accepted: 13 March 2022
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