Improved Water Absorption Research Articles

Potential for the Use of Coconut Husk in the Production of Medium Density Particleboard

The use of agricultural residues in association with wood for panel production has potential to increase value, promote the adequate disposal and ensure adequate panel properties. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the potential of coconut husk in association with Pinus oocarpa wood in the production of medium-density particleboard (MDP) panels. The experimental design consisted of four percentages of Pinus oocarpa substituted with coconut husk (25, 50, 75 and 100%) and a control condition consisting of only pinus wood. The panels were produced with a nominal density of 650 kg m−3; relation face/core/face ratio of 20:60:20; 11% and 7% urea–formaldehyde adhesive (based on the weight of the particles) on the faces and in the core, respectively; and specific pressing cycle of 3.92 MPa at 160 °C with an 8 min press time. The properties of the moisture content; thickness swelling after water immersion for 2 and 24 h; water absorption after water immersion for 2 and 24 h; internal bond; and the modulus of rupture and elastic modulus in static bending were evaluated. Increasing the amount of coconut husk in the MDP panels significantly improved water absorption properties after 2 and 24 h (WA2h and WA24h), screw holding and thickness swelling after water immersion for 2 h (TS2h), increased thickness swelling property after water immersion for 24 h (TS24h), and decreased the modulus of rupture (MOR), elastic modulus (MOE) in static bending and internal bond. The use of coconut fibers provided an improvement in the physical and thermal properties of MDP panels, and although the increase in the amount of coconut fibers reduces the mechanical properties, all treatments met the values determined by standards, being allowed to state that it is possible to produce MDP panels only with coconut fibers.

Synthesis of cellulose microcrystals (CMC)/nylon 6,10 composite by incorporating CMC isolated from Pandanus ceylanicus

The paper presents a novel candidate plant: Pandanus ceylanicus (PC) for cellulose extraction. The plant showed an average of 91.5 ± 0.2 % of cellulose yield which is the highest yield for Pandanus species reported. Cellulose was extracted from the leaves of the plant by carrying out alkali and bleaching treatments, and cellulose microcrystals (CMC) were isolated from extracted cellulose fibers with sulphuric acid treatment. Chemical composition of PC leaves was investigated at different stages of treatment by using TAPPI standard methods. The extracted globular shaped CMC crystals had an average diameter less than a micro meter. Results revealed that PC leaves are an efficient source of micro-cellulose which result in a high yield than most lignocellulosic biomasses. The CMCs were successfully incorporated with nylon 6,10 by in-situ interfacial polymerization of sebacoyl chloride and hexamethylenediamine in the presence of CMC. The CMC/nylon 6,10 composite showed improved water absorption with low water retention time.

Effects of zinc fertilizer on maize yield and water-use efficiency under different soil water conditions

Water and fertilizer are major factors affecting maize (Zea mays L.) yield on the Loess Plateau of China. To determine the effects of zinc (Zn) fertilizer on maize yield and water-use efficiency (WUE) under different soil water conditions, a field experiment was conducted using cultivar Zhengdan 958. The effects of Zn (0, 20, 50, and 80 kg ha−1 ZnSO4) on maize transpiration, leaf relative water content (RWC), root morphological characteristics, root hydraulic conductance (RHC), yield and WUE under rainfed conditions (well-watered, WW) or rainout shelter conditions (drought stress, DS) were assessed. Compared with the zero-Zn controls under the respect water treatments, the chlorophyll content, stem sap flow rate (SFR) and RHC in response to Zn increased by 8%, 30% and 177%, respectively, at 20 kg ha−1 of Zn under WW and 18%, 46% and 52%, respectively, at 50 kg ha−1 under DS. Compared with those in the controls, leaf RWC in response to 50 kg ha−1 Zn under DS and 20 kg ha−1 under WW increased significantly. Zn fertilizer increased grain yield (GY) by 12.5% and 7.5% and WUE by 11% and 6.5% at 50 kg ha−1 under DS and 20 kg ha−1 under WW, respectively, relative to the controls without Zn. These results suggest that in the alkaline soil area of Loess Plateau, 50 kg ha−1 Zn can effectively improve water absorption capacity of maize, thus increasing yield and WUE under DS, while 20 kg ha−1 is sufficient under WW.

Water absorption and dynamic load bearing properties of coarse wool braided rope mat

Value addition to coarse wool has been traditionally done through preparation of blankets, namda (floor covering) and handicrafts. Alternative methods of utilizing coarse wool include sliver felting, filling and braiding. However, braiding process is not fully exploited in the coarse wool product development. A study has been attempted to utilize Indian coarse wool in the core and three types of fibres namely wool, jute and cotton in the sheath in a braiding machine. Braided ropes were produced by varying core content. Braided mats were prepared and studied for water absorption and dynamic load bearing characteristics. It was observed that wool as a sheath fibre in the braided mat significantly improved water absorption capacity and reduced thickness loss and permanent deformation. Thickness loss, total recovery and permanent deformation were improved with an increase in wool core content up to 30%. Braided rope comprising wool sheath and coarse wool core (30% content) was found to give better braided rope mat performance.

Exogenous 5-aminolevulinic acid improves strawberry tolerance to osmotic stress and its possible mechanisms.

Cultivated strawberry, one of the major fruit crops worldwide, is an evergreen plant with shallow root system, and thus sensitive to environmental changes, including drought stress. To investigate the effect of 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA), a new environment-friendly plant growth regulator, on strawberry drought tolerance and its possible mechanisms, we treated strawberry (Fragaria × annanasa Duch. cv. 'Benihoppe') with 15% polyethylene glycol 6000 to simulate osmotic stress with or without 10mg l-1 ALA. We found that ALA significantly alleviated PEG-inhibited plant growth and improved water absorption and xylem sap flux, indicating ALA mitigates the adverse effect of osmotic stress on strawberry plants. Gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence analysis showed that ALA mitigated PEG-induced decreases of Pn , Gs , Tr , Pn /Ci , photosystem I and II reaction center activities, electron transport activity, and photosynthetic performance indexes. Equally important, ALA promoted PEG-increased antioxidant enzyme activities and repressed PEG-increased malondialdehyde and superoxide anion in both leaves and roots. Specially, ALA repressed H2 O2 increase in leaves, but stimulated it in roots. Furthermore, ALA repressed abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis and signaling gene expressions in leaves, but promoted those in roots. In addition, ALA blocked PEG-downregulated expressions of plasmalemma and tonoplast aquaporin genes PIP and TIP in both leaves and roots. Taken together, ALA effectively enhances strawberry drought tolerance and the mechanism is related to the improvement of water absorption and conductivity. The tissue-specific responses of ABA biosynthesis, ABA signaling, and H2 O2 accumulation to ALA in leaves and roots play key roles in ALA-improved strawberry tolerance to osmotic stress.

Tailoring properties and processing of Sylgard 184: Curing time, adhesion, and water affinity

ABSTRACTThe curing time, surface adhesion, and water absorption characteristics of Sylgard 184 were modified through the addition of catalysts and fillers. Incorporation of small amounts of a platinum‐based Karstedt catalyst greatly decreased curing time at room temperature, whereas the addition of talcum powder (talc), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and NaY zeolite fillers changed surface adhesion and functionality of Sylgard 184. Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR), rheological and mechanical tests (tensile strength and hardness) were used to quantify the acceleration in the curing time. The surface adhesion was evaluated for aluminum and glass‐like substrates using a 90° peel‐off test. The interaction between fillers and Sylgard was studied by molecular dynamics simulations, which showed the interaction between NaY and Sylgard is greater than that for PTFE. Water absorption studies indicated that 10 wt% NaY added to Sylgard 184 helped to improve water absorption, whereas incorporation of talc had the opposite effect. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020, 137, 48530.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus alters root-sourced signal (abscisic acid) for better drought acclimation in Zea mays L. seedlings

Inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi can modify stomatal behavior and increase antioxidant enzyme activities and therefore play a pivotal role in plant growth. We hypothesised that inoculation with AM fungi postpones the non-hydraulic root signal and alters physiological and biochemical traits, which enhances drought tolerance and water-use efficiency (WUEB) for plant biomass. Two pot experiments (including progressive soil drying and partial root-zone drying) were conducted to reveal how mycorrhizal colonization altered root signal and its effects on plant growth, biochemical traits and WUEB in maize seedlings in drying soil. In our experiments, inoculation with Funneliformis mosseae improved water absorption and reduced the sensitivity of roots to drought. In addition, it decreased leaf abscisic acid (ABA) content of inoculated plants. Regardless of water conditions, plant biomass production, antioxidant enzyme activity, net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance and WUEB were elevated in AM fungal treatments compared to non-AM fungal treatments. Under water-stressed conditions, inoculation with F. mosseae greatly reduced leaf ABA content, and postponed the decline in photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance and osmotic adjustment. Malondialdehyde (MDA) level was significantly lower in mycorrhizal plants than in non-inoculation plants. However, inoculation with F. mosseae increased antioxidant enzyme activities including peroxidase (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD). In this study, inoculation with F. mosseae reduced ABA accumulation that acts as a non-hydraulic root signal and thereby postponed a decline in stomatal conductance and photosynthetic rate, improved water use efficiency and antioxidant enzymes activities, and accordingly reduced proline and MDA content. Thus, inoculation with AM fungi played a role in effective defense for better drought acclimation in water-stressed maize seedlings.

Preparing and Improving the Properties of Sodium Acrylate Polymer by Adding Dentonite for the Treatment of Desertification Phenomenon

ABSTRACT The phenomenon of desertification has a negative impact on the national economy of any country and may usually be obtained for many reasons such as the removal of agricultural land, depletion of soil, overgrazing, methods of poor irrigation, high temperature, and the lack of rainfall. The following paper tackles solving the problem of the lack of rainfall through the use of chemical methods such as preparing sodium polyacrylate and improving its properties by means of adding bentonite and thus obtaining a new and improved water absorption compound. The study concludes that the suitable range of bentonite ratio that is between (0 - 20 wt %) ensures water absorption from 1340 gg - 1 to 1500gg – 1 and thus the researcher confirms that the cross-linked of the compound will not be changed and the absorption of water will be higher. The presence of bentonite with polymer at a perfect percentage contributes to the reorganization of the distribution of the granular size of the polymer sodium polyacrylate—a matter that is reflected on the growing of its ability to absorb water and thus becoming a suitable compound in the treatment of desertification.

A Study on Suitability of Foamed Sandcrete Solid Block with Fly-Ash as Partial Replacement of Sand

In this study, the properties of foamed sandcrete solid block (FSSB) with varying percentage of sand replacement with fly-ash were investigated. These properties include workability, wet and dry density, stability, water absorption capacity and compressive strength. 150mm cube specimens were used for the determination of both the compressive strength and the dry density of the FSSB. The plastic density was investigated using a container of known volume, and its workability determined using the slump test. The fly-ash content was varied from 0 to 50% at interval of 10%. The specimens without the fly-ash served as the control. At the designed density of 1500kg/m3, the results for the control specimens at 28 day curing age was 3.74N/mm2. As for 50% sand replacement with fly-ash, the compressive strength were 2.37 N/mm, and 3.31 N/mm2 at 7-days 28-days curing age respectively, both satisfied the minimum compressive strength of 1.8N/mm2 and 2.5N/mm2 at the curing age of 7-days and 28-days respectively for conventional sandcrete block for building wall unit as allowed by Nigerian Industrial Standard (N.I.S). The result also shows an appreciable decrease in density of FSSB with 1411.8kg/m3, as compared to dense sandcrete solid block with average of 1950kg/m3, which will significantly reduce the overall dead load of the building structure. FSSB with 50% sand replacement with fly-ash also showed a much improved water absorption capacity of 9.81% as control specimen of 11.73%. Fly-ash can be used to reduce the quantity of sand used in FSSB production; thus ridding our environment of potentially harmful wastes, as well as reduce the consumption of non-renewable resources. Keywords— Foamed Sandcrete, Compressive Strength, fly-ash, dry density, stability, cement

Development and in vitro characterization of chitosan/starch/halloysite nanotubes ternary nanocomposite films

In this present study, ternary nanocomposite films of chitosan/starch/halloysite nanotubes (ChSHT) were fabricated by solution casting process. The ternary nanocomposite films were characterized by using various techniques such as Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), water contact angle, water absorption capacity, water solubility, folding endurance, tensile strength, elongation at break, thickness, porosity, water vapour transmission rate (WVTR), and hemocompatibility. FTIR and XRD results confirmed the interaction of halloysite nanotubes with chitosan-starch (ChS) solution. Further, the ChSHT ternary nanocomposite films showed improved water absorption capacity, water solubility, and water vapour transmission rate (WVTR). Water contact angle measurements also showed that the nanocomposite films were hydrophilic in nature. The hemocompatibility results showed that all the prepared nanocomposite films were non-hemolytic in nature. Furthermore, microbial penetration test showed that all the prepared ternary nanocomposite films were impermeable to bacteria. Considering the above-mentioned results, it is concluded that the ChSHT nanocomposite films could be used as promising wound cover materials.

Cellulose nanofiber (CNF) as a versatile filler for the preparation of bamboo pulp based tissue paper handsheets

Tissue paper that is prepared from bamboo has a very promising future in the world, especially in China, thanks to the various merits of bamboo fibers. However, the water absorption behavior and mechanical properties of bamboo pulp based tissue paper need to be improved due to the inherent drawbacks of bamboo fiber, such as high stiffness, weak interaction between bamboo fibers etc. Hence, cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) were combined with bamboo fibers before the tissue paper-making process, to improve the water absorption behavior and mechanical properties of tissue paper. The hypotheses are that: (1) CNFs themselves possess large specific surface area and abundant hydroxyl groups as well, thus enhancing the hydrophilicity of tissue paper; and (2) the added CNFs can form 3D structures in tissue paper, thus providing abundant pores with uniform small size, which would facilitate the capillary effect for water absorption; and (3) more hydrogen bonds will be formed between CNF and bamboo fibers, thus improving the strength properties of tissue paper, thanks to the excellent mechanical and physical properties of CNF. The results from water absorption and tensile strength tests of bamboo handsheets indicated that the addition of CNFs can increase the water absorption capacity from 6.6 to 8.7 g/g when the CNF dosage was 10 wt% (based on the dried pulp). The water retention value of prepared bamboo fibers increased from 163 to 190% at the same CNF dosage, the tensile index increased from 18.5 to 24.5 N m/g as well. The results from the bulk and pore size analyses, FTIR, as well as SEM images of tissue paper also evidenced the conclusions above. Cellulose nanofiber (CNF) as a versatile filler for the preparation of bamboo pulp based tissue paper with improved water absorption behavior and mechanical properties

Growth and nutrient content of Echinacea purpurea as affected by the combination of phosphorus with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus and Pseudomonas florescent bacterium under different irrigation regimes

The excessive use of chemical fertilizers has caused many environmental problems and threatens the health of the human communities at the global level. However, the use of some beneficial soil microorganisms in addition to supplying nutrients to plants helps protect the environment. In order to achieve this goal, the effects of different irrigation regimes and application of phosphorus (P) fertilizer, with mycorrhizal arbuscular fungus (AMF) or Pseudomonas fluorescens bacterium (PFB), were studied on the growth and nutrients of Echinacea purpurea. The main factor included soil irrigation after 25, 50 and 75% of soil moisture depletion and a sub-factor of P supplied in six levels (100% chemical P, 50% P + AMF, AMF, 50% P + PFB, PFB and a control test without P fertilizer). Results showed that an increase in drought intensity reduced the absorption of nutrients and relative water content (RWC), while ion leakage increased in the leaf of E. purpurea. The AMF had a more clear effect on the N, Cu, Mn, and Fe, but PFB was more effective in an increase of Zn. With the use of PFB in the second harvest, the amount of leaf and root Zn was increased by 30.39% and 31.88%, respectively. Although 100% chemical P could increase more P concentration in the root, the combination of P fertilizer with AMF transferred more P from root to leaf. In the first and second harvest, a combination of P with PFB respectively increased the plant biological yield by 10.77% and 17.33% as compared to control. Vegetative traits, Mn, and Zn illustrated a significant increase in the second harvest. Finally, the results showed successful coexistence of bio-fertilizers with E. purpurea in increasing the content of nutrients, improving water absorption, and reducing the adverse effects of drought stress.

Influence of pre-treatment in citric acid solution on physical and mechanical properties of thermally compressed oil palm board

Oil palm trunk is an excellent raw material for thermally compressed wood board. However, improvements to dimensional stability during water absorption and reduced thickness swelling has been tied to losses in other mechanical properties, especially as the compression temperature is increased. Toward solving this trade-off, we analyzed the effects of a 48 h pre-soak in citric acid solutions (0, 5, 15, 25, or 35% w/v in distilled water) on the physical and mechanical properties of oil palm board compressed at 140 °C. The reference benchmark case was compressed at 200 °C without pretreatment. The oil palm board raw materials were obtained from outer, middle and inner parts of trunk. The results showed that the oven-dry density of compressed oil palm board made from different parts of trunk increased with thermal compression (maximum pressure 12.26 MPa for 8 min). The citric acid pretreatment improved water absorption and thickness swelling properties of oil palm board thermally compressed at 140 °C, consistent with the citric acid concentration. The carboxyl groups in citric acid cross-link with the hydroxyl groups in the wood. However, no significant difference was found between the benchmark (200 °C) and pretreatments with 5 or 15% citric acid. The citric acid altered the wood chemistry during hot compressing at 140 °C. Static bending strength, modulus of rupture (MOR), and modulus of elasticity (MOE) slightly decreased with the citric acid pretreatment, matching the effects of high temperature compression at 200 °C.

Mechanical Strength of Admixed Conplast SP430 -Sawdust Ash Cement Paste and Concrete

The mechanical strength of Conplast SP 430 containing sawdust-ash in various proportions has been investigated in this work. The primary objective for this, was to address the water absorption issues raised in a previous work, where Conplast SP 430 was used alone. The work also considered the effects of adding sawdust-ash (SDA) on the compatibility with the cement used; its interaction as hydration proceeded; and the behaviours of the SDA admixed cement paste and concrete. The results of the investigations showed that the addition of SDA increased the water affinity of the cement paste by approximately, 1.1 to 1.3 times. The mixture of SDA-Conplast decreased the setting times thus, acting as a retarder while, improving the workability of the mix at dosages of 1.9 mL to 7.6 mL. The objective of the research on water absorption was achieved at 20 % SDA and 3.8 mL Conplast admixture (CA), and thus, addition of SDA improved water absorption. The compressive strength was optimal at 10 % SDA and 5.6 mL CA. The variation in concrete characteristics showed good correlation and performance. Equally good were the statistical results. These showed that addition of SDA to conplast cement paste and concrete produced reliable concrete of adequate strength that can be represented by a linear regression model.

Influences of mesoporous magnesium calcium silicate on mineralization, degradability, cell responses, curcumin release from macro-mesoporous scaffolds of gliadin based biocomposites

Macro-mesoporous scaffolds based on wheat gliadin (WG)/mesoporous magnesium calcium silicate (m-MCS) biocomposites (WMC) were developed for bone tissue regeneration. The increasing amount of m-MCS significantly improved the mesoporosity and water absorption of WMC scaffolds while slightly decreased their compressive strength. With the increase of m-MCS content, the degradability of WMC scaffolds was obviously enhanced, and the decrease of pH value could be slow down after soaking in Tris-HCl solution for different time. Moreover, the apatite mineralization ability of the WMC scaffolds in simulated body fluid (SBF) was obviously improved with the increase of m-MCS content, indicating good bioactivity. The macro-mesoporous WMC scaffolds containing m-MCS significantly stimulated attachment, proliferation and differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells, indicating cytocompatibility. The WMC scaffold containing 40 w% m-MCS (WMC40) possessed the highest porosity (including macroporosity and mesoporosity), which loaded the highest amount of curcumin (CU) as well as displayed the slow release of CU. The results suggested that the incorporation of m-MCS into WG produced biocomposite scaffolds with macro-mesoporosity, which significantly improved water absorption, degradability, bioactivity, cells responses and load/sustained release of curcumin.

Evaluation of Phyllite and Sand in the Heavy Clay Body Composition

In this study the objective was to evaluate the properties affected by the incorporation of phyllite and sand as raw materials in the composition of ceramic material for the roofing tiles production with light color using kaolinite clay from Campos dos Goytacazes – RJ, Brazil as main raw material. Specimens were prepared by uniaxial pressing at 20 MPa and fired at 950oC. The determined technological properties were: dry apparent density, linear shrinkage, water absorption and mechanical strength (three point bend test). The results indicated that the incorporation of sand and phyllite improved the dry apparent density, reduced loss on ignition and aluminum oxide content of the pure clay. These factors resulted in a reduced open porosity, improving water absorption and linear shrinkage. However, the mechanical strength was compromised due to the increase of quartz content.

Amine grafting on coordinatively unsaturated metal centers of MIL-101Cr for improved water absorption characteristics

Abstract A series of 3-[2-(2-aminoethylamino)ethylamino]propyl-trimethoxysilane (PAPTS) grafted on Materials of Institute Lavoisier-101(Cr) [MIL-101(Cr)] porous adsorbent with varied PAPTS loadings were synthesized and characterized by powder X-ray diffraction patterns (PXRD), N2 adsorption-desorption measurement at 77 K, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). The water vapor adsorption isotherms were obtained by gravimetric method. Water adsorption isotherms and dynamic on MIL-101 as well as PAPTS- MIL-101(Cr) are discussed simultaneously. Results indicated that even though the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface areas of PAPTS-MIL-101(Cr)-0.5 and PAPTS-MIL-101(Cr)-0.75 were reduced by approximately 50% compared with that of the original MIL-101(Cr), which have slightly higher water uptake capacities in a region of 0.30

Bacterial carbonate precipitation improves water absorption of interlocking compressed earth block (ICEB)

Interlocking compressed earth blocks (ICEB) are soil based blocks that allows for mortarless construction. The addition of many alternative materials into interlocking block in order to improve the durability has been reported. However there are currently lack of report and evidence on the application of biocalcification or microbiologically induced calcite precipitation (MICP) in improving the engineering properties of ICEB. This paper evaluate the effect of UB in improving the water absorption properties of ICEB. This paper also provide the results on SEM analysis of addition of 1%, 3% and 5% UB in ICEB. The bacteria were added as partial replacement of limestone water in ICEB. The results showed the reduction of 14.72% with 5% UB on initial water absorption followed by the results for water absorption by 24-hour soaking which also indicates reduction of 14.68% with 5% UB on 28th days of testing compared to control specimen. It was expected that the reduction of water absorption was due to the plugging of pores by the bacterial calcite which prevent ingression of water in ICEB samples. Therefore this study hopes that the positive results from the UB as improving in water absorption of ICEB will lead to improve others ICEB properties and others construction materials.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi enhance growth, physiological parameters and yield of salt stressed Phaseolus mungo (L.) Hepper

A pot experiment was conducted in a greenhouse to investigate the effect of two dominant indigenous arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, viz. Funneliformis mosseae (F) and Acaulospora laevis (A), on the growth of Phaseolus mungo subjected to salinity levels of 4, 8 and 12 dS m−1. Mycorrhizal fungi alone and in combination improved the growth of the plants at all the salinity levels over that of the untreated control plants. However, a combination of F. mosseae and A. laevis resulted in maximum root and shoot length, biomass, photosynthetic pigments, protein content, mycorrhization, nodulation, phosphatase activity, phosphorus uptake and yield at the 8 dS m−1 salinity level. Peroxidase activity and electrolyte leakage were minimum at the 8 dS m−1 salinity level due to improved water absorption as a result of the highest mycorrhization occurring at this level of salinity. Nitrogen and potassium uptake decreased with increase in salinity and highest uptake of these nutrient elements was recorded in the treatment with both mycorrhizal fungi at a salinity level of 4 dS m−1. The results of the present experiment indicate P. mungo inoculated with F. mosseae and A. laevis can be successfully cultivated of at salinity level of 8 dS m−1. Saline soils with an electrical conductivity of nearly 12 dS m−1 were not suitable for growing this legume.

Fabrication of Porous Ceramic-Geopolymer Based Material to Improve Water Absorption and Retention in Construction Materials: A Review

Porous ceramic nowadays has been investigated for a variety of its application such as filters, lightweight structural component and others due to their specific properties such as high surface area, stability and permeability. Besides, it has the properties of low thermal conductivity. Various formation techniques making these porous ceramic properties can be tailored or further fine-tuned to obtain the optimum characteristic. Porous materials also one of the good candidate for absorption properties. Conventional construction materials are not design to have good water absorption and retention that lead to the poor performance on these criteria. Temperature is a major driving force for moisture movement and influences sorption characteristics of many constructions materials. The effect of elevated temperatures on the water absorption coefficient and retention remain as critical issue that need to be investigated. Therefore, this paper will review the process parameters in fabricating porous ceramic for absorption properties.