Polymer Concrete Samples Research Articles

Enhancing concrete durability with polymer impregnation: A comparative study of corrosion and freeze-thaw resistance

This study explores the efficacy of Polymer Concrete (PC) in bolstering the durability and performance of concrete structures under diverse environmental conditions. Three variants of PC were examined: Polymer Impregnated Concrete (PIC), Polymer Portland Cement Concrete (PPCC), and Polymer Concrete (PC). The study focused on their resistance to corrosion and freeze-thaw cycles. The research also delved into the protective influence of various polymers, including silicone and epoxy, on both concrete and steel. The findings revealed that PIC surpassed other PC types in terms of corrosion and freeze-thaw resistance, while PC and PPCC necessitate further improvements. Silicone emerged as the most potent polymer for enhancing the durability of concrete and steel. PIC, exhibiting superior compressive strength and durability compared to control samples, was proposed as an apt material for construction projects in cold and corrosive environments. The PIC samples, composed of polymer, silicone, and polyvinyl acetate, displayed a significant improvement in their corrosion potential. Over a 90-day period, these samples showed a reduction of approximately 70 units, resulting in a value of 560 mV. When juxtaposed with other PC variants tested in the study, the PIC samples demonstrated superior corrosion resistance. The PIC samples also exhibited a higher average compressive strength and improved frost resistance compared to the PPCC and PC samples. The strength of PIC samples was 16.7% and 14.3% higher than control before and after cycles, respectively. Conversely, PPCC and PC samples displayed lower strengths than control, with PC samples recording the lowest. The strength reduction due to freeze-thaw cycles was least in PIC samples. In conclusion, PIC holds promise as a material for enhancing the durability and performance of concrete structures. Further research is recommended to assess its cost-effectiveness and environmental impact.

Physical Properties of Polymer Concrete Utilizing Pahae Natural Zeolite, Corn Husk Fiber, and Polyurethane Resin Adhesives

This study aimed to determine the optimum composition in the manufacture of polymer concrete using Pahae natural zeolite, corn husk fiber, and polyurethane resin adhesives. This study used the hot-press method at 170℃ for 30 minutes. The compositions of zeolite and corn husk fiber tested were varied under three different additions of polyurethane resin of 15 g, 20 g, and 25 g, while the composition of sand was fixed at 60 g. The inclusion of corn husk fiber content reduces the density of the concrete and increases the porosity and water absorption. The physical properties analysis showed that the polymer concrete samples showed the highest density was 1.89 g/cm3 from 20 g of polyurethane resin and no addition of corn husk fiber; the highest porosity was 6.15% from 15 g of polyurethane resin and 10 g of corn husk fiber; and the highest water absorption was 5.85% from 15 g of polyurethane resin and 10 g of corn husk fiber. Because improved material quality and durability are linked to reduced water absorption rates in polymer concrete, the most favorable composition with minimal water absorption (0.51%) came from the sample utilizing 20 grams of polyurethane resin without incorporating corn husk fiber.

Utilization Of Pahae Natural Zeolite In The Production Of Polymer Concrete Using Corn Shell Fiber And Polyurethane Resin As Adhesive

Research has been carried out on polymer concrete with Pahae natural zeolite aggregate and corn husk fibers and polyurethane resin fibers as adhesives using a hot press at 170 ° for 30 minutes, which aims to determine the optimum composition in the manufacture of polymer concrete, namely the ratio of sand: zeolite: shell fiber corn with composition (60:25:0), (60:23:2), (60:21:4), (60:19:6), (60:17:8), (60:15:10) in units of weight with variations in the addition of 15% polyurethane resin, composition (60:20:0), (60:18:2), (60:16:4), (60:14:6), (60:12: 8), (60:10:10) in units of % by weight with variations in the addition of 20% polyurethane resin and compositions (60:15:0), (60:13:2), (60:11:4), (60: 9:6), (60:7:8), (60:5:10) in units of % by weight with variations in the addition of 25% polyurethane resin. The test results showed that the optimum mechanical properties in the compressive strength test were 21,574 MPa, flexural strength was 48,249 MPa, and tensile strength was 660,657 MPa. As well as the results of elemental and morphological analysis showing the pores developed, polyurethane’s dispersion, and the elements loaded in the polymer concrete samples.

Manufacture of Polymer Concrete Based on Snake-Fruit Seeds (Salacca zalacca) and Sawdust with Polyester Resin as an Adhesive

This study aims to determine the effect of adding snake-fruit (Salacca zalacca) seeds and sawdust on polymer concrete's physical and mechanical properties. The results showed that the highest physical properties were 1.27 g/cm3 density, 12.5% porosity, and 13.22% water absorption. The lowest physical properties are a density of 0.85 g/cm3, porosity of 2.65%, and water absorption of 2.07%. The highest mechanical properties are compressive strength of 16.70 MPa, tensile strength of 4.39 MPa, and flexural strength of 7.93 MPa. The lowest mechanical properties are compressive strength of 6.80 MPa, tensile strength of 1.11 MPa, and flexural strength of 1.50 MPa. SEM test results showed that the microstructure of polymer concrete showed differences between concrete samples A1 (consisting of 35 g of snake-fruit seeds, 15 g of sawdust, and 15 g of polyester resin) and polymer concrete samples B1 (consisting of 30 g of snake-fruit seeds, 15 g of sawdust, and 20 g of polyester resin). The SEM analysis of the A1 concrete sample reveals a dark surface color and conspicuous white lumps, which are attributed to polyester resin and arise from inadequate mixing of ingredients. In the case of sample B1, a higher concentration of visible resin lumps is observed.

Cluster analysis of acoustic emission signals for the damage pattern recognition of polymer concrete

Polymer concrete (PC) is a composite material that consists of mineral fillers (gravel, sand) and a polymer binder whose role is to replace the cement hydrate binders. Its properties such as mechanical strength, adhesion, etc. are improved to a great extent by polymer replacement. In this study, acoustic emission (AE) is used as a nondestructive tool to monitor the mechanical behavior of various PC samples subjected to three-point bending. In order to identify the acoustic signatures related to micro-cracks created within the polymer matrix and the different interfaces, experiments were first performed on manufactured dual-phase PC samples. Parameters related to the created micro-structural changes were then extracted based on different physical and signal processing considerations before being clustered using the time and frequency characteristics of the collected signals. After having carried out the same clustering approach on the three-phase PC (epoxy, sand, gravel), the present work shows that a new clustering of the AE signals is possible based on the wavelets of the AE hits processed as images. High classification accuracy was then obtained using the time–frequency characteristics of AE hits and a transfer learning technique.

Inhomogeneous creep equation for viscoelastic materials

The paper consider an inhomogeneous creep equation arising from a generalized Voigt model containing a Riemann-Liouville fractional derivative of the order 0 < β < 1. The Laplace transform is used for the numerical solution. The obtained solutions are compared with experimental data of polymer concrete samples. On the basis of this comparison the conclusion about the adequacy of the numerical solution method is made, and estimates of the model parameters are given.

Manufacture and Characterization of Polymer Concrete with Pumice Aggregates, Banana Stem Fibers, and Styrofoam Waste as Fillers

This study aims to determine the effect of replacing some fractions of pumice stone with banana stem fiber in polymer concrete. The ratio of sand, pumice stone, and banana stem fiber were (25:35:0), (25:33:2), (25:31:4), (25:29:6), (25:27:8) in units of weight %. The matrix used was 10% of styrofoam with the addition of 40% epoxy resin. Parameters tested include physical tests (density, porosity, and water absorption), mechanical tests (hardness, flexural strength, and compressive strength), microstructure, and elemental content tests using SEM-EDX. The test results show that the optimum physical properties for density are 1.4 g/cm3, porosity 0.25 %, and water absorption 0.204 %. Meanwhile, the optimum value of mechanical properties in the hardness test is 56.0166 HVN, the flexural strength 26.830 MPa, and the compressive strength 34.082 MPa. Moreover, the morphological and elemental analysis results showed the formed pores, the distribution of the epoxy, and the elements loaded on the polymer concrete samples.

Evaluation of impact resistance properties of polyurethane-based polymer concrete for the repair of runway subjected to repeated drop-weight impact test

The impact resistance of Polyurethane (PU)-based polymer concrete was investigated using U-shaped specimens tested on a newly designed drop-weight impact test device. The PU-based polymer concrete samples was obtained by mixing natural sand and PU matrix using 85:15 and 90:10 ratios, and normal concrete samples were tested for comparison. The results revealed that the PU binder composition greatly enhanced the impact times and energy absorption capacity. The U-shaped specimen was predetermined the position of the crack and reduced the dispersion of results. The coefficient of variation (COV) of 38.07% is the maximum value obtained in this study, lower than the value obtained in ACI 544 2R impact testing procedure. The AI-based model’ result indicates that the prediction skills of the support vector machine (SVM-M3) performed very well with R2 = 0.9575 and 0.9814 in the training and testing stage, respectively. Therefore, the proposed model had high accuracy in predicting the failure strength (blows) of PU-based polymer concrete samples.

Mathematical model of the polymer concrete by fractional calculus with respect to a spatial variable

The article presents a solution of the vibration string equation containing the fractional derivative concerning the spatial variable, in which the fractional derivative is defined by Caputo. This model is utilized for characterizing the oscillation mechanical process in a viscoelastic medium. The theoretical solution is presented, and the fractional derivative parameter is determined. We compared the theoretical solution and the experimental data for polymer concrete samples. A sample of the problem of structural mechanics has been considered. This sample allows the demonstration of some advantages of the application of the suggested approach to solve the fractional vibration equation.

Synthesis and characterization of polymer concrete withpumice aggregate and singkut leaf fiber as filler

Polymer concretehave been made based sand, pumice, epoxy resin, and singkut leaf fiber as fillers. The manufacture of polymer concrete uses block-shaped molds with a size of 100 mm x 20 mm x 10 mm with the press molding method using a hotpress. Variations in the composition polymer concrete of sand, pumice stone, singkut leaf fiber, and epoxy resin, namely 60:20:0:20 g, 60:18:2:20 g, 60:16:4:20 g, 60:14:6:20 g, 60:12:8:20 g, and 60:10:10:20 g. The variation in the composition was made into 2 groups of variations based on the concentration of NaOH used to singkut the leaves, namely the leaves with immersion of 5% NaOH and 13% NaOH. The polymer concrete then characterizes its physical properties (density and water absorption), mechanical properties (flexural strength, compressive strength, tensile strength), and SEM-EDX. The results of characterization carried out on concrete samples, show that the best composition is (60:18:2:20) g (5% NaOH content) with a density value of 1.74 g/cm3, water absorption of 0.34%, flexural strength. amounted to 37.07 MPa, compressive strength of 60.18 MPa, tensile strength of 8.33 MPa. The results of microstructure testing showed that the polymer concrete samples with a mixture of sand, pumice, epoxy resin, and singkut leaf fiber were mostly dominated by the element C (carbon).

The application of automotive glass waste in the production of epoxy polymer concrete

In this paper, the production of aggregate from car windshield cullet and the use of this aggregate, in various compositions with fine quartz sand, as the reinforcing phase of the epoxy matrix polymer concrete were used and the obtained samples were tested. The bending and compressive strength, Charpy’s impact resistance tests were performed on the obtained composites. The porosity, water absorption, and density were also determined. The tests performed have shown that the application of car windshield cullet in polymer concrete, seems to be a good way to recycle this waste. The highest compressive strength, equal to 101 MPa, was obtained by composites containing 20 vol% of milled glass. It is nearly 7 times higher than the value of traditional concrete tested simultaneously, which has about 15 MPa. The highest flexural strength was noted for the composite containing 35 vol% of the glass. Polymer concrete samples did not show high impact resistance, which was in the range of 5.85 - 10.13 kJ/m2 . However, it increases with increasing glass content and the highest value was obtained for the composite containing 50% of the glass volume. Among the polymer concrete samples, the best properties were obtained for the mixture of 35% sand, 35% ground glass and 30% epoxy resin. Open porosity of traditional concrete is 15.9%, and for polymer concrete it was lower than 0.38%. The large difference in open porosity and water absorption for traditional concrete and polymer concrete, allow us to conclude that the latter will have higher frost resistance. The test results clearly show the significantly better mechanical properties of polymer concrete than of traditional concrete.

Passive monitoring of nonlinear relaxation of cracked polymer concrete samples using acoustic emission.

This work presents an acoustic emission (AE) monitoring of slow dynamics in micro-cracked polymer concrete (PC) samples. In order to obtain calibrated damage states, AE was first used to characterize the micro-damage mechanisms in real time when PC samples are submitted to three-point bending tests. Then, an unsupervised classification of AE data based on the Principle Component Analysis and the k-means clustering was applied to classify AE data. The AE monitoring of the nonlinear relaxation of PC samples revealed the existence of a silence period followed by AE hits belonging to two different damage classes. A similarity appeared between the properties of the detected AE hits obtained during the nonlinear relaxation and the quasi-static tests. Finally, this work shows that the dynamics of both mechanisms during the nonlinear relaxation are clearly different.

Some solutions of the nonhomogeneous Bagley–Torvik equation

In this study, nonhomogeneous differential equation of the second order is considered, which contains fractional derivative (Bagley–Torvik equation), where the derivative order ranges within 1 and 2. This equation is applied in mechanics of oscillation processes. To study the equation, we use the Laplace transform, which allows us to obtain an image of the solution in an explicit form. Two typical kinds of functions of the right-hand side of the equation are considered. Numerical solutions are constructed for each of them. The solutions obtained are compared with experimental information on polymer concrete samples. The comparison allows for the conclusion about the adequacy of the numerical and analytical solutions to the nonhomogeneous Bagley–Torvik equation.

Experimental study of the effect of polymer fiber based on epoxy resin on compressive and flexural strength parameters

In this study, effective parameters on polymer concrete (PC) based on epoxy resin such as filler, hardener and solvent are investigated. Rice husk and broom stem ashes as fillers with mixture of 50-50% Acetone-Toluene as solvent in preparation of PC samples were used. According to experimental results, addition of fillers improved compressive, flexural and chemical strengths of the PC samples. In the sample with 18.4% polymer, additional of rice husk ash with ratio of filler-aggregate 0.075, compressive strength improved by 21%. For the sample with broom stem ash ratio of filler-aggregate 0.09, the flexural strength was improved by 27%. In addition, experimental data proved that addition of optimum amount of solvent improved the performance and enhanced the compressive and flexural strengths. But excess amount of solvent may reduce the adhesiveness of the polymer therefore it may have negative impact on PC. The combination of hardener-resin may influence on the strength of PC. Amine type of hardener with low equivalent weight improved 27 and 13% on compressive and flexural strengths. Also elasticity module was increased in compare with the samples having high equivalent weight of amine type hardener.

Modeling of deformation-strength characteristics of polymer concrete using fractional calculus

We consider a second-order differential equation containing a derivative of a fractional order (the Bagley-Torvik equation) in which the order of the derivative is in the range from 1 to 2 and is not known in advance. This model is used to describe oscillation processes in a viscoelastic medium. To study the equation, we use the Laplace transform, which allows us to obtain in an explicit form the image of the solution of the corresponding Cauchy problem. Numerical solutions are constructed for different values of the parameter.On the basis of the solution obtained, a numerical technique is proposed for parametric identification of an unknown order of a fractional derivative from the available experimental data. On the range of possible values of the parameter, the least-squares deviation function is determined. The minimum of this function determines the desired value of the parameter.The approbation of the developed technique on experimental data for polymer concrete samples was carried out, the fractional derivative parameter in the model was determined, the theoretical and experimental curves were compared, the accuracy of the parametric identification and the adequacy of the technique were established.

Investigating fracture mechanics and flexural properties of unsaturated polyester polymer concrete (UP-PC)

Polymer concretes are particle composites of polymers which are filled by aggregates. Polyesters, epoxies and acrylics have been used as binders in these materials which polyesters due to their suitable properties and acceptable cost are considered by the most of industries. One of the most considered issues about polyester polymer concretes is their weak performance and the low durability against acids and alkaline solutions. In this research, fracture mechanics (CMOD and K1c) and flexural strength (σ) of a polyester polymer concrete after 1, 3, 6 and 12 months of exposure to sulfuric acid 0.5and1mollit and carbonate/bicarbonate alkaline solution 0.0622and0.1245mollit were investigated. Results showed that both of aggressive solutions degraded polymer concrete samples. However acids caused more decrement in flexural strength and alkaline had more destructive effect on fracture mechanics. Furthermore, the concentration was more important in destructive effects especially for alkaline solution. The highest decrease in flexural strength, fracture toughness and CMOD were 37%, 36.1% and 59% respectively. SEM analysis was used to assess morphological changes accrued at fractured surfaces of the samples.

Optimization of Moulding Technology of Polymer Concrete Used for Manufacture Precision Tool Machine Bases

Aspects of moulding technology have a great effect on the mechanical properties and curing behaviour of polymer concrete used to manufacture the base of precision tool machine. In this paper, the results and the analysis are both presented of an experimental investigation on the effects of moulding technology on polymer concrete (PC) used for manufacture the base of precision tool machine. Effect of voids population on compressive strength of polymer concrete was examined. Various frequencies were applied during the packing operation of the polymer concrete samples using the vibration table. The optimum frequency for vibration and for producing a PC sample with the highest compressive strength was found to be 18.9375 Hz, which resulted in 109 MPa compressive strength for basalt, sand and chalk composition. In addition influence of Dimethyl aniline (DMA) amount and moulding temperature on mixing process and the strength of matrix domain were experimented. The relation between time of viscosity build-up t (min), temperature T (°C) and DMA content C (%) were correlated. This relation was used to obtain the suitable time required for mixing to prevent the mixing while the polymeric binder reach the gelling time through the copolymerization process. Also mixing technology and its influence on mechanical properties of PC were investigated. The optimized mixing technology was reached. Enhancing certain aspects of moulding technology could lead to an elevation of the mechanical strength of PC that may assist in producing polymer concrete with a high level of compliance with the optimisation criteria for PC used in manufacturing bases for precision tool machinery.

Characterization of Microcracking in Polymer Concrete Using Multiple Scattered Waves Under Steady-State Vibration Conditions

ABSTRACTThis work presents the development of an ultrasonic method based on the use of multiple-scattered waves to detect and image microcracks in polymer concrete samples under steady-state bending vibrations. The sensitivity of the multiple-scattered waves to microcracks revealed to be dependent on the plane in which bending vibrations were excited. In order to understand the origin of such a sensitivity, acoustic emission measurements were performed under the same vibration conditions to verify the existence of a structural anisotropy related to microcrack distribution. Results revealed that, depending on the considered plane, acoustic emission signatures are very different and therefore can be used to understand the involved mechanisms and to identify the vibration planes that offer the optimal imaging conditions.

Needlefelt carpet waste as lightweight aggregate for polymer concrete composite

In this research work, the feasibility of using the needlefelt carpet waste as a lightweight aggregate for producing lightweight polymer concrete was studied. Carpet waste was shredded into small pieces and added to the polymer concrete mixture to reduce the density of the resultant product. Incorporation of a small amount of carpet waste (2.5% in weight of concrete) decreased the density of polymer concrete up to 23%. The results show that the flexural and compressive strength of lightweight polymer concretes decreased by increasing the carpet waste content. Compressive strength of lightweight polymer concrete significantly decreased with increase in the waste content. All lightweight polymer concrete samples under flexural test exhibited the post-cracking response with a remarkable improvement in the toughness and the strain capacity. An increase in the energy-absorption capacity from 53% to 129% was observed for lightweight polymer concrete samples, depending on the waste content.

Mechanical Characterization of Epoxy Polymer Concrete Containing Fly Ash

Polymer concrete is a composite material made of aggregates and polymeric resin as a binder. The applications of polymer concrete is limited not only to the domain of civil engineering but it has got inroads in to structural applications in Machine tool structures. Till date no standard mix design procedures are available for polymer concrete systems. In this research, Polymer concrete samples were made using epoxy resin as a binder, fly ash as a filler and marble waste as aggregate. The various mix proportions were developed using concept of mixture design of experiments. Compressive and flexural strength was evaluated for each composition of polymer concrete thus obtained. The effect of variables such as epoxy resin, fly ash and aggregates were analyzed. An optimum mix composition has been developed using the regression equations. The coefficient of correlation (R-Square) between the experimental value and predicted value was found to be high near about one proving the fitness of the model.