Use of Polymer/Organoclay Nanocomposite Surface Treatment as Water/Ion Barrier for Concrete
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 20, Issue 7
Abstract
The durability of concrete structures is strongly affected by the ease of water and ion penetration. Polymeric surface treatment with epoxy and silane are commonly used to provide a barrier to the ingress of water and ions. In this investigation, the improvement of barrier properties of epoxy and silane by the incorporation of nanosized organoclay was studied. The water vapor transmission test and the salt spray resistance test were conducted to evaluate the resistance to moisture and chloride penetration, respectively. The test results indicate significant improvement in moisture penetration resistance when small amounts of organoclay, ranging from 1 to , are introduced into neat epoxy and neat silane. Polymer/organoclay nanocomposites are also more effective than neat polymers in inhibiting the ingress of chloride ion into the concrete, with epoxy/organoclay nanocomposites showing the best performance. The results demonstrate the potential application of polymer/organoclay nanocomposites as a surface treatment material for concrete structures.
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Acknowledgments
The writers are grateful to the Research Grant Council of HKSAR for financial support (Project No. UNSPECIFIEDHKUST6184/03E). The materials and technical assistance from the Advanced Engineering Materials Facility (AEMF), HKUST is much appreciated. The writers would also like to thank the technical staff of the Materials Lab of Dept. of Civil Engineering and Dept. of Mechanical Engineering of HKUST for their dedication and thoroughness.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 20 • Issue 7 • July 2008
Pages: 484 - 492
Copyright
© 2008 ASCE.
History
Received: Mar 19, 2007
Accepted: Nov 28, 2007
Published online: Jul 1, 2008
Published in print: Jul 2008
Notes
Note. Associate Editor: Jason Weiss
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