Technical Papers
Jan 18, 2022

Effects of Nanomaterials on Engineering Performance of a Potassium Methyl Siliconate–Based Sealer for Cementitious Composite

Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 34, Issue 4

Abstract

Currently, there is an urgent demand for more effective sealers to preserve the integrity and durability of concrete infrastructure in aggressive environments, such as bridge decks subjected to increasing traffic volume and increasing use of chloride-based deicers. To this end, this laboratory study explored the feasibility of employing graphene oxide and montmorillonite nanoclay to enhance the engineering performance of a penetrating sealer based on potassium methyl siliconate (PMS). The combined use of 0.15%-by-weight Na-montmorillonite nanoclay and 0.06%-by-weight graphene oxide in the PMS sealer resulted in the best performance, decreasing the water absorption and gas permeability coefficients. It also increased the water contact angle and viscosity, decreased the penetration depth of the PMS sealer, and reduced the scaling depth of mortar samples after freeze/thaw cycles. The improved protective performance of the nanomodified sealers can be attributed to the replacement of hydrophilic groups (─ OH) by hydrophobic groups ( CH 3 ) and changes in the micro-/nano-roughness of the sealed specimens induced by the admixed nanomaterials. In addition, thermogravimetric analysis confirmed the pozzolanic reaction between the nanoclay and the alkaline PMS sealer. Two empirical regression models were developed to quantify the relationship between the aforementioned performance parameters, which provided qualitative insights to guide the design and fabrication of nanomodified concrete sealers.

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Data Availability Statement

All data, models, and code generated or used during the study appear in the published article.

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge Washington State University and the National Center for Transportation Infrastructure Durability & Life-Extension (TriDurLE) for funding this work. They would also like to extend their appreciation to BASF Co. for donating the HRWR and AE used in the study.

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Information & Authors

Information

Published In

Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 34Issue 4April 2022

History

Received: May 5, 2021
Accepted: Aug 13, 2021
Published online: Jan 18, 2022
Published in print: Apr 1, 2022
Discussion open until: Jun 18, 2022

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Authors

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Zhipeng Li, S.M.ASCE [email protected]
Graduate Research Assistant, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Washington State Univ., Pullman, WA 99164-2910. Email: [email protected]
Professor, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Washington State Univ., Pullman, WA 99164-2910 (corresponding author). ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3576-8952. Email: [email protected]

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  • Effect of nano-reinforcing phase on the early hydration of cement paste: A review, Construction and Building Materials, 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2022.130147, 367, (130147), (2023).

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