Abstract:
Polymer concretes (PCs) exhibit reduced water permeability; however, their adoption is limited in tropical regions like Nigeria due to the vulnerability of their common binder, thermoset resins, to elevated temperatures. This thermal sensitivity accelerates polymerization, compromising early strength development and resulting in PCs with diminished workability and increased porosity. To tackle this issue, polymer inhibitors involving the addition of Methyl Methacrylate (MMA) have been introduced.
Initially, characterization of binder formulation was conducted by incorporating Methyl Ethyl Ketone Peroxide (MEKP) and cobalt Naphthenate (CoNp) as accelerators into the polyester resin. Fillers, namely Sorghum Husk Ash (SHA) and calcium carbonate (CaCO3), were examined for properties such as density, specific gravity, particle size distribution, surface area, morphology, and chemical composition. PCs with optimized mix proportions using low binder content (11%) and varying filler contents (12%, 14%, & 16%) were subjected to compressive testing.
Two variations of PCs, PC-SHA and PC-CaCO3, both utilizing polyester binders, were fabricated, and their physical and mechanical attributes were evaluated. Among these, PC-SHA demonstrated superior compressive strength (56.6 N/mm2) at 14% filler content and minimal water absorption (0.26%) at 16% filler content after 28 days, in contrast to PC-CaCO3, which exhibited a compressive strength of 49.8 N/mm2 and water absorption of 3.1% under similar conditions.
In conclusion, Sorghum Husk Ash (SHA), post grinding modification, emerges as a highly promising filler for polymer concretes (PCs), addressing the limitations associated with temperature-induced binder vulnerability.
The Impact of Sorghum Husk Ash as a Micro-Filler on Polymer Concrete. GET MORE, ACTUARIAL SCIENCE PROJECT TOPICS AND MATERIALS
