Polymer concrete production

Due to the properties of polymer concrete, products made of this material are durable and strong and are characterized by higher mechanical resistance to loads than traditional concrete, which means that the cross-section area for comparable load classes is smaller in polymer concrete products—thus they are lighter than concrete products, which results in easier and quicker installation. 

PIC is a precast and cured portland cement concrete that has been impregnated with a monomer that is subsequently polymerized in situ. This type of cement composite is the most developed of polymer-concrete products. PCC, on the other hand, is a modified concrete in which a part (10%-15% by weight) of the cement binder is replaced by a synthetic organic polymer. It is produced by incorporating a monomer, prepolymer-monomer mixture, or a dispersed polymer (latex) into a cement-concrete mix. To effect the polymerization of the monomer or prepolymer-monomer, a catalyst (initiator) is added to the mixture. The process technology used is very similar to that of conventional concrete. So, unlike PIC which has to be used as a precast structure, PCC can be cast-in-place in field applications. PC can be described as a composite that contains polymer as a binder instead of the conventional portland cement. 

Development of precast polymer concrete products and manufacturing processes (including mass production systems and continuous mixers) for them [46]... 

Polymer concrete production uses equipment and methods that are being used for producing Portland cement concrete. In the design of polymer concrete mixes, the main objective is to obtain a suitable particle size distribution of the aggregate so that a good workability will be attained with a minimum amount of monomer or resin [9]. Aggregates should be dried to at least 3% moisture [11] but moisture contents less than 1% are preferred as moisture reduces the bond between the binder and the aggregate [14]. 

Electrodeposition. Electro deposition, the most important of the unit processes in electrorefining, is performed in lead- or plastic-lined concrete cells or, more recently, in polymer—concrete electrolytic cells. A refinery having an aimual production of 175,000 t might have as many as 1250 cells in the tank house. The cells are multiply coimected such that anodes and cathodes are placed alternately and coimected in parallel. Each cell is a separate unit and electrically coimected to adjacent cells by a bus bar. 

The long range objectives of the joint program are the investigation and development of a concrete-polymer composite as a new construction material. The program includes the development of techniques for preparing concrete-polymer material, measurement of the physical and chemical properties, preparation of full-scale concrete products, and the conceptual design and evaluation of various specific applications. 

Comparing the cost of the various concretes shows that at times of low sulfur prices, sulfur concrete can even compete with high-strength cement concrete. The costs of polymer concrete per cubic meter are quite enormous. Yet the substantially higher production costs of polymer concrete have not been considered yet. The prices used for this comparison are based on European conditions. To assess the sulfur concrete costs we used two extreme sulfur prices which had to be paid,in the last years. The total costs of DCP-modified sulfur concrete rose only negligibly with the addition of this plasticizer (Table IX). 

The high cost of resins used in the production of polymer concrete (PC) makes the material expensive relative to cement-based materials. Not surprisingly, a recent survey ranked lower cost resins as the most important future need for PC [1], Recently, some work has been done on the production of unsaturated polyester resins based on recycled poly (ethylene terephthalate), PET [2], The PET wastes are typically found in used beverage bottles, and many states have passed legislation to collect and recycle these bottles. If specially formulated, the unsaturated polyester could be used in the production of PC [3],... 

At Goodyear, he was a research chemist, working in the area of rubber accelerators, but he turned his attention to the production of copolymers of vinyl chloride and synthetic rubber. After one year, he and all the other employees were Informed that their salaries had been reduced by 10%. After voicing his complaint. Dr. Seymour resigned and took a position as Chief Chemist for Atlas Mineral Products in Mertztown, Pennsylvania at the salary of 225 per month. He was their only chemist, developing a product line of protective coatings based on PVC, and pioneered the development of polymer concrete. 

Polyester polymer concrete resists oxidizers, acids, oils, and petroleum products, but there is not enough resistance to alkaline solutions and water. The strength of polyester PC in water decreases faster than in solutions of inorganic salts and some acids therefore, resistance in acid solutions can simultaneously serve as an estimate of water resistance. For example, the flexural strength of the PC, immersed in a 10% solution of sulfuric acid or 10% sodium chloride solution is reduced by 30% after 80 days of immersion. 

Development of a manufacturing process for diene oligomers belonging to a liquid rubber class with viscous liquids consistence allowed us to create a new class of conglomerate polymer composite materials—rubber concrete (RubCon). Rubber concrete is an advanced construction material created over the last few years. It is polymer concrete with a unique set of physical-mechanical, chemical, and technological properties that allow the creation of highly effective building structures and products. 

As shown in Table 2.7, the coefficient of chemical resistance of RubCon is 1.0 for water, 0.81-0.95 for all mineral acids (exception is KCI = 0.69 for 36% solution of hydrochloric acid), 0.82-0.95 for organic acids, 0.82-0.91 for alkalis, 0.88 for solvents and petroleum products, and 0.84-0.86 for solution of salts. The analysis of experimental data has shown that RubCon offers universal chemical resistance many times higher than ordinary Portland cement concrete and surpasses the chemical resistance of polyester, polyepoxy, and vinyl ester polymer concrete. It is worth noting that penetration depths of 5% nitric and 36% solution of hydrochloric acids into RubCon sample bodies were 3, 4, and 5.1 mm, respectively the penetration ability of these acids is higher as compared with other corrosive environments. 

The destructive action of acids is caused by their nature, concentration, pH of water solutions, presence of oxidizing properties, temperature of the environment, and solubility of formed corrosion products at their interaction with polymer concretes and steel reinforcement. 

Silicate polymer concrete (SPC) is used in the repair of foundations, for the manufacture of storage tanks for hot and cold acids, equipment lining, reservoirs, and building structures, and as the structural material in vessel heads, vaults, and diaphragms. SPC is of particular interest in precast structures in production of pickling baths for metallurgical plants. 

The mechanical properties, the corrosion stability, and some useful properties are the reasons for the continuous interest shown in polymer-concrete composites by various design, research, and production organizations. The most important types of polymer-concrete composites are polymer-impregnated concrete (PIC), polymer-cement concrete (PCC), and polymer concrete (PC). 

R. Kreis Mass production of polymer concrete, in ICPIC Working Papers, International Congress on Polymers in Concrete (ICPIC), American Concrete Institute, Detroit (1991). 

Y. Ohama, H. Iwasaki, T. Nakajima, T. Katow, S. Kashimura, S. Tachibana and M. Kimura Design of pol5mier-impregnated concrete plant for mass production, in Proceedings of the 1st International Congress on Polymer Concretes, The Construction Press, Lancaster (1976), pp.300-305. 

Dharmarajan, N., Kumar, S. and Armeniades, C.D. A constitutive equation for creep in polymer concretes and their resin binders. The Production, Performance and Potential of Polymers in Concrete (Ed. Staynes, B.W.), ICPIC 87, Brighton, Sept. 1987. 

Use of the products of chemical recycling of PET in the production of new PET resin has already been mentioned. In addition, the products from chemical recycling can be used as a feedstock in manufacturing of unsaturated polyesters, often for glass fiber-reinforced applications such as bath tubs, shower stalls, and boat hulls. Unsaturated polyesters have also found uses in polymer concrete. 

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