Polymer-Impregnated Cements and Concretes

In this type of system, a matrix with a more or less continuous pore system is filled with a second component. The pore system is, however, fixed during the formation of the matrix itself. Thus one might expect some differences between polymer-impregnated concretes and the latex-modified concretes discussed above for example, the latter are inherently more porous because porosity will always develop during curing, regardless of the presence of polymer. In both cases, however, the cement and polymer phases appear to form continuous and intertwined networks. 

Penetration appears to take place by a capillary rise mechanism in such a case, the height of rise h of a fluid of viscosity rj ascending a capillary pore of radius r and contact angle 6 is given by a relationship such as the Rideal-Washburn equation (Rideal, 1922 Washburn, 1921)  

Property Concrete control specimen Polymer- impregnated concrete  

Concrete mix design type II cement, water/cement ratio = 0.51 cement sand aggregate ratio = 1 2 5 3.4 by maximum aggregate size in. Fog-cured 28 days. 

Concrete with up to 6.7 wt % loading of poly(methyl methacrylate) polymerized with Co y-radiation. 

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