Resistance of Steel Fiber-Reinforced RubCon

Chemical Resistance of Steel Fiber-Reinforced RubCon 

The corrosive environments that were used were water, a 70% solution of sulfuric acid, a 5% solution of phosphoric acid, a 36% solution of hydrochloric acid, and a 25% water solution of ammonia. Chemical resistance of fiber-reinforced RubCon was estimated on test specimens measuring 4 x 4 x 16 cm at exposures of 180 and 360 days at intermediate terms of 10, 30, 60, 90, 180, and 270 days. 

Three samples of RubCon were made for each term of exposure. Before immersing in the medium, samples were measured and weighed. After reaction of the corrosion reagents with RubCon, the samples were taken out of the exicators, dried with filtering paper, and put on a compression test with a speed of 60 MPa/min. 

The analysis of the obtained results shows that fiber-reinforced RubCon is a composite hydrophobic material with a coefficient of water resistance of Kcr = 0.995. Decreasing compressive strength was not observed and water absorption was 0.05% on weighing of samples. The small change of weight is due to the hydrophobic surface of RubCon. This is due to the intrinsic properties of the polybutadiene binder, which is not moistened with water. Furthermore, polybutadiene oligomer is nonpolar liquid. 

A reduction of the physical-mechanical properties of RubCon samples in the first days of exposure is associated with penetration of water into the RubCon body 

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