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Autogenous Healing in Cementitious Materials with Superabsorbent Polymers Quantified by Means of NMR.

ABSTRACT: A recent advance in construction technology is the use of self-healing cementitious materials containing synthetic microfibers and superabsorbent polymers. By stimulating autogenous healing by means of superabsorbent polymers, cracks are closed and this will cause an increase in durability and service life. However, this improved healing capacity has not been quantified yet in terms of increased further hydration and volume of healing products. This is needed to model the material and to stimulate the practical application in constructions. This paper provides quantitative data, obtained by an NMR study. Addition of 1?m% of selected superabsorbent polymer versus cement to a cementitious material, stimulated further hydration with nearly 40% in comparison with a traditional cementitious material, if 1?h water contact per day was allowed. At 90% relative humidity, no healing was observed in reference samples. While the further hydration around a crack in specimens with superabsorbent polymers was still 68% of that of a reference system with cyclic water contact, due to the uptake of moisture by the superabsorbent polymers. As such, NMR results quantify the positive influence of superabsorbent polymers in terms of stimulated autogenous healing and substantiate their benefits for application in the construction area.

SUBMITTER: Snoeck D

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6971030 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Autogenous Healing in Cementitious Materials with Superabsorbent Polymers Quantified by Means of NMR.

Snoeck D D Pel L L De Belie N N

Scientific reports 20200120 1

A recent advance in construction technology is the use of self-healing cementitious materials containing synthetic microfibers and superabsorbent polymers. By stimulating autogenous healing by means of superabsorbent polymers, cracks are closed and this will cause an increase in durability and service life. However, this improved healing capacity has not been quantified yet in terms of increased further hydration and volume of healing products. This is needed to model the material and to stimula ...[more]

PMID: 31959802

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Project description:Robots operating in changing underwater environments may be required to adapt to these varying conditions. In tidal estuaries, for example, where the degree of salinity cycles in step with the level of the water, a robot may need to adapt its behaviour depending on the position of the tide. In freshwater bodies, the unexpected presence of a pollutant may also require the robot to respond by altering its behaviour. Embodying this sensing and response in the body of the robot means that adaptivity to the environment can be achieved without resorting to centralised control. This can also allow direct responsivity using 'free' environmental energy, actuating without requiring stored onboard energy. In this work we present a soft artificial muscle, the contraction of which varies in response to the salinity the water surrounding it. The novel actuator uses a super-absorbent polymer gel encapsulated within a series of discrete cells. This gel readily absorbs water through the membrane wall of the actuator, and can swell to over 300 times its initial volume. This swelling generates significant pressure, changing the shape of the cells and driving the contraction of the muscle. The degree of swelling is significantly reduced by the presence of salts and pollutants in the surrounding water, so transitioning from a freshwater to a saltwater environment causes the muscle to relax. In this paper, we discuss the design and fabrication of these superabsorbent polymer-based Bubble Artificial Muscle (SAP-BAM) actuators. The tensile properties of the muscle under actuated (fresh water) and relaxed (salt water) conditions are characterised, showing a maximum generated force of 10.96N. The length response under constant load for a full actuation cycle is given, showing a maximum contraction of 27.5% of the initial length at 1N load, and the performance over repeated actuation and relaxation cycles is shown. The SAP-BAM muscles are straightforward to fabricate and are composed of low-cost, freely-available materials. Many existing pneumatically-actuated muscles can be modified to use the approach taken for this muscle. The muscle presented in this work represents the first example of a new class of super-absorbent polymer-driven environmental soft artificial muscles.

Dataset Information

Autogenous Healing in Cementitious Materials with Superabsorbent Polymers Quantified by Means of NMR.

Publications

Autogenous Healing in Cementitious Materials with Superabsorbent Polymers Quantified by Means of NMR.

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