Sustainable, self-cured concrete toward a thermally and radiation shielding concrete

Abstract

The introduction of new dispersants in concrete materials, for more sustainable construction, allows it to exhibit self-curing capability in its fresh state with high hydration and mechanical strength capability. The kinetics of introducing polyethylene glycol (PEG) with boron have a synergetic effect on reducing the water/cement ratio in a self-curing state, with environmental thermal and radiation shielding. Different sets of concrete test specimens are prepared for split tensile, compression, 4-point bending, and thermal tests with different mixing percents of PEG and boron (via boric acid and borax powder) and compared with control samples. The tests are conducted and compared at 7, 28, and 60 days. The control samples are cured with splash water, while samples with PEG are self-cured. Mechanical, thermal, and Ir-192 gamma radiographic testing are conducted. The effect of PEG separately induces self-curing concrete with an early increase in mechanical strength after 7 days and 28 days. While the linkage between the inter-particle force of boron and PEG and the rheological behavior of cement induces a tremendous increase in compressive strength at 7, 28, and 60 days. The hydrophilic PEG with boron showed excellent capability of encapsulating each concrete ingredient with self-compacting properties and high mechanical strength in its hardened state. Functionalized boron and PEG polymers were used to generate covalently linked boron–PEG that encapsulate water–cement content for multiple objectives, especially at elevated temperatures (ceramization) as well as maximum shielding of gamma radiation (Ir-192).