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Carrageenan-based superabsorbent biopolymers mitigate autogenous shrinkage in ordinary portland cement

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Abstract

We report the synthesis and characterization of biobased superabsorbent copolymers from κ-carrageenan and poly(acrylic acid) that mitigate autogenous shrinkage in ordinary portland cement paste. Synthesized via free radical graft polymerization, the biobased superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) were characterized with regard to their thermochemical properties and swelling behavior in both aqueous and ionic solutions. The biobased SAPs were incorporated into cement paste to investigate their ability to mitigate autogenous shrinkage cracking in high-performance concrete. Results demonstrate that the biobased SAPs absorb up to 438 and 94 [g/g] (by mass) in aqueous and ionic solutions, respectively, after 24 h. Furthermore, the biobased SAPs were successful in mitigating shrinkage in low water-to-cement ratio pastes. While the control paste exhibited negative strain and ultimate shrinkage cracking, the samples containing biobased SAP experienced net-positive expansion during cement hydration.

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Acknowledgements

This research was made possible by the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering, the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and the Sustainable Infrastructure Materials Laboratory (SIMLab) at the University of Colorado Boulder with support from the from the National Science Foundation (Award No. CMMI-1562557). The authors would like to thank Shane Frazier for DSC data collection and Elizabeth Delesky for data collection during time-of-set testing. This work represents the views of the authors and not necessarily those of the sponsors.

Funding

This study was funded in part by the US National Science Foundation (Award No. CMMI-1562557).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Materials Science and Engineering Program, University of Colorado Boulder, ECOT 441 UCB 428, Boulder, CO, 80309-0428, USA

    Anastasia N. Aday, Kyle E. O. Foster & Wil V. Srubar III

  2. Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, ECOT 441 UCB 428, Boulder, CO, 80309-0428, USA

    Jorge Osio-Norgaard & Wil V. Srubar III

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  1. Anastasia N. Aday
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Correspondence to Wil V. Srubar III.

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Aday, A.N., Osio-Norgaard, J., Foster, K.E.O. et al. Carrageenan-based superabsorbent biopolymers mitigate autogenous shrinkage in ordinary portland cement. Mater Struct 51, 37 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-018-1164-5

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