Assessment of autonomous and autogenous healing on cementitious grouts promoted by additions of microcapsules and crystalline admixtures
Suelen da Rocha Gomes, Padmapryia A. Kumar, Sripriya Rengaraju, Abir Al-Tabbaa, Liberato Ferrara, Luis Sánchez and Mercedes Sánchez Moreno
Abstract: The demand for more sustainable building materials has led to the development of systems with self-repairing properties. The self-healing technology has been shown to be effective in concrete and mortars, however, this technology is not often studied in grouts. Cementitious systems can show an autogenous healing, i.e., an intrinsic ability to repair microcracks by themselves. This type of healing can be improved by the addition of crystalline admixtures. In addition, the crack healing can also be enhanced by adding other materials, e.g., through the incorporation of polymeric microcapsules into the cementitious matrix that will promote a healing effect but, in this case, an autonomous healing. Thus, the main objective of this work is to assess the effect of the addition of microcapsules and crystalline admixture on viscosity and water capillary absorption of cementitious grouts. Cementitious grouts (w/b = 0.46 and w/b = 0.39) were prepared containing microcapsules (3% by weight of binder) and crystalline admixture (3% by weight of binder). Rheological measurements and water sorptivity tests were made. Viscosity measurements were taken at 3, 20 and 60 minutes. Sorptivity tests were performed on cracked specimens in order to quantify the healing efficiency. Cracks were created 7 and 28 days after casting and the water absorption was measured for 7, 14 and 28 days after cracking. The results showed that the viscosity changed considerably depending on the w/b ratio and the healing agent type. Among all grouts, reference grout presented the highest viscosity and grout with microcapsules and crystalline admixture the lowest. The water absorption of the grouts with microcapsules was the lowest regardless of curing age and w/b ratio. Regarding crystalline admixture, at both curing ages the water absorption was quite high.
Reference of this article: Assessment of autonomous and autogenous healing on cementitious grouts promoted by additions of microcapsules and crystalline admixtures Suelen da Rocha Gomes, Padmapryia A. Kumar, Sripriya Rengaraju, Abir Al-Tabbaa, Liberato Ferrara, Luis Sánchez and Mercedes Sánchez Moreno MATEC Web Conf., 378 (2023) 07001
Affiliations:
Suelen da Rocha Gomes, Luis Sánchez, Mercedes Sánchez Moreno,: Department of Inorganic Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chemical Institute for Energy and Environment, IQUEMA. University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
Padmapryia A. Kumar, Sripriya Rengaraju and Abir Al-Tabbaa: Department of Engineering, Cambridge, UK
Liberato Ferrara: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
The full article can be found here: https://doi.org/10.1051/matecconf/202337807001