This Keynote address was delivered at ICAMBC_2020 organised by Mattest Academy,Chennai on 18-23rd July

1. Application of Thermosetting v/s
Thermoplastic Polymeric
Composites and Polymeric
Nanocomposites in Cement
Concrete for Greater
Sustainability
Prof. Mainak Ghosal, Jt. Secretary, Coal Ash Institute of India,
IIEST,Shibpur

2. Concrete
Transition

3. List Slide
✔ Introduction
✔ About
✔ Work
✔ Description
✔ Process
✔ Summary/Conclusions

4. What are Polymers ?
# Polymers are materials made of long, repeating chains of molecules(monomers)
# They have unique properties depending upon their bonding & how they are bonded
# A chemical reaction makes the polymer molecule(polymerization)
# They are natural and synthetic
“Poly” is a Greek word meaning “many”
“Mer” is also a Greek word meaning “unit”

5. SYNTHETIC(LONG CHAIN)
POLYMERS
ThermoplasticsThermosetting
Cross-Linked Amorphous Semi-Crystalline
ICAMBC_2020

6. Thermoplastics v/s Thermosets
1. Linear Polymers
2. Undergo no chemical change in the
molding operation
3. Can be softened again and again
4. Can be reused
5. Soft & flexible
6. Affected by certain solvents
7. Not fireproof
1. Cross-linked Polymers
2. Undergo chemical change in the
molding operation
3. Can’t be re-softened once they hard
4. Can’t be reused
5. Hard & brittle
6. Unaffected by any solvent
7. Fireproof
e.g. Polycarboxylate Ether
e.g. Melamine Formaldehyde

7. Branch Point in Polymer
# Carbon atoms(1000 to 100,000) linked by covalent bonds form the skeleton of the polymer chain
# Polymer architecture is a microstructural feature
# Architecture affects its physical properties e.g. viscosity, solubility, glass transition temperature &
size of individual polymer coils in solution

8. Use of Polymers

9. GLOBAL
POLYMERIC
USAGES
ICAMBC_2020

10. Application v/s
Production

11. Polymeric Names
Polymers have different names in Cement Construction

12. Some Stats
LABORATORY
USAGE

13. PCE v/s MF ,Structural Differences
PCEComb Like
MFSurface Network

14. PCE & MF have different structures but their physical properties are the same
Product Information
Polymer(PCE)Polymer(MF)
Appearance
Density(Kg/l)
pH
Dark Brown Liquid Light Amber Liquid
1.18 1.12
 6 6

15. Dosages of
polymers vary from
0 to 5% w.r.to the
weight of cement
Conventional Polymeric
additions in cement
concrete- Melamine
Formaldehyde(MF) gives
typically 16-25%+ water
reduction
3rd generation Polymer
– Polycarboxylate
Ether(PCEs) typically
gives 20-35%+ water
reduction
Dosage @
ICAMBC_2020

16. Polymer Composites
Polymer Matrix + Reinforcement
COMPOSITES

17. MATRICES

18. Why use Polymer nano-composites ?
Increase in surface area atom efficiency

19. Moore, 2003;
Matarredona, 2003;
Vigolo , 2000; Regev,
2004; Grossiord, 2005;
Curran, 1998; Coleman,
2000; O'Connell, 2001
CNT Functionalization in Polymer
ICAMBC_2020

20. STRENGTH OF PCE-CONCRETE COMPOSITES
Sumiati et al., 2020 J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. 1500 012068

21. Structure-property relationships for polycarboxylate ether superplasticizers
Metwally Ezzat et al., Journal of Colloid and Interface Science 553 (2019) 788–797

22. Effect of side chain length of PCE
Chuang et al.,Polymers 2019, 11, 346; doi:10.3390/polym11020346, www.mdpi.com/journal/polymers

23. CNT dispersion in PCE
Oscar A et al., Effect of Carbon Nanotubes/Surfactant Dispersions in Portland Cement Pastes, Advances in Civil Engineering, Volume 2018,
Article ID 2057940, 9 pages. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/2057940.

24. Ultrasonication
 CNTs form agglomerates due to attractive Van der Waals forces
 Ultrasonication imparts excitation energy to break up the nanotube clusters
Chuah, S. et al., Nano reinforced cement and concrete composites and new perspective from graphene oxide. Constr. Build. Mater. 2014, 73, 113–124.

25. Chuah, S. et al., Nano reinforced cement and concrete composites and new perspective from graphene oxide. Constr. Build. Mater. 2014, 73, 113–124.
MECHANISM..
Li, Zongjin (2011). Advanced concrete technology.
John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 9780470902431

26. MECHANISM
Zhanhu Guo et al., Multifunctional Desulfurization Elastomeric Polymer Nanocomposites, 61st Annual Report, American Chemical Society,2016

27. My Research
The polymer(PCE)/CNT composite is prepared by Ultrasonication & then casted in the Lab keeping
the cement: sand =1:3 & water added as per Indian Standards @ w/c=0.4

28. Polymer
CNT
CementWater
Sand
Material
Used
Material Process Slide.
Polymer 2:
PCE(IS:9103)
Polymer 1:
Melamine Formaldehyde(IS:9103)
Nanomaterials:
CNT
Water:
Drinking quality
IS:3025
Sand:
IS: 383
Cement:
IS: 269
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29. 1
2 3
4
Step1:
Ultrasonication of
PCE/MF + CNT
Step2:
Casting of cement
composites in 1:3
Step3:
Keeping the w/c = 0.4
Step4:
Adding of the
Dispersed Polymer to
the cement
composites & curing
CASTING PROCESS
ICAMBC_2020

30. Cement + Polymer ?
✔ Reduction in surface tension of water
✔ Induced electrostatic repulsion between particles of cement
✔ Lubricating film between cement particles
✔ Dispersion of cement grains, releasing H2O trapped within cement flocs

31. Applications of Polymer
✔ Polymer Concrete - Polymer is directly used as a binder to replace cement
✔ Polymer Impregnated Concrete – Impregnated from outside to concrete
✔ Polymer Modified Concrete – Polymer used as an admixture in concrete

32. Cement Hydration
Courtesy: Price, W.H.,
ACI J., 22(6), 417–432,
1951

33. Mechanism of Cement Dispersion
Ghosal et al.,Influence of Cement Behaviour with & without Polymer Nanocomposites, Advanced Polymeric Materials,2018,River Publishers Series

34. Two Mechanisms
Electrostatic
Repulsion
Steric
Hindrance

35. Zeta PotentialPotential difference between the dispersion medium
& the stationary layer of fluid attached to the particle

36. Zeta Potentials
Thermoset(MF) Thermoplastic(PCE)
González-Sánchez et al,Combination of Polymeric Superplasticizers, Water Repellents and Pozzolanic Agents to Improve, Air Lime-Based Grouts for
Historic Masonry Repair,Polymers 2020, 12, 887; doi:10.3390/polym12040887

37. Zeta Potentials
Ghosal et al.,Influence of Cement Behaviour with & without Polymer Nanocomposites, Advanced Polymeric Materials,2018,River Publishers Series

38. Cube
Compressive Strength
-10%
28 days
Cube
Compressive Strength
39%
28 days
Cube
Compressive Strength
-0.15%
28 days
29%
28 days
OPC+1%MF
OPC+1%MF + 0.02% CNT
Cube
Compressive Strength
OPC+1%PCE+ 0.02% CNT
OPC+1%PCE
Ghosal et al.,Influence of Cement Behaviour with & without Polymer Nanocomposites, Advanced Polymeric Materials,2018,River Publishers Series
% incr. of Strength(w.r.t reference) for Polymeric composites/nano-composites
ICAMBC_2020

39. Strength of Polymeric
composites
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
28 days 365days
Strength(MPa)
Reference Sample
Thermoset(MF) Cement
Composites
Thermoplastic(PCE)
Cement Composites

40. Cube
Compressive Strength
41%
365 days
Cube
Compressive Strength
-4.93%
365 days
Cube
Compressive Strength
-13.3%
365 days
-3.15%
365 days
OPC+1%MF
OPC+1%MF + 0.02% CNT
Cube
Compressive Strength
OPC+1%PCE+ 0.02% CNT
OPC+1%PCE
Ghosal et al.,Influence of Cement Behaviour with & without Polymer Nanocomposites, Advanced Polymeric Materials,2018,River Publishers Series
% incr. of Strength(w.r.to reference cubes) for Polymeric nano-composites
ICAMBC_2020

41. Strength of Polymeric nano-
composites
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
28 days 365 days
Strength(MPa)
Reference Sample
Thermoset(MF + 0.02%CNT)
Nano-composites
Thermoplastic(PCE +
0.02%CNT) Nano-composites
Thermoplastic(PCE +
0.05%CNT) Nano-composites
Thermoplastic(PCE +
0.1%CNT) Nano-composites

42. Sobolev et al., Laboratory Study of Optimized Concrete Pavement Mixtures, Technical Report · August 2015,
DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.28437.01768

43. 2100
2200
2300
2400
2500
2600
2700
28 Days 3 Months 6 Months 12 Months
BulkDensity,Kg/m3
Age of Cement & Concrete Composites
Control Cement Composites
0.02% CNT Composites
0.05% CNT Composites
0.1% CNT Composites
Control M-40 Grade Concrete
0.02% CNT enabled M-40 Concrete
Ghosal et al., A Study on Performance of Carbon based Nano-enabled Cement Composites and Concrete, Accepted for RILEM Book series (ISSN:
2211-0844) book, available on Springer Link.
POLYMER NANOCOMPOSITES ON CONCRETE DENSITY

44. 0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
28 Days 3 Months 6 Months 12 Months
CompressiveStrength,N/mm2
Age of Cement & Concrete Composites
Control Cement Composites
0.02% CNT Composites
Control M-40 Grade Concrete
0.02% CNT enabled Concrete
0.05% CNT Composites
0.1% CNT Composites
Ghosal et al., A Study on Performance of Carbon based Nano-enabled Cement Composites and Concrete, Accepted for RILEM Book series (ISSN:
2211-0844) book, available on Springer Link.
POLYMER NANOCOMPOSITES ON CONCRETE STRENGTH

45. Proposed Rupture mechanism of cross-links of Thermoset Polymer (MF)

47. Conclusions
✔ Melamine Formaldehyde (Thermosetting) is useful as a Polymeric
Composites in the cement matrix
✔ Polycarboxylate Ether(Thermoplastics) is useful as a Polymeric Nano-
composite both in cement & concrete matrix
✔ Post-Covid situation will need more Polymeric manufacturing &
applications to keep the climate change alive to leap-frog into a 2 world
if not 1.5

48. Thank
You!