POLYMER-MODIFIED CONCRETE

What is Polymer-Modified Concrete?

It is defined as Portland cement and aggregate combined at the time of
mixing with organic polymers that are dispersed or redispersed in water. This
dispersion is called latex; the organic polymer is a substance composed of
thousands of simple molecules combined into large molecules. The simple
molecules are known as monomers, and the reaction that combine them is
called polymerization. The polymer may be a homopolymer if it is made by
the polymerization of one monomer, or a copolymer when two or more
monomers are polymerized.

PMC VS Polymer-Modified Concrete

What exactly is the difference between polymer concrete and polymermodified concrete? The confusion is understandable. Both materials could
have their place in acid-proof construction, but they are, in fact, two different
things.
Polymer concrete uses a polymer binder in place of Portland cement.
Polymer-modified concrete is Portland cement concrete with polymer
solutions added to the mix to achieve certain properties. Like Portland
cement concrete, the primary curing mechanism for polymer-modified
concrete is hydration of the cement binder.
There are lots of different kinds of polymer concrete, and there are lots
of different kinds of polymer-modified concrete. Some common types of
polymer concrete are potassium silicate, vinyl ester, epoxy, and furan. When
certain types of admixtures are blended into Portland cement concrete, the
resulting mixes may be called polymer-modified concretes.

Superior Properties of PMC:

Of various polymer-modified mortar and concrete, latex-modified
mortar and concrete have superior properties, such as high tensile and
flexural strength, excellent adhesion, high waterproofness, high abrasion
resistance and good chemical resistance, to ordinary cement mortar and
concrete. Accordingly they are widely used in many specialized applications
in which ordinary cement mortar and concrete have been employed to a
lesser extent till now. In these applications, the latex-modified mortars are

widely used rather than the latex-modified concrete from the viewpoint of a
balance between their performance and cost.

Polymers improve mortars in four main ways:

1. More extensive cement cure. Cement/concrete strength depends on

proper curing, a chemical reaction (hydration) between water and cement
that causes crystals to grow and wrap around the mix components. During
the early stages of cure (roughly the first five to seven days), there must be
enough water to maintain the hydration process or the cement/concrete will
not harden properly.
Polymers reduce the rate of water evaporation, allowing the crystal structure
to keep growing and building strength during these critical early curing
stages. This reduced water evaporation is especially important in thin
applications, where the surface area for evaporation is high, relative to the
volume of the mortar.
2. Improved workability. Polymer modification noticeably improves
application characteristics, making the mortar more fluid and easier to
handle and apply. Certain polymers also prolong the hydration period, which
can increase working time, an important characteristic in hot climates. This
means contractors can use less water for workability purposes. The polymer
acts as a water reducer, ultimately leading to a stronger mortar with fewer
voids, or weak spots.

3. Improved adhesion. Polymer modifiers act as an adhesive to enable the

modified mortar overlay to stick to a variety of surfaces such as concrete,
masonry, brick, wood, rigid polystyrene and polyurethane foam, glass, and
metals. Adhesion is an important property, especially in thin section overlay
mortar applications such as spray coatings, stuccos, and underlayments, and
applications with excessive vibration and heavy traffic.

4. Improved strength and durability. Cured polymer-modified mortars

generally have improved tensile strength, flexural strength, impact and
abrasion resistance, water resistance, and chemical resistance versus
unmodified mortars. Also, the polymer in the mortar helps restrain microcrack propagation, which improves the overall toughness of the mortar.

Uses of PMC
Polymer concrete may be used for new construction or repairing of old
concrete. The adhesive properties of polymer concrete allow repair of both
polymer and conventional cement-based concretes. The low
permeability and corrosive resistance of polymer concrete allows it to be
used in swimming pools, sewer structure applications, drainage
channels, electrolytic cells for base metal recovery, and other structures that
contain liquids or corrosive chemicals. It is especially suited to the
construction and rehabilitation of manholes due to their ability to withstand
toxic and corrosive sewer gases and bacteria commonly found in sewer
systems. Unlike traditional concrete structures, polymer concrete requires no
coating or welding of PVC-protected seams. It can also be used as a bonded
wearing course for asphalt pavement, for higher durability and higher
strength upon a concrete substrate.
Polymer concrete has historically not been widely adopted due to the
high costs and difficulty associated with traditional manufacturing
techniques. However, recent progress has led to significant reductions in
cost, meaning that the use of polymer concrete is gradually becoming more
widespread.

Applications:
Adhesives and Grouts: Wall and floor tilesceramic, marble, stone, etc.
Adhesion, water/chemical resistance, flexural strength. This is the most
common application for polymer-modified mortars.

Patch and Repair Mortars: Grouts for repairing cracks and delamination of
concrete structures such as sidewalks, driveways, and walls. Adhesion,
abrasion resistance, tensile and flexural strength. New mortar will not stick
well to old concrete without polymer modification.
Decorative Overlays: Wall coatings and textured building finishes
(polymer-modified stucco). Adhesion, tensile and flexural strength, exterior
durability.
Flooring and Pavements: Can be used in mortar or heavy use concrete
industrial/commercial flooring overlay formulations. Warehouses, factories,
hospitals, stairways, garages, railway platforms, airport runways, etc.
Abrasion resistance, tensile and flexural strength, water resistance, chemical
resistance, and exterior durability.
Waterproofing: Basements, bulk water storage tanks, septic tanks, ship
decks, roof decks, and concrete walls. Water resistance for all; chemical
resistance, other properties depending on the application.

Storing of PMC
Polymer-modified mortar and concrete should never be placed at
temperature lower than 50C and higher than 300C. In application to larger
areas, it is advisable to provide joints with a width of about 15 mm at
intervals of 3 to 4m. Generally polymer latex used as cement modifiers are
not toxic, and are safe materials to handle. Consequently they require not
special precautions.

Composition of PMC
In polymer concrete, thermosetting resins are used as the principal
polymer component due to their high thermal stability and resistance to a

wide variety of chemicals. Polymer concrete is also composed of

aggregates that include silica, quartz, granite, limestone, and other high
quality material. The aggregate must be of good quality, free of dust and
other debris, and dry. Failure to fulfill these criteria can reduce the
bond strength between the polymer binder and the aggregate.
Range of proportions in practical use:

Advantages of PMC

Rapid curing at ambient temperatures

High tensile, flexural, and compressive strengths
Good adhesion to most surfaces
Good long-term durability with respect to freeze and thaw cycles
Low permeability to water and aggressive solutions
Good chemical resistance
Good resistance against corrosion
Dielectric

Disadvantages of PMC

Product hard to manipulate with conventional tools such as drills and

presses due to its density. Recommend getting pre-modified product
from the manufacturer

Small boxes are more costly when compared to its precast counterpart
however pre cast concretes induction of stacking or steel covers
quickly bridge the gap.

REFERENCES:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polymer_concrete

http://www.corrosionengineering.com/newsletterarticleshtml/PolymerConcretevsPol
ymerModifiedConcrete.html

http://www.engineeringcivil.com/polymer-modified-mortarsand-concrete-mix-design.html

http://www.concreteconstruction.net/polymerconcrete/polymer-modified-mortars.aspx

https://globalroadtechnology.com/what-is-polymer-modifiedconcrete/