-Its exchange with the surroundings causes hardened concrete to shrink, swell, and possibly crack;
-Its presence in hardened concrete influences the strength and creep;
-It plays a central role in deterioration caused by frost action or alkali;
-silica reactions
Obviously, control of water is essential to concrete. We will give an overview of some of the opportunities offered by using SAP Polymer to achieve that control.
SAP Polymer (super absorbent polymer for concrete) is a polymeric material that has the ability to absorb a large amount of liquid from the surroundings and retain it within its structure.
It belongs to the group of so-called “smart materials”— materials that, in a controlled way, significantly change their properties in response to an external stimulus. When It is exposed to water, they swell, and when subsequently subjected to drying, they reversibly shrink. These key properties can actively be used in relation to concrete.
As mentioned in the introduction, it has extreme water absorption characteristics; this makes them particularly interesting in relation to concrete. Due to the water absorption, SAP polymer may also be considered a means to control porosity, which is another important property of concrete. Because it can be designed with other specific properties, however, many additional uses of SAP Polymer in concrete may be relevant. Examples include:
-It with fibrous shapes and potentially can be used to make high
-Can be used as an internal sealant in cement-based materials.
-A unique use of SAP Polymer in concrete could be as a controlled release agent.
