Dynamic Properties of Polymer Modified Concrete Subjected to Nitric Acid Attack

Abstract

At the present a great worldwide consideration in concrete technology trends to improve the durability of concrete. One of the important ways to satisfactorily realize this objective is by using polymeric materials, which are widely used in the world. The main aim of this study is to investigate the behavior of the polymer-modified concrete under dynamic effect and exposed to dilute nitric acid solution. Two types of polymeric materials (SBR and epoxy) are used as cement modifiers; these materials are added to the concrete mix in three percentages (5, 10, and 15%) by the weight of cement. The specimens were totally immersed in three solutions percent (0.5, 1.5, and 3%) of diluted nitric acid until the time of the test. Compressive strength, static modulus of elasticity, Poisson's ratio, ultrasonic pulse velocity, dynamic modulus of elasticity, and impact strength are investigated for reference, SBR, and epoxy modified concretes. Results show that SBR and epoxy-modified concrete exhibit significant improvement in compressive strength, ultrasonic pulse velocity, dynamic modulus of elasticity, and impact strength, compared with reference concrete at all ages. The results also showed that the improvements are directly proportional to the increase in the P/C ratio and use of epoxy resin. The results also indicated that the specimens containing a P/C ratio of 15% have a noticeable improvement in dynamic properties and significant improvement in performance with diluted concentrations of nitric acid.