Fabrication of superhydrophobic concrete with stable mechanical properties and self-cleaning properties. (15th May 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Du, Haoran; Shen, Yidan; Zhang, Wenjiao; Kong, Xiangqing; Fu, Ying
• Is Part Of: Journal of building engineering. Volume 67(2023)
• Publication Date: 2023-05-15
• Subjects: Superhydrophobic concrete -- Hierarchical micro-nano composite structure -- Self-cleaning property -- Stable mechanical property; Building -- Periodicals; 690.05
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jobe.2023.105950
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2352-7102

Abstract

Abstract: Superhydrophobic concrete has the ability to remove surface stains and resist water erosion. In this paper, a fabrication medium of self-cleaning concrete with green environmental protection and stable mechanical properties is proposed. Hierarchical micro-nano composite structure was obtained by directly copying the micro-nano composite structure from the modified copper mesh to the surface of the newly poured concrete and then using octadecylamine-grafted humic acid to obtain low surface energy. Moreover, the microstructure and chemical composition of the fabricated concrete were characterized. The superhydrophobicity, wetting durability, and self-cleaning performance of the fabricated concrete were studied. Results indicated that the water contact angle of the prepared S-concrete reaches 158° and the water sliding angle were as low as 5°. In addition, due to the successful replication of the micro-nano composite structure, the precast concrete has good mechanical stability and self-cleaning performance compared with ordinary concrete. Highlights: Copper mesh modified by cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide and nitric acid is engraved on the surface of cement-based materials to construct micro-nano composite structure. A low surface energy material is formed by grafting reaction of octadecylamine and humic acid. It is proved that the superhydrophobic cement-based material has good corrosion resistance. Superhydrophobic cement-based materials still exhibit superhydrophobicity after sandpaper grinding and tape stripping tests, respectively.