Please consider attending the following:
MATERIALS ENGINEERING
“Structure-Property Relationship of Shrinkage Reducing Admixtures in Cementitious Composites and their Interactions with Superabsorbent Polymers”
By
Baishakhi Bose
Purdue MSE Ph.D. Preliminary Exam
Advisor: Professor Kendra A. Erk
ABSTRACT
With
the advents
of technology,
the use
of high-performance
concrete (HPC)
has ensured greater
durability and
strength of
concrete infrastructures.
However, HPC
is susceptible
to autogenous shrinkage
which can lead
to cracking
and eventual
collapse. Shrinkage
reducing admixtures (SRA)
and superabsorbent
polymers (SAP)
have both
been used
in the
past to
mitigate shrinkage. However,
dosing the
concrete with
these admixtures
introduces issues
related to mechanical
and durability-related
properties of
the concrete.
This proposal
aims to
understand the effect
changing the
hydrophobic or
hydrophilic characteristics
of surfactants
on their
performance as SRAs.
The effect
of altering
the molecular
structure of
the surfactants
on the
cement hydration and
durability characteristics
will be
studied. Also,
a methodological
investigation of
synthesized poly (acrylic
acid-acrylamide) hydrogels'
interaction with
the surfactants
in the
cementitious systems is
proposed in this
study. The
outcomes of
this study
will aid
in identifying
the structure property
relationship of
model SRAs
and their
synergistic interactions
with SAP
in cementitious composites.
Keywords:
shrinkage
reducing admixtures,
superabsorbent polymers,
surfactants
Date: Monday, December 3, 2018
Time: 2:30 P.M.