Influence of the macrostructure on the physic-mechanical and heat-protective characteristics of porous gypsum concrete

Abstract

The work is devoted to the study of the characteristics of porous gypsum concretes obtained by the methods of foaming and gas formation using an acid blowing agent. Modification of the structure of gypsum stone makes it possible to obtain materials with high strength and good heat and sound insulation characteristics. The characteristics of the durability of the material largely depend on the type of pore structure, and the creation of the required pore structure can be carried out by various methods, among which the most studied and effective are foaming, which involves the introduction of gypsum dough into a pre-prepared foam and gas formation initiated by introducing gas-forming agents into the mixture at the stage mixing. In the work, samples of foam-gypsum and gas-gypsum were made, their strength characteristics and their thermal conductivity were evaluated. Using the method of optical microscopy, a comparative assessment of the macrostructure of cellular gypsum concretes and its comparison with gypsum stone was made. Using an electronic microscope, the microstructures of gas gypsum and foam gypsum were studied at x20, x100 and x500 magnifications. Fundamental differences in the resulting structures are established. From the array of data obtained, the most effective compositions were selected, proving the prospects for the development of porous gypsum materials. Based on the analysis and generalization of the obtained experimental data, recommendations are given on the use of the obtained compositions of porous gypsum concretes in civil engineering.