Modification of Concrete Surface with Higher Fatty Acids

Abstract

The research presented in the paper concerns the production of innovative hydrophobizing agents and demonstration their effectiveness on a concrete surface. The starting materials are based on natural oils, water‒soluble silanes and siloxanes, and/or tap water. Aqueous preparations are characterized by properties which reduce the impact of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) on the environment, as they consist only of biodegradable components. Studies have shown that the higher fatty acids from vegetable oils and derived from the glycerin phase can be used as a component of concrete hydrophobizing agents, meeting the standard requirements for such agents. Analysis of the use of vegetable oil as a base compound for the production of industrial agents provides at least 95% confidence in its biodegradability. The reference concrete after the frost resistance test showed a weight loss of 1.8%. In the case of hydrophobization, the weight loss was 33.3 to 72% less than the reference samples. In the case of concrete hydrophobized with the glycerin agents, the salt crystallization occurred inside the structure of the material without causing any damage, with the reference concrete showing a weight loss of 0.8%.

Keywords

• contact angle
• hydrophobization
• vapor permeability
• higher fatty acids
• hydrophobic agent
• water tightness