Fundamental interaction of hydrophobic materials in concrete with different moisture contents in saline environment

Abstract

The present paper investigates the performance and efficacy of four protective surface applied materials;sodium acetate, fluoropolymer, silicone resin and silane when applied to marine structures with differentmoisture contents. Materials were applied to fully dry and fully saturated concrete along with concretewith 2% and 4% moisture contents. The interaction mechanism of the materials with concrete and theirmicrostructural and morphological assessments were conducted by running SEM, EDX and FTIR analysesto evaluate their performance in the presence of moisture. Also, their efficacy in protecting concrete fromwater ingress and chloride penetration was evaluated by operating the Initial Surface Absorption Test(ISAT) and Unidirectional salt ponding test respectively. Results demonstrated that moisture contentimposes a vital effect on the interaction of the materials with concrete and their adhesion inside thepores, and consequently their efficacy in reducing both, water and chloride penetration.