Polyoxymethylene fibers in concrete

Abstract

Disclosed are polymeric additives for concrete formed of a polyoxymethylene (POM) copolymer. POM copolymers can be utilized to form fibrous additives for concrete, i.e., microfibers and / or macrofibers. The POM copolymers can include one or more chemical groups, e.g., end groups and / or pendant groups that can increase the polarity of the POM and increase the hydrophilicity of the formed fibers, which can improve miscibility of the fibers in wet concrete. Chemical groups of the POM copolymers can bond with components of the concrete or can hydrolyze to form groups that can bond with components of the concrete, e.g., form covalent or noncovalent (e.g., electrostatic or ionic) bonds with one or more components of the concrete binder.

Description

Background technique

[0001] Concrete is the most commonly used man-made building material in the world. Concrete includes a binder component and an aggregate component. The binder component is cement, usually formed from a calcined limestone-based composite material, and the aggregate component is usually formed from quartz sand or calcium carbonate.

[0002] The performance of concrete has been improved in the past by combining the concrete with modifying additives. Typical modifications to improve concrete include the addition of fibrous materials such as metals, polymers, glass and natural fibers to the binder, and molding in conjunction with steel reinforcement. Synthetic fibers have been used as concrete reinforcements for decades, especially in slabs for grade applications. Fiber-reinforced concrete can exhibit reduced shrinkage, reduced permeability, and even increased resistance to abrasion and crushing, depending on the specific materials used in the composite. ...

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