Synthesis and Characterization of High-Performance Polymer-Intercalated/Exfoliated Cements

先进的水泥-聚合物复合材料几十年来一直是一个活跃的研究领域。通过在水泥中添加聚合物材料，无机颗粒可以通过聚合物基质牢固地结合在一起，结果是抗拉强度(通常是水泥最薄弱的方面)增加了数量级。基于最近在聚合物-硅酸盐纳米复合材料研究中发展起来的插层和剥离技术，现在可以使用高耐温、高防潮和高性价比的聚合物来加固水泥，并保持与普通预制混凝土节段相似的加工条件。初步研究显示了令人鼓舞的结果。在温和的条件下，可以实现聚合物链在无机粒子层间的插层，同时伴随着硅酸盐纳米层的剥离。PIEC将比MDF水泥更坚固，至少与普通水泥一样耐用，并提供出色的性价比平衡。通过所提出的研究，我们将开发出高性能的PIEC，它将促进预制技术的应用，并对建筑行业的结构设计、施工程序、维护和维修技术等各个方面产生影响。由于材料、运输、搬运、放置以及环境和节能方面的成本大幅降低，这将对经济产生巨大的好处。开发的PIEC和测试设备将用于一些本科生和研究生课程，以及一系列研讨会，这将对土木工程系的课程产生重大影响。将特别鼓励女学生和代表性不足的少数群体参加这些研讨会和课程。本科生和研究生都将积极参与这个项目，并获得全面的经验。研究成果的展览将在当地博物馆和图书馆举行，以增加公众对工程研究的了解。这一点，加上一个基于网络的先进水泥聚合物复合材料美德博物馆的开发，将非常有助于高中生和大一新生在职业生涯的早期阶段保持对工程领域的兴趣。

Advanced cement-polymer composite has been an active research area for decades. By adding polymeric materials in cements, the inorganic particles can be strongly bonded together through the polymer matrix, and as a result the tensile strength, which is usuallythe weakest aspect of cements, is increased by order of magnitude. Based on the intercalation and exfoliation techniques developed recently in the research on polymer-silicate nanocomposites, it is now possible to reinforce cements by using polymers of high thermal/moisture resistance and cost efficiency, and keeps the processing condition similar to that of ordinary precast concrete segments. Preliminary research has shown encouraging results. The intercalation of the polymer chains between the interlayer of inorganic particles could be achieved under mild conditions with the ihby-productlc of the exfoliation of the silicate nanolayers. The PIEC will be stronger than the MDF cements and at least as durable as the ordinary cements, and offer an excellent cost-performance balance. Materials characterization and computer simulations will also be carried out to provide a scientific basis for optimizing the processing parameters.Through the proposed research we will develop the high-performance PIEC, which willpromote the application of precasting techniques and impact various aspects of construction industry, such as structure design, construction procedures, maintenance and repair techniques, and so on. It will be immensely beneficial to the economy due to the considerable reduction in the costs of materials, transportation, handling, placing, as well as the environment and energy conservation. The developed PIEC and testing devices will be used in a number of undergraduate and graduate courses, as well as a series of seminars, which will have significant impacts on the curriculum of the Department of Civil Engineering. Female students and under-represented minorities will be particularly encouraged to attend these seminars and courses. Both undergraduate and graduate students will be actively involved in this project and acquire comprehensive experiences. Exhibits of the results will be organized in local museums and libraries to enhance the exposure of engineering research to the public. This, together with the development of a web-based virtue museum of advanced cement-polymer composites, will be very helpful for high school students and freshmen to maintain interests in engineering fields in the early stage of their career path.