Project Details

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Solid Polymer Additive for improving Portland Cement Concrete

Company: Covestro LLC

Major(s):
Primary: ME
Secondary: MATSE
Optional: ESC, IE

Non-Disclosure Agreement: YES

Intellectual Property: YES

The objective of this proposed project is to determine if solid polymer additive (SPA) from Covestro may be used in admixtures of Portland cement concrete. This project has an important environmental driver: SPA is an industrial material with a significant volume which is currently employed as a fuel source; as such, though it contributes an energy value, such action also results in GHG emissions. If the SPA can be qualified for a material use, the eventual implementation would have the effect of sequestering the carbon and avoiding the GHG emissions. But this is not likely unless there are benefits to be realized in the material use. The central task of this project is to formulate concrete with a powderized, flowable form of SPA, and test cured specimens to determine mechanical properties of the concrete. (Such concrete specimens may also be of reduced weight per unit volume, an advantage if cast parts need to be shipped from a factory to point of use.) The challenge of this project is that the level of the SPA and trade-offs which make the concrete high performing are not known and must be determined. This project may contribute to the field of using waste plastic admixtures in Portland-cement concrete. The project may also be related to the general topic of high-performance concrete. The powderized SPA would be supplied by the project sponsor. The team would be responsible for concrete mix design and procurement of Portland cement, aggregates and all other constituents of the concrete formulations. The team would prepare and cure concrete specimens and subject them to testing by standardized methods. The team would analyze the results and make recommendations about the utility of SPA admixtures in concrete and identify promising applications.