Electrochemical and microstructural degradation behaviour of stearate modified cement mortar in chloride environments
Source abstract
Abstract
This study investigates the influence of water-repellent additives, specifically calcium stearate and zinc stearate, on the durability and corrosion resistance of cement mortar exposed to a 3.5 wt% NaCl environment for up to 173 days. Three mortar formulations incorporating a Ca-stearate to Zn-stearate ratio of 9:1 by weight were evaluated, W1 (control), W2 (1% dosage) and W3 (5% dosage). The addition of water-repellent additives reduced flow characteristics. However compressive strength of W2 reached 42.3 MPa at 28 days, higher than W1 (38.4 MPa) and W3 showed reduced performance due to excess dosage. Contact angle analysis indicated improved surface hydrophobicity with water-repellent addition. After 173 days of exposure to a 3.5 wt% NaCl solution, W2 exhibited strong corrosion protection compared to the control specimen W1. SEM-EDS analysis confirmed homogeneous distribution of water-repellent compounds in modified mortar samples, supported by elevated carbon and trace zinc levels. XRD patterns showed a reduction in the calcium hydroxide peak in W2 and W3, indicating interaction between stearate compounds and hydration products. Overall, W2 demonstrated a balanced performance across mechanical, electrochemical, and microstructural evaluations, making it a promising formulation for the least degradation of reinforcement in cementitious materials in chloride-rich environments.
Source: openalex_inverted_index · Quality: baseline
Research context
OpenAlex topics: Concrete and Cement Materials Research · Concrete Corrosion and Durability · Microbial Applications in Construction Materials
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
References (76)
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