Synthesis, thermal and structural characterization of nanocomposites for potential applications in construction

Several calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H)-polymer nanocomposite (C-S-HPN) materials have been prepared by incorporating poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) into the inorganic layers of C-S-H during precipitation of quasicrystalline C-S-H from aqueous solution. The synthetic C-S-HPN materials were characterized by X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), thermogravimetry (TG), differential thermogravimetry (DTG) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The XRD peaks of C-S-HPN materials suggest the intermediate organizations presenting both intercalation of PAA and exfoliation of C-S-H. The SEM images of C-S-H and C-S-HPN materials with different PAA contents exhibit the significant differences in their morphologies. Effects of the material compositions on the thermal stability of series of C-S-HPN materials along with PAA and C-S-H has been studied by TG, DTG and DSC. Three significant decomposition temperature ranges were observed on the TG curves of all C-S-HPN materials.