Application of electro-injection method in improving cement mortar durability

An electrochemical method for improving durability of cement mortar by injection of nanoparticle (Al2O3 coated SiO2) is presented. In this method, nanoparticles are injected into cement mortar pores under an external electrical field, refining pore structure of cement mortar. The efficiency of electro-injection nano-particle treatment with different applied electric fields was evaluated by monitoring the evolution of cement mortar resistivity. The improvement of cement mortar durability after electro-injection of nano-particle treatment was assessed by examining the resistance to water absorption, carbonation, sulfate resistance and chloride diffusion. The microstructure of cement mortar after the electro-injection treatment was analyzed using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Mercury Intrusion Porosimetry (MIP), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Differential Thermo-Gravimetric Analysis (DTG). The results show that improving cement mortar durability by the injection of nanoparticle under external electric field can be obtained. The efficiency of electro-injection nano-particle treatment increased with the increasing of applied electric field. The resistance to water absorption, carbonation, sulfate attack and chloride diffusion were significantly improved by using the electro-injection method. The improvement in cement mortar durability can be attributed to the filling effect of nanoparticles.

Automated summary

This article presents an electrochemical method for enhancing the durability of cement mortar by injecting nanoparticles (Al2O3 coated SiO2). The nanoparticles are injected into the pores of cement mortar under an external electrical field, resulting in a refined pore structure. The effectiveness of the electro-injection nanoparticle treatment was evaluated by monitoring changes in the resistivity of the cement mortar. The durability of the cement mortar was improved in terms of water absorption resistance, carbonation resistance, sulfate resistance, and chloride diffusion resistance through the electro-injection method.