Polymer concretes: a description and gamma radiation as a novel technology for modification and improvement

Abstract

Portland cement concrete (PCC) has been successful in many applications. However, concretes in which the continuous phase is some kind of polymeric resin and the discrete phase is some type of mineral aggregate can potentially have better properties. Such composites are known as polymer concrete (PC) and can have higher strength and a shorter curing process than PCC. Fiber incorporation into PCs can improve desirable properties even more. We shall describe the nature of PCs since these materials have not yet gained wide recognition. We report results on the influence of fiber reinforcements on PCs. The curing process is a critical concern in dealing with PCs - as it is with PCC. We shall also report on the effects of gamma ionizing radiation on the curing process and on mechanical properties of the resulting PCs. Notably, improvements of the Young's modulus E can have wider implications and may be indicative of improvements of other properties not measured yet such as brittleness.