The research on thermoplastic properties cement composites impregnated with the waste of sulfur

Acta Mech 228, 31–48 (2017) DOI 10.1007/s00707-016-1692-4 O R I G I NA L PA P E R Mariusz Ksia˛żek The research on thermoplastic properties cement composites impregnated with the waste of sulfur Received: 28 April 2016 / Revised: 8 June 2016 / Published online: 29 July 2016 © The Author(s) 2016. This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com Abstract The process of creating special polymerized sulfur composites through application of industrial waste material is a thermal treatment process in the temperature of about 150–155 ◦ C. The result of such treatment is a special polymerized sulfur composite in a liquid state. This paper presents the effective plastic constants and coefficients of thermal expansion of stochastic special polymer sulfur composites, with isotropic porous matrix, reinforced by disoriented ellipsoidal inclusions with orthotropic symmetry of the thermoplastic properties. The investigations are based on the stochastic differential equations of solid mechanics. A model and algorithm for calculating the effective characteristics of special polymer sulfur composites are suggested. The effective thermoplastic characteristics of special polymer sulfur composites, with disoriented ellipsoidal inclusions, are calculated in two stages: First, the properties of materials with oriented inclusions are determined, and then, effective constants of a composite with disoriented inclusions are determined on the basis of the Voigt or Rice scheme. In this paper, the review of the literature has been done, among other things, about selecting and using special polymerized sulfur coating in buildings, about the methods of surface protection against corrosion of concretes, and about the methods of the evaluation of the protection layer on these materials. Special polymerized sulfur as polymer coating impregnation, which has received little attention in recent years, currently has some very interesting applications. An innovative overlay for use in areas where freezing and thawing are prevalent has been developed. 1 Introduction Czarnecki et al. [1] and Hoła et al. [2] found that at ambient temperature, special sulfur coating created from industrial waste material crystallizes in the rhombic system (α-S). It melts at the temperature 105–110 ◦ C and crystallizes from this melt to the form of β-S (monocyclic) which changes again to the α-S at 95–96 ◦ C (thermoplastic properties) [1–3]. Melted sulfur polymerizes as discussed and published elsewhere [3–8]: • at 160 ◦ C, it is brown and indicates increased viscosity, • between 200 and 250 ◦ C it is dark brown with high viscosity value, • at 250 ◦ C, depolymerization and diminishing of viscosity begins; at 400 ◦ C, sulfur is very fluid, • 444.6 ◦ C is the temperature of its boiling. The rapid process of cooling sulfur in water changes it from the fluid state to an elastic–plastic body, brown–yellow colored. In this state, sulfur is composed of two different polymerized forms: Sλ (yellow) and Sμ (dark red–brown). Sμ has a higher molecular mass. M. Ksia˛żek (B) Division of Building Materials, Timber and Monumental Heritage Structures, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Wrocław University of Technology, pl. Grunwaldzki 11, 50-377 Wrocław, Poland E-mail: 32 M. Ksia˛żek Sulfur may be obtained in the colloidal state as discussed, e.g., in [21–24]: • after boiling with water and Ca(OH)2 , and precipitation with HCl—Sμ • after hydrolysis of alcohol solution—Sλ . Ramli et al. [23] found that from the chemical reactivity point of view, sulfur may be oxidized and as well easily reduced (it forms many sulfides and organo-sulfur compounds). Elementary sulfur rarely finds applications. It is used in the production of some kinds of cement for special purposes, e.g., to join ceramics and metallic parts of electric insulators and in the industrial objects. The mechanical properties of this cement are good (strength about 50–60 MPa by compression), and its chemical inertness is appreciated (in comparison with Portland cement-containing concretes). Sulfur is also used in dermatology [6–10]. Milica et al. [24] and Ksia˛żek [9–14] found the functional properties of the special polymerized sulfur coating and sulfur polymer-based products. Orthorhombic special polymerized sulfur is also subject to deterioration by bacteria, sunlight, very strong alkalies, and thermal fluctuations. Czarnecki et al. [1] and Hoła et al. [2,3] found that the polymer–cement concretes (PCC), obtained by adding special polymerized sulfur coating to the concrete mix, are a diverse set of composites, usually with better consistency of the concrete mix and increased—as compared to the ordinary concrete—tensile strength, as well as many other modified thermoplastic properties. Czarnecki et al. [1] and Ksia˛żek [12–16] found that the special polymerized sulfur coating-impregnated concretes (PIC) are basically different from all other types of polymer concretes. In this case, the special sulfur polymer is introduced into the hardened cement concrete. The result is an extraordinary increase in the tightness, manifesting itself by tenfold or even 20-fold downfall of the absorbability, from 4 % for unmodified concrete to 0.30–0.16 % for impregnated concrete. The consequence of filling of the pores with special sulfur polymer is also a twofold to fourfold increase in compressive strength, twofold to threefold increase in tensile strength, and fourfold decrease in the diffusion coefficient. PIC show more than three times lower creep. PIC (concretes impregnated with special polymerized sulfur composite) have very high chemical resistance, significantly decreased penetration of chloride ions, and improved frost resistance. Practically, the only disadvantage of PIC is the sudden mode of failure; the modulus of elasticity can reach 45 GPa (45,000 MPa). This inconvenience can be eased, to some extent, by introduction of suitable impregnating copolymers. We can assume, therefore, that we have on disposal the perfect concrete, durable and with excellent technical features. The special sulfur polymer-impregnated concretes (PIC) are not widely implemented. There is a factory producing precast elements of PIC in Japan, manufacturing pipes and other elements of the underground infrastructure. There is also a company offering the impregnation services in Germany, aimed at the conservation of stone objects. Repairs of the bridge pavements and surfaces of the water dams have been performed in the USA in the seventies (Dvorshak Dam in Idaho). The repairs consisted in the superficial impregnation of the previously dried concrete to the depth of several cms. The concrete was periodically heavily sprinkled with the special polymerized sulfur composite and spilled with fine-grained sand for limiting the special polymerized sulfur composite evaporation. A prototype machine with suckers was employed on the bridges; the machine sucked out the air from the dried concrete and then f (...truncated)