Influence of Mixing Duration and Absorption Characteristics of Superabsorbent Polymers on the Fresh and Hardened Properties of High-Performance Concrete
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Materials
2.2. Experimental Program
2.2.1. Absorption Capacity Measurement
2.2.2. Mixture Proportion and Mixing Procedure
2.2.3. Fresh Properties Measurement
2.2.4. Rheology Measurements
2.2.5. Mechanical Properties Measurements
2.2.6. Drying Shrinkage
2.2.7. Transport Properties Measurement
3. Results and Discussion
3.1. Fresh Properties
3.1.1. Coupled Effect of SP Demand, SAP Absorption, and Mixing Time on Workability
3.1.2. Influence of SAP on the Stability of Fresh HPC
3.2. Rheological Properties
3.3. Mechanical Properties
3.4. Viscoelastic Properties
3.5. Transport Properties
4. Conclusions
- The incorporation of SAPs increased the superplasticizer (SP) demand and plastic viscosity due to continued moisture absorption during extended mixing. Yield stress remained relatively stable across mixing durations, indicating a compensatory effect between SAP absorption and SP dispersion.
- SAPs significantly enhanced static yield stress and reduced surface settlement, thereby improving the fresh stability of HPC. Extended mixing time had minimal additional effect on fresh stability once adequate dispersion was achieved.
- Mechanical performance, including compressive strength, flexural strength, and modulus of elasticity, was consistently improved by 10–25% with SAP addition. These enhancements were not sensitive to mixing duration, suggesting that a 3 min extended mixing period was sufficient to ensure effective SAP dispersion.
- Both autogenous and drying shrinkage were markedly reduced with SAPs, confirming their effectiveness as internal curing agents. The reduction in shrinkage was largely independent of mixing time.
- Electrical resistivity measurements showed improved durability performance in SAP-modified mixtures. No significant variation was observed across the tested mixing durations, further supporting the robustness of SAP benefits under practical mixing conditions.
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Binder | SiO2 (%) | Al2O3 (%) | Fe2O3 (%) | CaO (%) | MgO (%) | SO3 (%) | Na2O eq., % | LOI (%) | Blaine Surface Area, m2/kg | Specific Gravity |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
OPC | 19.0 | 3.9 | 3.5 | 68.3 | 1.7 | 2.4 | 0.6 | 1.5 | 390 | 3.14 |
FA | 40.4 | 19.8 | 6.3 | 24.4 | 3.5 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 3.4 | 490 | 2.71 |
Slag | 36.2 | 7.7 | 0.7 | 44.2 | 7.6 | 1.7 | 0.52 | 0 | 530 | 2.86 |
No. | Materials (kg/m3) | Admixtures (wt.% of Binder) | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cement | Slag | FA | Sand | CA | Water | SAP | SP | AEA | Retarder | |
Control | 184 | 125 | 47 | 736 | 1074 | 132 | 0 | 0.15 | 0.07 | 0.12 |
P-M3 | 0.9 | 0.25 | ||||||||
P-M5 | 0.28 | |||||||||
P-M7 | 0.34 | |||||||||
B-M3 | 0.7 | 0.26 | ||||||||
B-M5 | 0.26 | |||||||||
B-M7 | 0.28 |
Mixture | Slump (mm) | Air Volume (%) | Unit (kg/m3) | SP Content (wt.% of Binder) | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Initial * | 20 min | 40 min | Initial * | 40 min | Before SAP Addition | After SAP Addition | Total | ||
Reference | 216 | 198 | 178 | 5.6 | 6.4 | 2326 | 0.15 | - | 0.15 |
P-M3 | 218 | 147 | 66 | 5.1 | 5.6 | 2338 | 0.9 | 0.24 | |
P-M5 | 218 | 127 | 53 | 5.5 | 5.6 | 2333 | 0.13 | 0.28 | |
P-M7 | 224 | 169 | 136 | 5.8 | 6.5 | 2330 | 0.19 | 0.34 | |
B-M3 | 218 | 183 | 160 | 5.2 | 5.5 | 2331 | 0.11 | 0.26 | |
B-M5 | 208 | 173 | 137 | 5.5 | 6.0 | 2323 | 0.11 | 0.26 | |
B-M7 | 213 | 178 | 157 | 5.7 | 6.4 | 2325 | 0.13 | 0.28 |
Mixture | Yield Stress (Pa) | Plastic Viscosity (Pa·s) | Static Yield Stress at 5 min (Pa) |
---|---|---|---|
Reference | 76 | 79 | 310 |
P-M3 | 372 | 178 | 832 |
P-M5 | 356 | 234 | 799 |
P-M7 | 363 | 292 | 410 |
B-M3 | 330 | 142 | 598 |
B-M5 | 338 | 153 | 612 |
B-M7 | 345 | 158 | 643 |
Mixture | Surface Resistivity (Ω·m) | Uniaxial Resistivity (Ω·m) |
---|---|---|
Reference | 55.1 | 147.3 |
P-M3 | 58.6 | 173.0 |
P-M5 | 58.3 | 181.7 |
P-M7 | 57.5 | 167.1 |
B-M3 | 59.1 | 165.5 |
B-M5 | 56.8 | 165.9 |
B-M7 | 56.1 | 163.3 |
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Gu, Y.-C.; Khayat, K.H. Influence of Mixing Duration and Absorption Characteristics of Superabsorbent Polymers on the Fresh and Hardened Properties of High-Performance Concrete. Materials 2025, 18, 3609. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18153609
Gu Y-C, Khayat KH. Influence of Mixing Duration and Absorption Characteristics of Superabsorbent Polymers on the Fresh and Hardened Properties of High-Performance Concrete. Materials. 2025; 18(15):3609. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18153609
Chicago/Turabian StyleGu, Yu-Cun, and Kamal H. Khayat. 2025. "Influence of Mixing Duration and Absorption Characteristics of Superabsorbent Polymers on the Fresh and Hardened Properties of High-Performance Concrete" Materials 18, no. 15: 3609. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18153609
APA StyleGu, Y.-C., & Khayat, K. H. (2025). Influence of Mixing Duration and Absorption Characteristics of Superabsorbent Polymers on the Fresh and Hardened Properties of High-Performance Concrete. Materials, 18(15), 3609. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18153609