Enhancement of fabric–mortar interfacial adhesion by particle decoration: insights from pull-off measurements

• Published in: Materials and structures Vol. 54; no. 6
• Main Authors: Birenboim, Matan, Alatawna, Amr, Sripada, Raghu, Nahum, Lior, Cullari, Lucas Luciano, Peled, Alva, Regev, Oren
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01-12-2021; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Bonding strength; Building construction; Building Materials; Carbon; Carbon nanotubes; Cement; Civil Engineering; Crystal growth; Decoration; Engineering; Graphene; Interlayers; Machines; Manufacturing; Materials Science; Mechanical properties; Mortars (material); Offshore construction; Original Article; Polymers; Processes; Pull off tests; Reinforced concrete; Silicon dioxide; Solid Mechanics; Theoretical and Applied Mechanics; Surface treatments; Adhesion; Carbon fiber; Textile-reinforce-concrete
• ISSN: 1359-5997; 1871-6873
• DOI: 10.1617/s11527-021-01789-5

Polymer-impregnated carbon fabric is used as an alternative to metallic reinforcement bars in cementitious materials, which is then termed textile-reinforced concrete (TRC). In this study, the bond strength between the cement-based matrix and the fabric was enhanced by decorating the polymer (an epoxy) coating the carbon fabric with hydrophilic micron-size particles (cement or silica) or nanocarbons (functionalized carbon nanotubes or graphene oxide). Cement powder decoration led to a 25% increase in the bond strength (measured by a pull-off test) and a 30% improvement in the mechanical properties of the composite. At the micron scale, the decoration resulted in the formation of a 100-μm thick interlayer between the decorated fabric and the cement-based matrix. Unexpectedly, exposure of the cement-decorated samples to a NaCl environment (as in off-shore constructions) resulted in enhanced bond strength due to the growth of salt crystals at the fabric–matrix interface.