Florida Atlantic University researchers have developed a new coating material from flyash, a waste byproduct produced in coal-burning electric energy facilities, for concretes. They presented the report at the American Chemical Society’s 241st National Meeting & Exposition.
The new flyash-based coating material is cheaper and has more durability than current coating materials. The research is a part of a combined project between Blue World Crete and Florida Atlantic University’s research team comprising Charles E. Carraher, Madasamy Arockiasamy and Perambur Neelakantaswamy.
Carraher, study leader, stated that the research team has found that the flyash waste could be used as a shield to prevent aging concrete from crumbling and deterioration. The flyash material can be utilized as a corrosion-resistant coating for steel reinforcing bar or ‘rebar’, which is entrenched in concrete to provide strength and reinforcement to the concrete. The coating can also be used to repair deteriorated concrete.
Carraher continued that the flyash coating has exhibited optimum reliability and robustness when tested under adverse external conditions such as rain, cold and heat. The coating safeguarded concrete from damage when exposed to acids in the polluted air that had a concentration of 100,000 times more than that of a normal level. The coating material can be used to extend the operating life of concrete in structures such as concrete bridges and roads, domestic drinking water and wastewater systems and can help solve the disposal issues of flyash.
Source: http://portal.acs.org